Living Faith Through Selfless Service

Whoever seeks to avoid danger at all costs may ultimately lose the fullness of life, but the one who, out of love for Christ, dedicates themselves to serving others discovers a life that endures. Archbishop Oscar Romero exemplified this truth, living and dying by these principles. In his final homily, he articulated the theological convictions that shaped his mission and ultimately led to his martyrdom:

This afternoon, dear sisters and brothers, I believe we…should all embrace this message that every Christian today must heartily proclaim. Many people don’t understand the message. They think that Christianity should not get involved in these things, but quite the opposite is true. You just heard the Gospel of Christ: we must not love our lives so much that we avoid taking the risks in life that history calls for.

Those who seek to shun danger will lose their lives, whereas those who love for Christ dedicate themselves to the service of others will live. They are like the grain of wheat that dies, at least in appearance. If the grain does not die, it remains alone. If it yields a crop, it is because it dies, allowing itself to be immolated in the earth; it is by being dismantled that it produces the crop.

…This holy Mass of thanksgiving, then, is just such an act of faith. By Christian faith we know that at this moment the host of wheat becomes the body of the Lord who offered himself for the redemption of the world, and that the wine in this chalice is transformed into the blood that was the price of salvation. May this body that was immolated and this flesh that was sacrificed for humankind also nourish us so that we can give our bodies and our blood to suffering and pain, as Christ did, not for our own sake but to bring justice and peace to our people. 

Then the shots rang out, and Archbishop Romero fell dead.