Whew! Easter Monday, when Church Lady brains are made of mush. I always remember Oscar Romero's feast, but even though I taught his life and works (sermon excerpts et al.) to the students in my Liberation Theologies class earlier this semester, I would have forgotten today's commemoration had I not stopped in, as I do almost daily, c/o the Byzigenous Buddhapalian and Caminante. Thank you, friends!
Here is a link to my post from last year, which has a wonderful mural of Monseñor Romero with his people --we never remember him alone, he makes sense only in the midst of his people, as a pastor.
We cannot segregate God’s word
from the historical reality
in which it is proclaimed.
That would not be God’s word.
The Bible would be just a pious history book
in our library.
It is God’s word
because it enlightens, contrasts,
repudiates, praises
what is going on in this society.
November 27, 1977
A remembrance by U.S. poet and activist Renny Golden is here.
There is a related collection of resources on Romero here.
20th anniversary remembrance with lots of resources here.
A 25th anniversary memorial essay by John Dear, S.J., is here.
Do not let the serpent of rancor nest in your hearts.
There is no greater misfortune than a vindictive heart,
even though it be turned against those who have tortured your children,
against the criminal hands that have placed them among the missing.
Do not hate.
December 1, 1977
There is no greater misfortune than a vindictive heart,
even though it be turned against those who have tortured your children,
against the criminal hands that have placed them among the missing.
Do not hate.
December 1, 1977
Here's a meditative guide to the movie "Romero" (Slightly fictionalized version of Romero's life story but well worth watching -- it was one of the turning points of the semester for my students, and Raul Julia, may he rest in peace, did a remarkable job as Archbishop Romero.)
A religion of Sunday Mass but of unjust weeks
does not please the Lord.
A religion of much praying
but with hypocrisy in the heart
is not Christian.
A church that sets itself up only to be well off,
to have a lot of money and comfort,
but that forgets to protest injustices,
would not be the true church of our divine redeemer.
December 4, 1977
does not please the Lord.
A religion of much praying
but with hypocrisy in the heart
is not Christian.
A church that sets itself up only to be well off,
to have a lot of money and comfort,
but that forgets to protest injustices,
would not be the true church of our divine redeemer.
December 4, 1977
3 comments:
I too always remember this day, as Oscar Romero is one of my true heroes.
However, I too forgot - even though in my morning haziness I found a Romero quotation on a calendar and put it in a comment at BB's!
Then I saw Caminante, BB's and now this.
So well put, and how we must remember.
It is my tried and true thing that whenever I get misty eyed about JPII, and yes it does happen albeit infrequently, I simply call to mind the great late Archbishop.
God have mercy on us all.
(p.s. with B16 in the big chair, it can be shockingly easy to get nostalgic for JPII... although I tend to long more for John23!)
I missed the feast day, but I made up for it today. It was not in the Lectionary. I wonder if it was transferred to another day because of Easter week.
Ah, but he was a beautiful man, wasn't he?
I'm glad to hear you think well of the movie--I liked it, but haven't seen it since. Romero is a wonderful Saint of the church, with or without the Bavarian bureaucrats' approval.
Remembering the Eighties and Central America is difficult, as I mentioned; the initial impact of the Reagan Right: they were little and powerless countries, and we could do it without getting hurt ourselves.
And they are occupying even higher positions now. Godde, I've been parched for a long time; I think I really could use some refreshment.
Post a Comment