It was really hot that day and the sun beat down on us as we walked in procession from the Church of Divine Providence in San Salvador where Monseñor Oscar Romero was killed on this day in 1980 as he said mass down to the plaza in front of the National Cathedral, where a commemoration mass would be said. Romero, like Jesus, had spoken out against the injustice poor and marginalized were experiencing.
Although martyrdom may not be the fate of all who speak for the poor, it is always a possibility. As Jesus came closer to Jerusalem he was fully aware of the fate that he might face. Each of us has a Jerusalem in our lives, that moment when we must decide where we stand in the struggle for peace and justice.
Sometimes it’s really difficult to know what we should be doing as we try to respond to Jesus’ call of “Follow me!” What we should hope is that we ae able to make the tough decisions when the moment comes with the call of Jesus as our guide.
Prayer for the Day
God who appears to us in the most unusual places,
Come, so we can see your face and feel your spirit;
God who continually surprises us with your love,
Open us to your presence in those we encounter.
Be with us as we make difficult decisions in our lives
And accompany us as we seek to witness to your peace.
In the name of him who understood that peace requires justice,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
A church that doesn't provoke any crises, a gospel that doesn't unsettle, a word of God that doesn't get under anyone's skin, a word of God that doesn't touch the real sin of the society in which it is being proclaimed – what gospel is that?
Monseñor Oscar Romero, martyr (1917-1980)
We are writing what in the future will be he irrevocable past.
Carolyn Forché, American poet and witness in El Salvador 1980
On you I was cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me you have been my God.
Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is no one to help.
Psalm 22: 10-11