Dear Friends,
Let us pray:
O God, our refuge and our strength, who raised up your servant Martin Luther to reform and renew your church in the light of your word: Defend and purify the church in our own day and grant that, through faith, we may boldly proclaim the riches of your grace, which you have made known in Jesus Christ our Savior, who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, now and forever.
Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was a German monk who became the father of the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther criticised aspects of the Catholic Church and the concept of Papal infallibility. In particular, he believed that it was the Bible alone – and not priests or the Church – which had legitimacy for interpreting the word of Christ. Martin Luther also translated the Bible into German, making it more accessible to the general public.
Luther’s call to reform challenged the primacy of the Roman Catholic Church in Western Europe. Probably best known for criticizing the sale of indulgences (donations made to the church to speed a soul to heaven), he also challenged the primacy of that church on education, finances, and interpretation of Scripture.
“Faith is born and preserved in us by preaching why Christ came, what he brought and gave to us, and the benefits we obtain when we receive him. This happens when Christian liberty—which he gives to us—is rightly taught and we are told in what way as Christians we are all kings and priests and therefore lords of all.” (Martin Luther)
In his later years, Luther’s writings became increasingly vitriolic against anyone who disagreed with him, troublingly anti-Semitic, and highly critical of the peasant revolts that challenged the medieval social order. However he remains the first and most influential writer of the Protestant Reformation
Our Anglican tradition has a mixed history with Luther and the Evangelical Church (Lutheran) that followed him. King Henry VIII received the title ‘Defender of the Faith’ because of his writings against Luther, at one time burning his books. However, in time, some of Luther’s ideas, such as the Bible and common prayer in the vernacular became cornerstones of Anglicanism.
In Grace and Peace,
Father Eric