National Advocacy Center
  • Who We Are
    • About
    • Staff & Advisory Board
    • Partners
    • Good Shepherd Sisters
    • Of Note News >
      • Of Note Archives 2022
      • Of Note Archives 2021
      • Of Note Archives 2020
      • Of Note Archives 2019
      • Of Note Archives 2018
      • Of Note Archives 2017
      • Of Note Archives 2016
      • Of Note Archives 2015
    • Contact
  • Act for Justice
    • Road to Justice
    • Human Trafficking Conference >
      • HT Packet & Digital Toolkit
    • Giving
    • Outreach
  • Issues
    • Central America
    • Economic Justice
    • End Racism
    • Human Trafficking >
      • Know the Signs
      • Trafficking Resources
    • Immigration & Refugees
    • Muslim Relations
    • Women & Children
  • Resources
    • Advocacy Tools
    • Analysis for Action
    • Poetry Library

Day 12 / Changes of Heart

3/23/2019

6 Comments

 
PicturePhoto by Jean Stokan
Today was a day set aside for reflection. When St. Oscar Romero was about 60, he had a dramatic change of heart. He became the person we remember today: a passionate advocate for people living in poverty. 

Archbishop Romero was influenced by the murder of Fr. Rutilio Grande who had worked in poor, rural communities.  Grande was on his way to mass with three other priests  when they  were all slaughtered by machine gunfire.

Romero once said, "When I looked at Rutilio lying there dead I thought, 'If they have killed him for doing what he did, then I, too, have to walk the same path.'"  

As I approach 80, how ready am I to change? How have I changed?  Several decades ago I heard that if a man wanted to be a feminist he should find a strong woman to support.  At the time, I considered that a weird idea. Now it sounds like a great idea. At least in that respect, I have changed.

What about all the other areas in my life such as racism? The challenge to become more human, more Christ like, will continue to my last breath.

Where else is the challenge to change? What risks can I take tomorrow and the next day and every day for the rest of my life?  How ready am I to make mistakes?  Not to be perfect?  How ready am I to be fully alive?

"The transcendence that the church preaches is not alienation; it is not going to heaven to think about eternal life and forget about the problems on earth. It’s a transcendence from the human heart. It is entering into the reality of a child, of the poor, of those wearing rags, of the sick, of a hovel, of a shack. It is going to share with them. And from the very heart of misery, of this situation, to transcend it, to elevate it, to promote it, and to say to them, "You aren’t trash. You aren’t marginalized.' It is to say exactly the opposite, 'You are valuable.'"                                                                                                                                                                    ~ St. Oscar Romero 

6 Comments
Sharon Rose
3/24/2019 02:49:48 pm

Thank you, Claudia. I have been following Larry each day and offering my rosary for him. I kept his original message and it is really easy to click on his blog. I appreciate your advocacy too. Love, Sharon Rose

Reply
Marilyn Lorenz
3/29/2019 06:33:15 pm

Hello, I read your blog on the visit to El Salvador and Honduras. With all due respect I must point out that Rutilio Grande was killed on the road to Aguilares with an old man and a boy (they hitched a ride with him as would be normal for someone with a car).
At another point you suggested that the US should help with democratic elections in Honduras and El Salvador. That's not going to happen! El Salvador has tried and been a bit more successful in the last ten years but in Honduras that has not been the case since 2009. The US supports elections which elect "leaders" who enrich themselves and large corporate interests (which often also benefit US interests). If you would like to learn more read "Long Honduran Night" by Dana Frank. I would be happy to continue the conversation.

Reply
Marilyn Lorenz
3/30/2019 02:32:50 pm

Hello, I read your blog on the visit to El Salvador and Honduras. With all due respect I must point out that Rutilio Grande was killed on the road to Aguilares with an old man and a boy (they hitched a ride with him as would be normal for someone with a car).
At another point you suggested that the US should help with democratic elections in Honduras and El Salvador. That's not going to happen! El Salvador has tried and been a bit more successful in the last ten years but in Honduras that has not been the case since 2009. The US supports elections which elect "leaders" who enrich themselves and large corporate interests (which often also benefit US interests). If you would like to learn more read "Long Honduran Night" by Dana Frank. I would be happy to continue the conversation.

Reply
https://www.cvwritingservicesuk.com/thecvstore-review/ link
5/29/2021 06:13:37 am

I completely resolved my question when I read this post, thanks to the author for the very detailed description. I wrote my review on the site, you can go in and read. Thank you very much for your attention in your time.

Reply
SEO website copywriting link
1/6/2022 11:37:50 pm

I have read your post, it is very informative and now move to your another blogs to read.

Reply
TGirls Indiana link
12/25/2022 01:24:40 am

Heello mate great blog post

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Lawrence E. Couch serves as the director and lobbyist for the National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd.


    RSS Feed

    Want more? Sign up for updates, resources, action alerts. Rise Up & Act for Justice.
    Sign Up

    Archives

    March 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    June 2020
    August 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    July 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018

    Categories

    All
    Archdiocese Of Washington
    Border
    Catholic Charities
    Catholic Social Teaching
    Congress
    COVID
    COVID-19
    Detention Center
    Family Separation
    First Flight
    Fraudulent Elections
    Fr. Melo
    George Floyd
    Hhs
    Honduras
    Human Rights
    Human Trafficking
    Juan Orlando Hernandez
    Larry Couch
    Martin Luther King
    National Advocacy Center
    Pandemic
    Poem
    Poetry
    Race
    Racism
    Rooster
    Sex Trafficking
    Sisters Of The Good Shepherd
    Social Justice
    Tornillo

NAC Quick Links

Ways to Act

Reach out to your elected officials and others on important policy decisions impacting the common good.
Act for Justice

Stay Informed

​Our email network alerts you to legislative news and directly connects you with lawmakers.
Sign Up

Advocacy Tools

Learn how to personally advocate for change and access other advocacy resources.
Access Tools

Our Issues

We advocate for laws that benefit the marginalized, especially families, women and children.  
Learn More

Contact

National Advocacy Center
of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd

504 Hexton Hill Road
​Silver Spring, MD  20904

Phone 301.622.6838 | Fax 301.384.1025
E-mail us
© COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Website design adapted and modified by Perisphere Media.