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Detail of Icon by Br. Robert Lentz, OFM
Saint Oscar Arnulfo Romero
15 August 1917 – 24 March 1980
Invitation to Worship
Come, let us return to Adonai, our God–
Our God who is gracious and merciful!
We make the Sign of the Cross over our lips as we begin.
O Holy ONE + open my lips,
~And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
How precious in the eyes of Adonai;
~ Is the death of the faithful one!
SERVANT SONG
All may sing or alternate the verses of any Morning Hymn .
Will you let me be your servant, Let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace to Let you be my servant too.
We are pilgrims on a journey, We are trav’lers on the road;
We are here to help each other Walk the mile and bear the load.
I will hold the Christ-light for you In the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you, Speak the peace you long to hear.
I will weep when you are weeping; When you laugh I’ll laugh with you.
I will share your joy and sorrow ‘Till we’ve seen this journey through.
When we sing to God in gladness we shall find such harmony,
Born of all we’ve known together Of Christ’s love and agony.
Will you let me be your servant, Let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace to Let you be my servant too.
Richard Gillard (1977) alt.
PSALMODY
Antiphon/Refrain
Adonai hears the cry of the poor, Praised be Adonai
Psalm 33/34
I bless you Adonai at all times,
Your praise ever in my mouth,
Let my soul glory in your Love,
for you hear the cry of the poor. (Refrain)
Let the lowly hear and be glad
Adonai listens to their pleas
and to hearts broken God is near
who will hear the cry of the poor. (Refrain)
Ev’ry spirit crushed God will save;
will be ransom for their lives;
will be safe shelter for their fears,
and will hear the cry of the poor. (Refrain)
We proclaim your greatness O God,
your praise ever in our mouth;
ev’ry face brightened by your light
for you hear the cry of the poor. (Refrain)
Psalm 34 John Foley, SJ alt.
READING Isaiah 53: 11-12
Because of this anguish my servant shall see the light; because of this knowledge my servant shall be content; My servant, the just one, shall justify the many, and shall bear their iniquity.Therefore I will give a portion among the many, and the spoils be will divided with the mighty, Because my servant surrendered self to death, was counted among the transgressors, bore the sins of many, and interceded for the transgressors.
Responsory
R. Ours were the sufferings he bore *ours were the sorrows he carried. V. Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains but a single grain of wheat; *ours were the sorrows he carried. V. Glory to the One and the Word, and the Breath of Love.
Homily of Oscar Romero
We have never preached violence, except the violence of love,
which left Christ nailed to a cross, the violence that we must each do to ourselves
to overcome our selfishness and such cruel inequalities among us.
The violence we preach is not the violence of the sword, the violence of hatred.
It is the violence of love, of kinship, the violence that wills to beat weapons into sickles for work.
NOVEMBER 27, 1977
Silent Prayer
Canticle of Zachary– Luke 1:68-79
Antiphon
No prophet is accepted at home:
Elijah helped the widow of Sidon;
Elisha healed the commander from Syria.
Blessed + be Adonai, the God of Israel,
Who visits this people to set us free
Raising for us a sign of salvation
In the house and family of David.
God promised throughout past ages
In words of holy prophets
To save us from our enemies,
And from the control of our oppressors.
Adonai favored our ancestors
And remembered the sacred covenant.
The pledge to Abraham and Sarah
Is now renewed for us;
That freed from the grip of our foes
We might worship without fear
And be both just and holy
For the rest of our days.
And you, child, called “prophet of the Most High,”
Will go ahead to prepare the way,
By teaching this people of salvation
Through forgiveness of their sins.
For the loving compassion of the Holy One
As the Rising Sun will shine upon us
To illumine the darkness and dispel death’s shadow
To Guide our feet on the way of peace.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
and to the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore. Amen
No prophet is accepted at home:
Elijah helped the widow of Sidon;
Elisha healed the commander from Syria.
Intercessory Prayer
[These prayers are based in part by those available from U.S. Catholic for this day.]
For the growing disparity in wealth in our world, ~Have mercy on us.
For the persistence of racism in our community, ~Have mercy on us.
For the times we blame the poor for their plight, though it is caused by institutions and structures of privilege and injustice, ~Have mercy on us.
For failing to own our own selfishness, failing to denounce the sin that puts convenience, luxury and ease before the love of our suffering sisters and brothers, ~Have mercy on us.
For lowering the tax burden of the rich and for corporations while we dismantle and defund programs that benefit the poor, ~Have mercy on us.
For our failure to take responsibility for the conditions of poverty and social violence in our world and in our community, ~Have mercy on us
Prayer of Jesus
Our Father …
Closing Prayer & Blessing
God of compassion, hear our cry of repentance for the ways in which our religion has added to the suffering in our world through participation in its causes, or through neglect caused by fear, complacency, despair, or the seduction of comfort, status, and power. May our prayer of repentance be a point of conversion, turning the hearts of many back to you.
Fill us with the boldness of your servant Oscar Romero; enable us to denounce sin in our world as we announce your reign among us, and to lend our hands and our hearts to building that reign in our world, for you live and reign in the power of love now and forever. ~Amen.
May the God of Life, the God of the poor+ incite us to the violence of love, the violence of kinship, the violence that beats swords into sickles for work. ~Amen.
Let us bless the world with peace.
~And give thanks to God.