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You are here: Home / Uncategorized / Reflection on Priesthood by Blessed Oscar Romero

Reflection on Priesthood by Blessed Oscar Romero

By Archbishop Oscar Romero, Saint of the Catholic Church

It helps, now and then, to step back

And take the long view.

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,

It is beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of

The magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.

Nothing we do is complete,

Which is another way of saying

That the Kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.

No prayer fully expresses our faith.

No confession brings perfection.

No pastoral visit brings wholeness.

No program accomplishes the Church’s mission.

No set of goal and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about:

We plant seeds that one day will grow.

We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.

We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything

And there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.

This enables us to do something,

And to do it very well.

It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,

An opportunity for God’s grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results,

But that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders,

Ministers, not messiahs.

We are prophets of a future not our own.


Mons Romero arriving at Nuestra Señora del Lourdes for a pastoral visit shortly before his death.
Mons Romero arriving at Nuestra Señora del Lourdes for a pastoral visit shortly before his death.

Oscar Romero at the radio

Oscar Romero

Oscar Romero

Oscar Romero

Carmelite Students processing to the Cathedral on the 38th anniversary of the death of Blessed Oscar Romero. A crowd of several thousand joined the current archbishop of San Salvador, Mons. José Luis Escobar, for a festive Mass in honor of Romero.
Carmelite Students processing to the Cathedral on the 38th anniversary of the death of Blessed Oscar Romero. A crowd of several thousand joined the current archbishop of San Salvador, Mons. José Luis Escobar, for a festive Mass in honor of Romero.
The Carmelites present for the profession of Benjamin Constante.

Solemn Vows of Benjamin Constante

On Saturday, August 24, Benjamin Constante professed solemn vows before a large gathering of Carmelites from Centro Xiberta, his family, friends, members of the Lay Carmelite Third Order, and members of the Association of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

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The mission of The Association of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the education and formation of Carmelite Friars, compassion for the poor, and promotion of the Carmelite charism in the country of El Salvador. Inspired by Mary, we seek to live our lives as she would.

In the U.S.: The Association of Our Lady of Mount Carmel • PO Box 1020 • Westmont, IL 60559-8220 • Tel: 800-341-5950
In El Salvador: La Asociación de Nuestra Señora del Monte Carmelo • Correos de El Salvador • Apartado Postal 2003 • Correo Centro de Gobierno • San Salvador, El Salvador • Tel: 25 04 93 19   Protecting God's Children