Just as our church has annual holy days to honor noble saints so does our nation have annual holidays to honor noble citizens.  As we approach Martin Luther King Day (January 19), we’ll be reminded that it is not supposed to be a day off but a day on; some think of it not as a day of rest but day of restitution, not as much a day that’s given to us as it is a day that we can give to others.  It’s a day to consider, reflect, and act on behalf of those who, often through no fault of their own (usually born into it), suffer from injustice, inequity, or instability.  It is a day to spread light in the darkness of our world.

I invite you to join the Saint Therese Little Flower Parish’s Day of Prayer and Service at 58^th and Euclid Avenue.  It begins at 10:00 in church where we’ll hear excerpts from messages that Reverend King spoke or wrote during his life.  Some of those words were preached from pulpits, some were written from prisons, some were proclaimed in streets, some were silently prayed in solidarity with suffering souls.  Interspersed with Gospel music, scripture, and reflection, the prayer part will last about 45 minutes.  Then we’ll go downstairs to the church hall to collect care bags to distribute throughout our city: at bus stops, street corners, homeless shelters, shopping centers, even under bridges or at encampments where less fortunate citizens gather.  The downstairs care-bags part will last another 5-45 minutes, depending on one’s level of interaction, socialization, or coffee consumption.  It’s a terrific way to begin the day or spend the morning before heading out into the city as light bearers. 

Our goal is to distribute over 150 care bags.  If you would like to contribute to what goes into the bags, food or care items can be received there (or in my garage, 301 East Santa Fe Trail) between now and then.  Feel free also to bring them to 9:00 Mass there on Sunday, January 11 or 18. Here is a list of suggested food items: protein, breakfast bars, raw fruit or vegetables, or in easy to open packets, peanut butter/crackers, cheese/crackers, bottled water, raisins or other non-perishable food items.  Here is a list of suggested care items: small packets of sanitizer wipes, spray, or gel, Mylar/thermal blankets or throws, hand/foot warmers, individually wrapped bar soap, face cloths, body wipes, deodorant, toilet paper, warm socks, gloves.  For further information, you may contact Estelle Tunley at etunley@stlfkc.org.

Much as Christmas engages us in a worldwide conspiracy to love through giving gifts and reaching out, we want to keep the spirit alive into this new year.  MLK Day presents ways for families, children, and young adults to learn more about keeping Dr. King’s dream alive, a dream that echoed the scriptural prophecies where old and young, rich and poor, black and white, Christians and non-believers, citizens and immigrants, and all people would unite in harmony and peace.  When this day became a national holiday under President Reagan in the 1980s, King’s family wanted to make sure fellow citizens understood it not to be a day off but a day on which we do something—anything—to contribute to the good of society, with special attention to those who are outcast or less fortunate than us.  We can do that by studying his message, offering an act that promotes civil rights or challenges racial injustice, praying for a more compassionate world, or doing a good deed, in other words: by being light in the darkness.

When people express to us that they are sad or frustrated or upset by what is happening in D.C., Minnesota, Venezuela, Ukraine, in our city streets, or even in their own families, I think the best advice we can give is to encourage them to be light.  The Christmas message that is to linger all year proclaims that Christ, the light of the world, came to dispel darkness.  We are each His points of light and our mission is clear.  Be light.