Romero: Stillness Before Prophetic Confrontation - Liberation (Psalm 46:10)

In the heart of El Salvador, amidst the tension that crackled like electricity in the air, Archbishop Oscar Romero would often retreat to the chapel, the flickering candlelight casting gentle shadows on the walls as he knelt before the Blessed Sacrament. Imagine him there—eyes closed, hands clasped, a profound stillness enveloping him like a warm embrace. This was not mere quiet; it was a sacred sanctuary, a refuge where he would linger in the presence of the Divine, seeking clarity amid chaos.

Romero understood the weight of Psalm 46:9-10. As he meditated on the words, "Be still, and know that I am God," he was reminded that this stillness was not an escape from the world’s suffering but rather a grounding force that would fortify his spirit for the struggles ahead. God, he grasped, is the One who “makes wars cease”—not just in a distant, abstract sense, but in the tangible lives of the oppressed, in the cries of the marginalized. It was within this stillness that Romero became attuned to the pulse of divine justice, a heartbeat that echoed the cries of his people.

His moments of deep contemplation ignited a fire within him—a fierce courage that propelled him into the streets. Romero's stillness transformed him into a voice of fearless confrontation, as he boldly preached against injustice, his words infused with the spirit of liberation. Here, we see the mystical and the prophetic intertwined: the stillness that births understanding, and the understanding that compels us to act. Like Romero, we are called to be still and encounter the liberating God, so we may rise up and speak out on behalf of those who suffer, embodying the hope and conviction born from our time in His presence.