Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Of Messengers and Martyrs

Most mornings I wake up to our radio alarm which is set to KPCC. I enjoy waking up to the voices and the commentary. It feels somehow comforting. A bit like the obverse of falling asleep to a familiar voice.

Yesterday morning I awoke to Adolfo Guzman Lopez' voice gently sharing that many Salvadoreño's will be commemorating Archbishop Romero on March 24th - the anniversary of his assassination on that date in 1980.

He was shot while celebrating mass in San Salvador. His crime was speaking out on human rights abuse in his country.

His life and work have been in the back of my mind all day long. This was reinforced by the fact that a group of us were going to be judging the work of PUSD students for a Cesar Chavez Art and Essay Contest. Hard not to see some similarities. Rewarding and uplifting to see the thoughtful work created by children from grades K - 12 reflecting on the better part of Chavez and his work.

This evening I found myself also thinking about Fr. Jerzy Popieluzko, a Polish priest, who was murdered in 1984 for his support of the banned trade union Solidarnoz.

In a strange way I found thinking of the lives and works of these men comforting.

Because of their compassion and courage we witnessed a bit of the nobility that we mortals can display. Their lives are lessons that remind us that we are capable of so much good. Sometimes good works are remembered and amplified long after the corporal voice is stilled.

Per Fair Use - Image courtesdy of the
Office for the Canonizatio Cause of Oscar Arnulfo Romero of the San Salvador Archdiocese.

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