Firstly, Mark’s Gospel teaches up that disciples must suffer in order to be a true follower of God. This is shown in Mark 8:34- 38 where it says ‘ If anyone wants to come with me…. He must forget self, carry his cross and follow me.’ This need for sacrifice is demonstrated by Oscar Romero when he goes to prison trying to free some Catholics, risks getting shot to save the Eucharist, suffers rebuke and humiliation to address his message and eventually dies trying to bring the mass and Christ to the Catholics of El Salvador.
Secondly, Mark shows in many ways how God calls a disciple to his own vocation and should listen to this call and try to discern God’s will rather that to follow his own judgement. He shows this even by the words he uses- a disciple means ‘one who follows and learns’ and an apostle is ‘one who is sent out,’ rather than one who just goes. In Mark 3:13-19 he also makes a point of stating that Jesus names and calls them, showing a disciple’s ‘ownership’ to Christ.
Oscar Romero, on the other hand, was very reluctant about his vocation to resist the forces in el Salvador and was very unwilling to speak out and emphasize himself, so stayed n the dark for many years. However, when he fully realised his vocation at the murder of0 his friend, he put all he had into God’s call, having complete trust that if it was Gods call and vocation for him, God would help him and things would work out. He always trusted to whatever happened to him being the will of God and he always made God the centre of his mission, praying daily for what he knew he had to do and asking for God’s help, as well as using his vocation and call as a way of inspiring others to Christ. He did not choose his own path but humbly followed the path of sacrifice Christ had laid before him.
Another key teaching of Mark is that a Disciple’s faith and call should come before everything else, and if necessary, his own life. A well-known quotation of the bible is that that ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ In mark, a similar idea is portrayed when it is said that you should ‘ go and sell all you have and give the money to he poor’ (Mark 10:21). Oscar Romero does this top the fullest extent by not only offering his time, security, prayers, wealth, position in society and health for his people but eventually his life. The way of sacrifice for the well being of others is key to everything bout Oscar Romero. Eventually, God showed his triumph through this way of sacrifice. His death was not the worst thing that could have happened but the best, by creating global awareness that no propaganda and censorship could cover and showing the world the brutality of the regime and the love of God through one man, converting many to Christ. This shows how Oscar Romero’s following of God’s plan and following what he felt was his vocation led to eventual triumph through sacrifice that he could not have achieved alone.
