Michaela Borrmann, a consecrated sister in the Chemin Neuf Community, explains what Reformation Day means for the Lutheran Church in Germany.
In my Lutheran church in Germany, the major holidays are Easter, Christmas, Pentecost… Then there are smaller holidays such as the harvest festival in October and then, on 31 October, Reformation Day. Martin Luther, a monk, priest and professor of theology, had a profound encounter with God’s mercy through the Epistle to the Romans. On 31 October 1517, the eve of All Saints’ Day, he posted 95 theses to say that God’s mercy is a free gift.
A brief and humorous refresher course on the history of Martin Luther and the beginnings of the Reformation in five minutes:
So what are we celebrating on 31 October? Three things:
- Sola gratia, “grace alone”: It is only through God’s grace, without any merit on our part, that we can receive God’s love and mercy. If you have already experienced this undeserved forgiveness that sets you free, welcome to the celebration!
- Sola scriptura, ‘scripture alone’: It is only in the Word of God that we find the true source of our faith. The translation of the Bible into vernacular languages is a fruit of this discovery. If you can read your Bible in your mother tongue, give thanks!
- Sola fide, ‘faith alone’: To receive the salvation that God wants to give us, it is not our works that count first, but our trust in God. If you ever find yourself coming before God empty-handed, you can give thanks, because the most precious thing to God is the trust you place in him! Above all, he seeks your heart.
Ruth Lagemann, a consecrated sister in the same Community, shares with us what Reformation Day means to her..
“Since leaving my native country, Reformation Day, which is often unknown outside Germany, has become increasingly important to me. After growing up in a predominantly Lutheran region (which is referred to as ‘evangelical’ because Luther did not want to create a new church bearing his name, but rather to bring the Roman Catholic Church back to the Gospel of Christ), where this day was part of the liturgical calendar, it was difficult for me not to mark this day. But in an ecumenical context, is it better to ‘celebrate’ this day or to ‘commemorate’ it? How can we live together in a just and constructive way? Is this not a day that could challenge us in our different churches and fraternities to return to the foot of the cross and to renounce what, in our words and actions between our churches, was not in accordance with the Gospel? To enter communally into the ‘semper reformanda’?
In this way, we could enter together into the celebration of our unity in Christ, renewed and strengthened by the bond of grace and mercy, of salvation!
Martin Luther’s prayer for unity: ‘Eternal and merciful God, you who are a God of peace, love and unity, we beseech you, Father, to reunite, through your Holy Spirit, all that is divided. May we have but one heart, one will, one knowledge, one spirit, one reason.’