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 or 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.