# Reflecting on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
*2017-01-15*

> Bill Young reflects on the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., drawing parallels between his sacrifice and the lives of the saints.

## A Legacy of Faith and Sacrifice

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. A lot could be said about Dr. King: he was a man of principle, a man of faith in God, and a man who led peaceful revolts and demonstrations. Ultimately, he gave his life for his cause.

## Parallels in Martyrdom

Looking at the Saints of the Day on the Franciscan Media site, I saw that on January 16, 1220, Saint Berard and his companions—Franciscan friars who went to Morocco—were beheaded because they would not renounce their faith. In my humble opinion, we could say that Martin Luther King was also a martyr. It was his faith and his beliefs that led to his assassination. While I don't know if the Church would ever do this, if there were ever to be a saint recognized from outside the Catholic faith, I believe Martin Luther King should be given strong consideration.

## A Prayer for Unity

Because Dr. King was a preacher and a minister, he wrote many prayers. I want to share one that I found on a Catholic website: 'Oh God, we thank you for the fact that you have inspired men and women in all nations and in all cultures. We call you different names—some call you Allah, some call you Elohim, some call you Jehovah, some call you Brahman, some call you the Unmoved Mover—but we know that these are all names for one and the same God. Grant that we will follow you and become so committed to your way and your kingdom that we will be able to establish in our lives in the world a brother and sisterhood; that we will be able to establish here a kingdom of understanding where men and women will live together as brothers and sisters and respect the dignity and the worth of every human being in the name and spirit of Jesus. Amen.'

## The Call to Serve

I found a quote attributed to Dr. King that says, 'Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.' Let us learn from his example today and consider how we can serve our brothers, sisters, and all humankind for our Lord Jesus Christ, for whom nothing is impossible. I particularly liked how he referred to the Lord as the 'Mover of Movers.' Remember, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can move mountains through our Lord.

*Reflect today not only on the things Martin Luther King Jr. achieved, but on how we can follow his example of service in our own lives.*