Remembering
the life, work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Reflection of Cardinal Justin Rigali
25th Archdiocesan
Interfaith Service in Remembrance of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Saint Katharine Drexel Catholic Church, Chester, Pa.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Dear Friends,
Today we gather in the City of Chester to pray and to remember the life
of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I am happy to be here in this place
of worship which honors a woman of Philadelphia, Saint Katharine Drexel,
who dedicated her life to serving the needs of the least among us. I joyfully
greet all of you in a spirit of oneness and peace. I especially acknowledge
the leaders of various religious communities who join me in this Prayer
Service.
The Year 2008 is a special year for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as
we celebrate our Bicentennial. In fact, April 8, 1808 is the actual date
that the Diocese of Philadelphia was founded. Since last Easter, many
events have helped us to give thanks and praise to God for the past 200
years. We also have been living out our theme, which is “Serving
the People of God—In the Beginning, Now and Always.”
Today, my brothers and sisters, in this year of grace we also celebrate
the Silver Jubilee of this interfaith Prayer Service. For the past 25
years, as a community of faith, we have gathered as Christians, Jews and
Muslims, to remember the life and work of Dr. King and to pray together
for equality and peace in our communities and in our world.
In selecting this site to gather today, especially on this anniversary,
we return to Chester, the city which had such an impact upon the life
and ministry of Dr. King as a preacher of God’s Word. He lived in
Chester, he also studied here and preached here. Dr. King was a Christian
and this city helped form him into the man of God that he was.
We have heard today various selections from sacred texts and they invite
each of us to embrace peace in our heart and actions. I would like to
focus on the words of Jesus we heard in the Gospel of Matthew. We heard
these words, which are worthy to repeat—“The Son of Man did
not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for
many” (Matthew 20:28).
I believe that Dr. King heard those words many times and preached on them
as well. But more importantly, he lived those words. His life was one
marked by service to God and to his neighbor. He committed his life and
indeed gave his life for all people of this nation at a time when we needed
to be reminded of the words of our Constitution, “We hold these
truths to be self evident that all men are created equal.”
It is not enough just to gather to reflect upon the life work of Dr. King,
to sing and to pray; we must do more to honor the memory of Dr. King.
I invite you to commit to action through community service. You might
consider mentoring our youth or shopping for our elder members. Maybe
you can assist with keeping our streets clean, or volunteering at recreation
centers. Simply saying hello to a stranger can be so very welcomed by
someone alone and lonely. These simple acts of service, acts of kindness
can make our world a better place.
One of Dr. King’s favorite songs was, “If I Can Help Somebody.”
The words of this famous song in the African American tradition are so
beautiful, let me share a verse with you today: “If I can help somebody
as I pass along, if I can cheer somebody with a word or a song, if I can
show somebody that they’re traveling wrong, then my living shall
not be in vain.”
May these words ring true as we strive to serve the people of God now
and always. Amen.