The movie Romero is based on the true story of Archbishop Oscar Romero and the political unrest in El Salvador during the 1970s. The movie depicts the horrendous human rights violations that the government was committing against the Salvadoran people. Women were being raped and killed; everyday laborers were sometimes slaughtered at random; and priests, too, were being murdered. Romero, the archbishop of San Salvador, became a voice for the voiceless speaking out against the abuses, and he paid the ultimate price. On March 24, 1980, he was shot to death while celebrating Holy Mass.
The first time I saw the movie I remember being deeply moved by a powerful scene; in fact, I remember writing about it in my journal. It was many years ago when I first saw the movie, but if I remember correctly, Archbishop Romero is alone outside on a dirt road. He looks very tired, lost, overwhelmed by the atrocities against which he has been speaking out. Even one of his priest friends had been murdered. In a moment which must have seemed like his Agony in the Garden, the Archbishop falls to his knees and prays from his heart: “I can’t. You must. I am Yours. Show me the way.”
Have you ever felt so burdened, so overwhelmed, that you simply felt that you couldn’t take anymore?
As hard as we try to pretend that we can grin and bear it, life can sometimes feel like a burden. This is why Our Lord, in His loving wisdom, said to us, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). He knew that our lives would be difficult at times. So what can we do at those moments when we feel burdened, when we can’t seem to find the peace that we so deeply desire?
I propose that we imitate Archbishop Romero as depicted in that scene: we should surrender ourselves to the Lord. I know that when most people hear the word “surrender” they equate it with defeat. But it is not so in the Christian life; for the paradox is that peace is restored to our souls only when we surrender ourselves to the Lord.
Our Lord allows struggles and challenges in our lives, He allows us to feel burdened at times, precisely so that we can be reminded of how dependent we are upon Him. He wants us to experience the power of His strength in us. He wants us to know in the depths of our souls that “[we] can do all things through Christ who strengthens [us]” (Philippians 4:13).
Archbishop Romero was overwhelmed. The weight of the world—or at least the weight of his country and his church—was on his shoulders. What was he to do? He surrendered himself to the Lord. He knew he needed to rely on a power greater than himself. And the power of Christ did shine through him, particularly in the last moment of his life when he imitated Christ’s love by dying for the Salvadoran people.
I think this idea of surrender is why addiction recovery programs are so helpful to people. An addict, in order to be victorious over his or her addiction, must first deeply acknowledge their powerlessness and then entrust themselves to a higher power. Overcoming addiction has nothing to do with willpower, but everything to do with entrusting ourselves to a power greater than ourselves—the Lord. The same can be said for overcoming a time of feeling burdened: it’s not about willing the burden away; it’s about entrusting ourselves to our loving Lord, knowing that He cares for us.
If you really want to live each day with peace and joy, stop trying so hard to lift the burden by yourself, and entrust yourself to the Lord. I don’t mean to suggest that we should not work to improve our lives or our situations; but the first step to bringing order and peace to our lives is to completely entrust ourselves to the One who created us and who knows us better than we know ourselves. By entrusting ourselves to our loving Father, we are uniting ourselves to Jesus who prayed, “Not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42), and, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46).
The next time you feel burdened or overwhelmed, give up your desire to control or to figure things out. The next time your kids are throwing tantrums and causing you grief, the next time your boss pressures you to finish that report on top of all of your other duties, the next time you simply feel like your life is too busy and too overwhelming, pray from your heart: I can’t. You must. I am Yours. Show me the way.
7 responses so far ↓
Belinda Munoz // October 30, 2009 at 1:22 pm |
I have never seen the film but have read all about him in liberation theology courses. I think people like him are the ultimate examples of your blog title, living holiness. He and other people like him, to me, are heroes. I can relate. Sometimes, governments and politicians fail and so we need to take action.
I think I understand your meaning of surrender. I do however wonder if we’re carrying enough of the burden — if we’re taking responsibility for everything that we are responsible for. When we let mass rape persist in the Congo, we’re all partially responsible. When genocide takes place, we’re all partially responsible. When we let Chinese newborn baby girls die by not getting the care that their boy counterparts get, we’re all partially responsible.
Fr. Michael Najim // October 30, 2009 at 2:44 pm |
Belinda,
It would be worth it for you to watch the movie.
I do know what you’re saying about being partially responsible for the human rights atrocities throughout the world. We do need to help as much as we can. It’s a good reminder that we’re all part of the human family.
Peace!
Ed // October 30, 2009 at 10:49 pm |
Time entry (for me). Thank you.
Kelly // November 1, 2009 at 11:11 am |
Belinda’s point is interesting, and it brings me to one of the problems I have most with surrendering. I feel guilty for feeling overwhelmed to begin with. When I contemplate what others endure on a daily basis, and then evaluate my own frustrations….
And sometimes I wonder what God thinks. I get annoyed at the piles of dirty dishes and my kids are fighting at my feet and yes, I feel overwhelmed and down and angry, and yet somewhere in the world, there are bands of people moving from refugee camp to refugee camp, trying to hide from murderers on horseback.
I just posted about feeling listened to, so my point isn’t to say that surrender shouldn’t be an option for me. I just sometimes feel bad about feeling bad. I hope I’m not rambling too much here.
Thanks, as always, for a thoughtful post. I’ve read about the atrocities in El Salvador and absolutely shudder at the possibility of man’s inhumanity to man. And that people can stand up in the face of that particular adversity….downright miraculous.
Fr. Michael Najim // November 1, 2009 at 12:48 pm |
Kelly,
You’re not rambling too much! There’s no doubt that it’s very helpful for us to remember that there are many people experiencing much deeper suffering than we could ever imagine. However, each of us does experience our own suffering as well. Suffering is one thing that unites us. Suffering can lead us to have deeper compassion for others, and therefore lead us to reach out to those who are suffering more greatly than we are.
Thanks for reading…and thanks for putting the time into your blog as well.
Peace!
Costa // November 1, 2009 at 10:34 pm |
Struggling as I do with anxiety on a rather sporadic basis, I came to realize that anxiety itself stems from a deep rooted desire to exercise control over a particular situation over which I have none. The harder I work to control the situation, the more tired I become, and ultimately, the more futile my perception of the struggle becomes.
Surrender is at one and the same time, easy and difficult, because the conflict arising from the tension to (a) control the situation vs. (b) relinquish control is ever-present. One guiding question I use to discern the will of God in that instance is this one: Which is the harder to do? Hold on, or let go?
Fr. Michael Najim // November 1, 2009 at 10:39 pm |
Costa, Great point!
Peace!
Fr. Michael Najim http://www.catholicpriest.com
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