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annual liturgy celebrates life, ministry of dr. martin luther king jr.

Story and photos by LIZ QUIRIN
Messenger editor

The congregation sang “We Shall Overcome” before the celebration of the Eucharist began Jan. 20 at St. Augustine of Hippo Parish in East St. Louis, and they brought the spirit and the ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., into their celebration.

Franciscan Father Ferd Cheri was celebrant and homilist at the 10 a.m. liturgy.

In his homily, Father Cheri told the congregation they were commemorating the legacy of Dr. King and contemplating the word of God from the Gospel of John.

Father Cheri talked of Jesus’ baptism and our baptism, giving us “membership” in the Body of Christ.
That membership requires people to make sure their “response ability” is fine tuned so that when they see injustice, hear racial or ethical slurs, or encounter other times or ways the Gospel is being ignored, they must, as members of the Body, take action.

People who ignore the Gospel, “jump ship,” Father Cheri said.

“Today, … I wonder how many of us will join the membership or jump ship,” Father Cheri said. “Isaiah the prophet tells us that people jump ship because they can’t foresee a way out of being a displaced people in captivity. … Isaiah also tells of the new Israel, where each person is endowed with God’s spirit, commissioned and empowered because each one recognizes, like Dr. King, that God made their mouths like sharp swords; that in the shadow of God’s hand, God hid them … .”

As members of the Body of Christ, “we are called to be holy,” like St. Paul’s Corinthean community, Father Cheri said.
The only way, Father Cheri said, “we can grow in holiness is to grow in exercising the reign of God and engage in the activity of transforming the powers and principalities of evil, that is, the systematic structures and institutions of society that oppress, marginalize and dehumanize” people.

“That’s what Dr. King did, and so must we. When the Body of Christ is active, every rule, authority and power will be rendered ineffective by Christ who will hand over the reign of God. Then God will be all things in all things,” Father Cheri said.