Today is the feast day of St Oscar Romero. He served as the Archbishop of San Salvador in the Central American country of El Salvador from 1977 to 1980. As Archbishop, he spoke out against social injustice and violence in a civil war in that country between left-wing insurgents and the military government. In 1980, Romero was fatally shot by an assassin while celebrating Mass. No one was ever convicted for the crime, but an investigation tied the killing to a death squad leader who later became a political leader in the country. Romero was declared a martyr for the faith by Pope Francis. During Romero’s beatification ceremony, Pope Francis declared that his "ministry was distinguished by his particular attention to the most poor and marginalized.” He was canonized under Pope Francis is 2018. He is one of the patron saints of the Americas and persecuted Christians.
From the book of Numbers, we hear about the Israelites traveling through the desert. They are tired, hungry, and thirsty. They gave up hope in the middle of a desert journey that seemed to never end. They were frustrated with their situation, so they turned against Moses and against God for having brought them to this hot, desolate place. Their life of bondage in Egypt seemed good in comparison to what they were enduring on the Exodus. They did not feel God’s presence accompanying them on their journey. It can be easy for us to slip into hopelessness and despair in the midst of a crisis or a difficult situation. It is easy to blame someone else for our misery and agony. It can be easy to feel lost in the midst of the darkness. May we see in the example of St Oscar Romero and many of the other members of the community of saints examples of faith in the midst of adversity.
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