24 March is the feast of Saint Oscar Romero and the 46th anniversary of his martyrdom. CAFOD volunteer David Ostrowski reflects on Romero’s message for us today and how it can help to guide us during this Lenten season.
Saint Oscar Romero was a Catholic Archbishop in El Salvador who stood up against the injustices of his society. He challenged the systems that kept people poor. The threat that he faced for speaking out so loudly was something he knew, and despite this he continued to do so.
Forty-six years ago, he was martyred at the altar while celebrating Mass.
His episcopal motto was “To feel with the Church”, which perfectly summarises his teachings. St Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12 that we are all part of the body of the Church. It is important not to ignore the suffering that is experienced in different parts of the body. We must feel with the Church and stride towards healing. It captures the essence of Christ’s parable of the Sheep and the Goats: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat”. We bear that responsibility to treat all people around the world as if they were Christ himself.
Aspire not to have more but to be more
The quote above is one of the most famous attributed to Oscar Romero. To me it captures one of the essential values of our Catholic identity. In today’s world we may feel inclined to need more. More achievements, more wealth, more possessions. Yet Oscar Romero’s words offer a vision of a life where we aren’t represented by what we have but rather who we can be.
Aspirations for Lent
Just as we welcome Christ into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, throughout Lent we prepare to welcome him into our hearts through his sacrifice on the Cross. Often, during Lent we choose to give up things that bring us some sort of pleasure, but Lent asks us not just to think of what we can give up. It also asks us what we can make room for.
As we draw closer to Holy Week, perhaps we can ask ourselves how can we aspire to be more with our remaining time this Lent? To aspire to be more means to model our character closer to the person of Jesus to reflect his love and peaceful nature in our own communities. It is never too late to commit to this Lenten tradition. By following Oscar Romero’s example could we transform our own personal sacrifices into meaningful change in our lives and the lives across the world?
Personally, moving forward in Lent, I am going to cut down on the amount I spend per week on a quick coffee which could rather go to helping charitable causes instead. These Lenten promises do not have to be just for Lent, perhaps they can lead to transforming our everyday lives going forward.
Parallels with St Francis of Assisi
Throughout the history of the Church, saints have shown us what it means to transform our lives in this way. However, to me it is Saint Francis of Assisi who stands out among the saints as an example of incorporating Lent not just into a 40-day period, but into his everyday practice.
Having lived a life of luxury, Francis later turned to almsgiving and poverty recognising that excess drew him further from God. What he received he would share with those around him. He famously said, “Your God is of your flesh, He lives in your nearest neighbour, in every man”. This recognises how God dwells in all of us and in helping those around us we serve God.
This year Pope Leo declared 2026 as the year of St Francis of Assisi, 800 years after his death. We are called to embrace Saint Francis’ way of life, especially his care for those in need and the world around us. In this way, we can bring light into such a dark world, shining as an example of Christ’s love.
Saint Francis died 800 years ago, Saint Oscar Romero died over 40 years ago, yet we can still learn so much from them. Their lives, words and actions serve as the ever-living echo of the ability for faith to have a positive impact on the world. This Lenten season, let us embody their examples and teachings. In doing so, Lent can become a period of true change within us as we prepare the way for Christ in our lives.
