Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Psalm 27

Luke 13:31-35

In the name of the one true God, sanctifier, and redeemer. Amen.

Brennan Hill gives this account of the last moments of Oscar Romero. The former Archbishop of El Salvador celebrated his last mass that included pivotal scripture readings that Sunday in his chapel before his congregation. The readings included Psalm 23 (The Lord is My Shepherd) and the epistle was taken from 1Corinthians 15 where Apostle Paul addresses the resurrection of the dead. The gospel of John exclaimed, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain, but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”(John 12:24)

The Archbishop had reached the point of no return in speaking out on behalf of the improvised people, in his providence, regarding the political and economic injustices imposed through oppressive means by wealthy families in the country. Romero knew his life was at risk as he spoke of his vision that fateful Sunday. His homily centered on forging the way to achieve humanitarian equality for peace and justice. After all, he felt the mission of the church is definitely linked to being driven “according to the heart of God.” (copied and adapted from Brennan Hill, 8 Spiritual Heroes, p.182)

Romero informed the congregation that reaching this goal could possibly entail enduring voluntary suffering and other risks to them. Just moments after completing his homily, the Archbishop lay fatally wounded before the eyes of his congregation. (copied and adapted from B. Hill, 8 Spiritual Heroes, p. 188)

The powerful land owning families, ruling powers of the local government and some of his fellow church leaders had began to view Romero as a threat within their kingdom of greed and wealth. The local powers of the country flexed their strength by having him gunned down to silence him for accusing them of corruption and institutionized violence. The Archbishop was killed because he would not back down from denouncing the false gods of power who ruled by violence among the people. The world was stunned of this brazen act of violence. The voice of the Nobel Peace prize nominee was silenced.

The lives of El Salvadorians from the days of Archbishop Romero continues to carry today hope and reconciliation messages because they know the love, compassion, and peace of God who stands in solidarity with them and us on earth as in heaven. Therefore, a new kingdom was at hand in fellowship with God forging a way for peace. A new faith community embraced the love of Christ in a church immersed with them and not apart from them.

The voice of the Archbishop is gone. However, he lives on through the lives and voices of those he touched for social and political reform through out the world. No one can serve two masters scripture says. Romero used to say “There is only one God, and that God will either be the true one, who asks us to give things up when they become sin, or it will be the God of money…”Moreover, this true God is not a distant God, “but a God close at hand here on earth.” (copied and adapted from B. Hill, Eight Spiritual Heroes, p. 177)

Thousands El Salvadorians were disenfranchised from equity of the land on socio-economic levels. The followers of Romero grew in faith and hope. Dailey they knew the hand of God was their guide and their light. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom then shall I be afraid?” We heard this scripture from Psalm 27 today.

Many Salvadorians considered Romero as a prophet who lived and worked among them side by side providing them hope of liberation to regain human dignity and rights. He preached that God could not sanction inhumane treatment by those in power over others. The Archbishop was not afraid by threats on his life and proved not to be deterred from his vision for humanity which was driven by his love and faith in God.

In our Genesis reading, Abram is assured not to be afraid in as the WORD of God descends upon him in a vision. “Do not be afraid Abram, I am our shield…” The faith of Abram seals a covenant with God promising him more descendents than he can count because with God all things are possible and not by our own hand in the mix. “No one but your very own issue shall be your heir” Abram hears and believes God’s promise for Abram had been very doubtful that he would ever be a father prior to this time. Abram continues on his directed journey and never turns back as he heads toward the land promised to him by God “ to your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.” Today, we are the benefactors of Abram standing firm on the course set before him by God.

The journey to Jerusalem for Christ and for us was one filled with trust, hope, and faith in our God to build the new kingdom without being deterred. We hear in today’s journey narrative from Luke that as Jesus, who identified himself as a prophet, moved onward toward Jerusalem and entered an area called Perea where Herod was the head of the domain. Jesus was warned by some Pharisees to vacate the area due to possible harm to him by Herod. This warning did not deter Jesus from staying the course of traveling to Jerusalem knowing he would meet his fate.

Most importantly, the warning did not deter Jesus from continuing his public ministry of healing and teaching to spread the kingdom of God. Our faith, hope and trust lies in the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem for our salvation which is the promise to us from God. Let us keep our hearts open as one who has been gathered along the way. Our challenge today is not to be deterred but to as Paul says “stand firm in the Lord” as a builder of the church for the spread of love, hope, and faith within our communities during this Lenten season and always.

Let us pray: Almighty God, by the power of your Holy Spirit open our eyes, ears, heart, and very lives to your presence so that today we may worship and serve you in faithfulness, be blessing and healing reminders of your love to all whose lives we touch. We offer our prayers in the name of Christ. AMEN. (prayer from A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Sevants, by Rueben P. Job and Norman Shawchuck, Upper Room, p. 118)


Source:
Hill, Brennan, 8 Spiritual Heroes, Their Search of GOD (Cincinnati, Ohio: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2002)