Speaking Out - March 24, 2025
Today’s Readings - AM Psalm 80; Jer. 7:1-15; Rom. 4:1-12; John 7:14-36
There have been very few times in my life when I’ve stuck my neck out far enough to get it cut-off. Once when I was in the 7th grade my mother took my brother and I to a political rally for the candidate opposing the one for whom she had been campaigning. Mother had the bright idea of leaving fliers for her guy on the cars at the rally. Someone noticed and approached us. Rather than leave quietly she thought it an opportune moment to explain why his candidate should not be allowed to hold any public office much less the one for which he was running. The less than gentile man, grabbed a brick off the ground and slung it at my mother, narrowly missing her. He then sucker punched my brother, who happened to be a big guy at the time. I don’t remember what I did, but I do remember being terrified. This was typical of my mom’s life. She never let a moment go by when she felt she needed to speak out for someone or something. I’m still intimidated by her moxie way of approaching the world. I’m her daughter in many ways but that is not one of them.
Oscar Romero was cut from cloth very similar to my mom’s. The big difference was speaking out in El Salvador was much more dangerous and he did so on a much more public stage than she ever did. Her role on the Mississippi political scene made her some enemies but nothing like the ones he had. He was better known as Monsignor Romero, a priest in the Roman Catholic Church in El Salvador and eventually the prelate archbishop. His ministry was one of speaking out for the poor and for those who were victims of the Salvadoran civil war. His activism led to his assassination on March 24th, during a mass which he was celebrating. His violent death served to promote international awareness of the need for human rights reform in El Salvador. Pope Francis canonized Romero as a saint on October 14, 2018.
Today is the day on the liturgical calendar on which we honor Romero’s life and ministry. He lived a life none of us will experience but it’s a wonderful reminder of the importance of creating awareness by raising our voices when we see the need.
In today’s gospel John tells us, “Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple, ‘You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you do not know him. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.’” If Jesus had kept his mouth shut maybe he wouldn’t have ended up in so much trouble. But what’s the use of that? He spoke out regardless of how he knew it would be received and for good reason. His was a life that knew only one purpose, to serve the downtrodden, the outcast, the poor and the lost, offering salvation to all those who believed in him, the incarnate son of God. Our role as his followers is to be aware, to care for others, to speak out when we can and to have a heart for those he loved. And as we do, to duck when the occasional “brick” gets tossed our way never forgetting that Christ took the big one for us all.
Questions for Reflection: How do you approach issues that make you uncomfortable, the ones you know are important that you should act upon? How can you change what you do to be more effective? If you stay in the shadows, what is holding you back?