sermon illustration

Oscar Romero's Final Mass - Liberation (John 3:16)

Source: Martyrology96 words

On March 24, 1980, Archbishop Oscar Romero celebrated Mass in a hospital chapel in El Salvador. His sermon that evening reflected on John 3:16—God's love poured out in self-giving. "Those who surrender to the service of the poor through love of Christ," he said, "will live." Moments later, an assassin's bullet killed him at the altar. Romero understood: "God so loved the world" means God sides with the crucified, the poor, the threatened. Divine love isn't abstract—it takes flesh, takes risks, takes sides. Romero's blood joined Christ's self-giving. What does costly love look like for you?

Topics & Themes

Scripture References

John 3:16

Emotional Tone

Audience

adults

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