Saturday, April 4, 2020

Prayer: “We Must Cry Out” by Oscar Romero

For the church, the many abuses
of human life, liberty, and dignity
are a heartfelt suffering.
The church, entrusted with earth’s glory,
believes that in each person is the Creator’s image
and that everyone who tramples it offends God.

As holy defender of God’s rights and of his images,
the church must cry out.
It takes as spittle on its face,
as lashes on its back,
as the cross in its passion,
all that human beings suffer,
even though they be unbelievers.
They suffer as God’s images.
There is no dichotomy between man and God’s image.

Whoever tortures a human being,
whoever abuses a human being,
whoever outrages a human being
abuses God’s image,
and the church takes as its own
that cross, that martyrdom.

Source: The Violence of Love, as found in Give Us This Day (missalette), December, 2019, pp.302-303.

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