The Book of the Twelve for Lent 2016 - Malachi (2)


The book of Malachi ends with God's promise to send a messenger to prepare the way for his coming to his people and their temple (chs.3-4). Historically that promise was fulfilled by John the Baptist.

God keeps sending his people messengers, though. Prophets, mentors, examples, it matters little what we call them. It only matters that we hear them and heed their words, God's words, to us.

One such messenger was Oscar Romero. A shy, bookish priest, he was made Archbishop of El Salvador by the church in the expectation that he would cause no trouble and things in El Salvador would continue on as they had been. El Salvador was run by the infamous "Fourteen Families" in a highly unjust and repressive way. The people were systematically oppressed, threatened, murdered to keep them in their place.

Romero, however, as he got to know the people of El Salvador, God raised him up as a voice for the people, a voice for justice, a voice for God. The people rallied beyond him and he called ever more insistently for justice, freedom, and peace in the land. He became the troublemaker for the church and government neither expected he would.

36 years ago today Romero was assassinated by government sponsored thugs while celebrating the mass. Yet his voice still rings forth loud and clear all these years later. The messengers of God can never be silenced! The clip above is from the movie brilliant "Romero" with the late Raul Julia compellingly playing the Archbishop.

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