Today we celebrate the anniversary of the day on which
Archbishop Oscar Romero was martyred. One of the things that I admire
about him is the way he found his heart and his voice! Initially, he was
very much a man of the institution,

conservative, going along with the party line.
As time went on, who knows why—it might have been a combination of God's Spirit
shaking him up and his seeing how the government was killing the poor,
including some of his own priests—his heart became very much aligned with his
people, the poor. He seemed to smile more, to have more of a sense of
wonder, to lose all fear—freedom comes when we believe that no one can take
what makes us happy away from us. He began to speak out fearlessly.
He was free. In a reading we use for our Eucharist today, his voice cries
out:

The Suffering of

the Image of God

by
Archbishop Oscar Romero

For the church, the many abuses
of human life, liberty, and dignity are a heartfelt suffering. The church,
entrusted with the 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 in 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 humans 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."

Romero is also one of Fr. Roy Bourgeois' heroes. Fr. Roy
would also say that in our silence in the face of these injustices, in the
world and in our Church (and in our neighborhood) we become complicit.

We invite you to come and walk...and contemplate...with us in prayer
and action at The Spirit of Life. Through our time of prayer and sharing
together, we work together to grow in our self-understanding and in our
relationships with God and with God's people. We celebrate the gift of our
faith and the responsibility that is ours as followers of Jesus
Christ.  It is our prayer that what we as a community experience in
our praying together will overflow into the rest of our lives, making us more
fully human and more 'whole'....holy!  We invite you to join us in
this endeavor and journey with us as we seek to grow in our love of God and to
grow in our capacity to be living expressions of God's loving peace and justice
in our world.

Tomorrow, Monday March 25, the feast of the Annunciation, marks
the 19th Annual Day of Prayer for Women's Ordination. Kate
Conmy, Membership Coordinator of the Women's Ordination Conference writes:

Greetings!

We're back from Rome! Thank you for helping us raise pink smoke
over the Vatican, and in ten cities across the U.S. Our voices were heard
around the world!

As the black and white smoke start to clear from St. Peter's
square, let's make sure the pink smoke continues to hang in the air. From
parish to papacy, join WOC members in proclaiming women's equality in the
church.

The Feast of the Annunciation (March 25th) marks the 19th annual
World Day of Prayer for women's ordination. Join women's ordination advocates
around the world by hosting your own prayer vigil during Holy Week. Download
our Tool Kit for liturgies and resources, or contact Kate for more organizing
information.

Thank you for inspiring an inclusive and loving church,

Kate Conmy

May God's light and love continue to live within each of us and
move us to be non-violent agents of change for peace and for justice in our
world and to empower each other with companionship.

Ron & Jean