Jan 30, 2017
by Perrin Atisha
Every year the seminarian community gathers together on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to remember the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. King. The community gathered at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament for a morning Mass on June 16, celebrated by Fr. Patrick Gonyeau, associate pastor of the cathedral and Sacred Heart alumnus, ordination class of 2013.
Father Gonyeau was a seminarian with many of us, so it was a blessing to see how God used our brother to preach a message that is sensitive and pressing. We really saw how the Holy Spirit inspired Father Gonyeau to proclaim the Word of God through the very life of Rev. Dr. King.
Father's homily was moving and motivating. When people speak about the Rev. Dr. King and his work, they mostly focus on Dr. King's work with racism and equality. One does not hear as much, Father pointed out, about the source of his passion, his eagerness, and his fervor.
What was beating in Dr. King's heart was the love of Jesus Christ, Father Gonyeau preached. His message was that Jesus would come down and open people's eyes. And this is what we place our faith and hope in. Dr. King was being led by the very Spirit and heart of Jesus Christ and this is why his message and work are so powerful. Today we do not remember a man who did something but a man whose words continue to change the hardened hearts in our world and society.
Father ended his homily with an invitation and a challenge: Today, when you come to the altar, will you allow the heart of Jesus to beat within you?
Dr. King was living with the heart of Jesus and we, too, are called to allow the heart of Jesus to live within us. The commemorative Mass was a beautiful celebration and a sacred time of worshipand an encouraging sight to see how the Holy Spirit is using our brother priest and Sacred Heart alumnus.
Perrin Atisha
Perrin Atisha is a third-year theologian studying for the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle.