On this day in 1977, Jesuit priest Rutilio Grande was assassinated as a victim of El Salvador’s civil war. Rutilio was a courageous person of the people, who advocated for an end to the war and equal treatment for all. A visit to El Salvador decades ago had a profound influence upon me as a young teacher, especially my visit to the home and chapel of slain Archbishop Oscar Romero. Many years later, their witness for peace still resonates with the needs of our world today.
Enjoy this week’s quote along with another great, joy-filledTiny Desk performance by one of my favorite hip-hop groups, De La Salle. Blessings on your week ahead!
Rutilio Grande, SJ, on LOVE
“In the pursuit of justice, we can expect to encounter discord and opposition; and in such cases, conflict is sometimes unavoidable. Yet love does not allow us to stand on the sidelines of such conflicts; it commands en-gagement. In such situations we do not advocate physical violence. Instead we should engage in the struggle by employing the moral force of the power of love. Therefore the code is one word, LOVE: against all anti-love, against sin, against injustice, against the domination of peoples, against the destruction of peoples.”
Keeping the Faith 