“God is with us and God is good,” said Sister Jane Nesmith, SBS, director of the diocesan Office of Black Catholic Ministries before the annual liturgy honoring the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The Mass was celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost on Jan. 16 in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.
Sister Nesmith asked those attending the Mass and those watching the livestream to reflect on how God is calling them to be instruments of peace and courageous agents of change.
Among those in the cathedral were members of the, the Ladies Auxiliary of the Knights of Peter Claver and eight graders from several Catholic schools in the diocese. Knights of Peter Claver
Concelebrants for the liturgy included Father Damian Ference, diocesan vicar for evangelization and cathedral parochial vicar, and Father Kareem Smith from the Archdiocese of New York who was the guest homilist. The diocesan Gospel Choir and praise dancers also participated in the Mass.
“We come together as a community of faith to remember Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and to praise God’s holy name. We pray that his legacy will continue to be lived in our midst, especially in our nation, so God will bring about peace and justice,” Bishop Woost said as he began the liturgy.
In his homily, Father Smith told the congregation we’ve come a long way since the days of Rev. King, but he stressed there still is a long way to go. He shared a song sung by his late grandmother illustrating his point. Father Smith invited all to join him as he sang:
“We’ve come this far by faith … leaning on the Lord … trusting in his holy word … he’s never failed me yet … I can’t turn around … we’ve come this far by faith.”
He reminded the congregation that “our God is a God of the here and now. He was here yesterday and he will be here tomorrow.” Father Smith also noted that justice “is not just for us. We have a charge as Christians to celebrate the genius of God’s creation because we all are made in the image and likeness of God.”
Speaking to the eighth graders, Father Smith said they are the present and the future of the Church and they have a fire within them that can bring about justice in a world that is tired, stressed and filled with people worried about things like racism, the economy, war and the future of young people.
“We belong to Jesus … Truth and dignity matter. Every person matters,” he said.
Reflecting on one of Rev. King’s speeches of the same name, Father Smith said we are at a crossroads of conscience, asking, “Will we choose chaos or community, division or dignity, anger or love? Christian love is not weak or passive, it’s strong.” He reminded the faithful that Rev. King said only light can drive out darkness and only love can drive out hate.
“Justice is not about revenge. It’s about making sure every person can live with the dignity that God gave them … Christians must be agents of God’s justice …. We choose justice when we choose him,” Father Smith added.
