A Prayer For The Feast Day Of St. Oscar Romero

A Prayer for the Feast Day of St. Oscar Romero

March 24

O Lord, what a humbling invitation it is

To raise up families for justice

And for peace.

For we know the world hates

A prophetic imagination

That says,

“In the name of Jesus, there’s another way,

Where the last shall be first

And a lamb will lead us.”

Lord, we think of Oscar Romero

And his commitment to ministry alongside

The oppressed and the afflicted,

The marginalized and the poor.

And on this day,

In remembrance of his life,

Taken by violence as he preached,

We reflect on how he lived up until his death,

Proclaiming good news for the poor

And setting the captives free,

Letting his love for You

And Your people

Overcome his fear

Of repercussions.

Lord, help us plant seeds

For Your peaceable Kingdom,

And help us water the seeds

Others have tended to before us

As we cultivate relationships with our children

And point them to life in You.

Choosing love is a risk,

And yet we pray that if our family

Is known,

Let us be known by our love.

If we speak, may we speak words

Of conviction,

Of truth,

Of righteousness,

And of peace.

The world is not a safe place for the prophet,

But may we not forget the invisible danger

Of staying silent

In the face of our brothers’ and sisters’ oppression,

For our flourishing

Is tied up with theirs.

Thank You for grace

To enter into hard topics

And to see beauty in the world

Even among the violence

Of word and deed.

Help us be a family

That sees ourselves as ministers,

Not messiahs.

May we proclaim a future

And indeed a reality

Created by You

And You alone.

Psalm 31:15-24; John 12:20-26