The effective catechist knows how to use just about any event as an opportunity for catechesis. Some Catholics feel that because Dr. King was not Catholic, it’s not proper to hold him up as a role model and to reflect on his life, his words, and his accomplishments. Nonsense. God works through all people and God’s grace worked through and continues to work through the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
I personally think that this holiday is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on our call to service. It is becoming customary to mark this holiday by performing service to others. This is in response to Dr. King’s famous words:
If you want to be important—wonderful.
If you want to be recognized—wonderful.
If you want to be great—wonderful.
But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.
That’s a new definition of greatness.
And this morning, the thing that I like about it:
by giving that definition of greatness,
it means that everybody can be great,
because everybody can serve.
You don’t have to have a college degree to serve.
You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve.
You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve.
You don’t have to know Einstein’s theory of relativity to serve.
You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve.
You only need a heart full of grace,
a soul generated by love.
And you can be that servant.
-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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