Be More
“Aspire not to have more, but to be more.” ~ Oscar Romero
St. Oscar Romero, archbishop and martyr, was a man faced with leading the faithful in El Salvador at a time when government oppression was extreme and living the faith was difficult. Many of those who tried to stand up for the rights of others became a part of the “disappeared”. Archbishop Romero himself ultimately was killed in a church immediately after delivering a homily at Mass.
In the midst of abject poverty and oppression, there would be many who would look for more. They might even forget the teachings of their faith and become greedy in their attempts to have something to possess. Archbishop Romero told his people to “aspire not to have more, but to be more.”
That is a message that is as pertinent today as it was when he spoke it. We are in a world that espouses and promotes greed. So many people consider themselves important by how much they accumulate — possessions, wealth, power, prestige, notoriety — whatever it is that can be accumulated. That is not the message handed down to us by Jesus Christ, however.
Jesus did not instruct His followers to accumulate. He instructed His followers to give. Do not be concerned about having more. Be concerned about doing more.
FAITH ACTION: Put your entire being into all that you say and do today, asking God to make you a better person than yesterday.