Oscar Romero, 86,400, and a slow growth
Hello!
Happy Sunday! Today is a particularly special day because it is the day that Archbishop Oscar Romero is being canonized in the catholic church! Yes, he will now be known as Saint Oscar Romero, the man who stood up to oppression and stood in solidarity with the people of El Salvador! First though, let me just explain this. I recently went led a service trip to El Salvador over the summer, I learned even more about Romero before I went and so much about him with people who were affected by his actions in the country. So in this post I wanted to take a second to shed some light on him and explain how learning about him really, for all my jesuit friends, made me want to go forth and set the world on fire.
Oscar Romero came into his role of Archbishop in 1977, he was a very smart man who loved to read and the church in El Salvador saw him as a person who wouldn't really stir the pot while in his position. Well, during the beginning of his time as archbishop, his good friend Rutillo Grande S.J. (a jesuit priest) had been gunned down and killed. When this happened, Romero couldn't stand around and let things like this continue to happen, so he decided to take action. His actions are still continually remembered and talked about to this day. He once held a single mass in the entire country, a where everyone would come to the cathedral and he would speak out against the injustices that had been happening and people would just turning a blind eye to. The mass was playing on every radio, in every city for those who couldn't make it through the cathedral. He was a very articulate person who used his words to work on creating peace in El Salvador and didn't want to use violence. He was shot during a mass he was giving, and his death is considered to be in "odium fidei" which translates to hatred of faith (Harvard Gazette). He never intended to be the advocate he was, but when he saw the violence, oppression and injustices occurring, he knew that God wanted him to speak out and stand up for what is right. I also have 2 articles I read to gain more understanding about his canonization (because writing about him and everything in el Salvador would be a book in itself!) and you can read them too!
https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2018/05/19/pope-to-canonize-paul-vi-oscar-romero-in-rome-oct-14/
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/04/harvard-professor-reflects-on-life-canonization-of-oscar-romero/
Now you may be wondering, why did he just tell us all of this? First, I had to tell everyone about the canonization of this man because I was extremely excited to find that out and I truly do admire someone who stands up for what is right. Second, at church yesterday, the homily was something that ties in what Romero did, and what I need to be doing more of. The deacon at the church mentioned "86,400" that was the number he gave us. It started out as money, "I have a bank that'll give you $86,400 every day for the rest of your life, but whatever is left in the bank, they'll take back. How many of you are in?" and we are shaking our heads and nodding, making track poses at the door waiting for him to say what bank it is so we can all go get the money he's promising us. Then he says "Alright, well I don't have a bank thats going to do that, so sorry to get your hopes up, BUT we are given 86,400 seconds in every day we have, now how are you spending it?" Well let me tell you, I left church thinking 3 things, 1) was there really only 86,400 seconds in a day?? 2) How do I spend those precious seconds? 3) how much time and I giving to be present and talk with god? These questions really are the final sticking point to me making my community feel like a community to me. After this weekend, I have some new hopes for my community, and I have to put in my time to get what I want out of the community. I also have to know when to let little things go and not get so frustrated, worked up, or bent out of shape when people aren't thinking the way I am, or are doing things differently. I've learned more about who I am and what I like in my community, but I also feel like I have spent so much time upset, complaining and not doing anything about the things in any community I am in, that I haven't been able to truly enjoy community. Time is precious, we only have so much in a day but how we use that time is something that makes or breaks the community experience. So this week my question for myself (and for everyone if you would like to think of this in regards to you) is Romero used his time to stand up for what he wanted and believed in, how will I use my 86,400 seconds?
Thank you so much for trying on my CAP!
Until next time, Peace, Love and Blessings!
Happy Sunday! Today is a particularly special day because it is the day that Archbishop Oscar Romero is being canonized in the catholic church! Yes, he will now be known as Saint Oscar Romero, the man who stood up to oppression and stood in solidarity with the people of El Salvador! First though, let me just explain this. I recently went led a service trip to El Salvador over the summer, I learned even more about Romero before I went and so much about him with people who were affected by his actions in the country. So in this post I wanted to take a second to shed some light on him and explain how learning about him really, for all my jesuit friends, made me want to go forth and set the world on fire.
Oscar Romero came into his role of Archbishop in 1977, he was a very smart man who loved to read and the church in El Salvador saw him as a person who wouldn't really stir the pot while in his position. Well, during the beginning of his time as archbishop, his good friend Rutillo Grande S.J. (a jesuit priest) had been gunned down and killed. When this happened, Romero couldn't stand around and let things like this continue to happen, so he decided to take action. His actions are still continually remembered and talked about to this day. He once held a single mass in the entire country, a where everyone would come to the cathedral and he would speak out against the injustices that had been happening and people would just turning a blind eye to. The mass was playing on every radio, in every city for those who couldn't make it through the cathedral. He was a very articulate person who used his words to work on creating peace in El Salvador and didn't want to use violence. He was shot during a mass he was giving, and his death is considered to be in "odium fidei" which translates to hatred of faith (Harvard Gazette). He never intended to be the advocate he was, but when he saw the violence, oppression and injustices occurring, he knew that God wanted him to speak out and stand up for what is right. I also have 2 articles I read to gain more understanding about his canonization (because writing about him and everything in el Salvador would be a book in itself!) and you can read them too!https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2018/05/19/pope-to-canonize-paul-vi-oscar-romero-in-rome-oct-14/
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/04/harvard-professor-reflects-on-life-canonization-of-oscar-romero/
Now you may be wondering, why did he just tell us all of this? First, I had to tell everyone about the canonization of this man because I was extremely excited to find that out and I truly do admire someone who stands up for what is right. Second, at church yesterday, the homily was something that ties in what Romero did, and what I need to be doing more of. The deacon at the church mentioned "86,400" that was the number he gave us. It started out as money, "I have a bank that'll give you $86,400 every day for the rest of your life, but whatever is left in the bank, they'll take back. How many of you are in?" and we are shaking our heads and nodding, making track poses at the door waiting for him to say what bank it is so we can all go get the money he's promising us. Then he says "Alright, well I don't have a bank thats going to do that, so sorry to get your hopes up, BUT we are given 86,400 seconds in every day we have, now how are you spending it?" Well let me tell you, I left church thinking 3 things, 1) was there really only 86,400 seconds in a day?? 2) How do I spend those precious seconds? 3) how much time and I giving to be present and talk with god? These questions really are the final sticking point to me making my community feel like a community to me. After this weekend, I have some new hopes for my community, and I have to put in my time to get what I want out of the community. I also have to know when to let little things go and not get so frustrated, worked up, or bent out of shape when people aren't thinking the way I am, or are doing things differently. I've learned more about who I am and what I like in my community, but I also feel like I have spent so much time upset, complaining and not doing anything about the things in any community I am in, that I haven't been able to truly enjoy community. Time is precious, we only have so much in a day but how we use that time is something that makes or breaks the community experience. So this week my question for myself (and for everyone if you would like to think of this in regards to you) is Romero used his time to stand up for what he wanted and believed in, how will I use my 86,400 seconds?
Until next time, Peace, Love and Blessings!
Yesterday is history. Tomorrow's a mystery. Today is a gift. And that's why they call it the present. You're doing great, Alex. God bless you and the work you do. And keep writing!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Love the wisdom!
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