Martin Luther

There are very few men or women that it can be said with absolute certainty that they changed the course of history. Jesus was one; so was Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Still another was Martin Luther, known as the greatest of the Protestant reformers of the 16th century. Luther was born in Eisleben, a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, November 10, 1483. He was the son of a miner, Hans Luther, in humble circumstances; his mother, Margarethe Luther (Ziegler), was a woman of exemplary virtue, and esteemed in her walk of life.

Shortly after Luther's birth, his parents removed to Mansfield, a town in the Mansfelder Land district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany where their circumstances significantly improved by industry and perseverance. Their son was sent to school; and both at home and at school his training was of a rigorous and solidifying of integrity. When he reached the age of eighteenth, he entered the university at Erfurt, with a view of qualifying himself for the legal profession.

Luther dedicated himself to monastic life, devoting himself to fasts, long hours in prayer and pilgrimage, and frequent confession. Luther tried to please God through this dedication, but it only increased his awareness of his own sinfulness. He would later remark, "If anyone could have gained heaven as a monk, then I would indeed have been among them." Luther described this period of his life as one of deep spiritual despair. He said, "I lost hold of Christ the Savior and Comforter and made of him a stock-master and hangman over my poor soul."

Johann von Staupitz, was a theologian, university preacher, Vicar-General of the Augus-tinian Order in Germany supervised Luther during a critical period in his spiritual life. Luther remarked, "If it had not been for Dr. Staupitz, I should have sunk in hell." Luther's superior, con-cluded that the young monk needed more work to distract him from excessive introspection and ordered him to pursue an academic career. In 1507 he was ordained to the priesthood, and in 1508 began teaching theology at the University of Wittenberg. He received a Bachelor's degree in Biblical studies on March 9, 1508, and another Bachelor's degree in the Sentences by Peter Lombard in 1509. On October 19, 1512, he was awarded his Doctor of Theology and, on Octo-ber 21, 1512, was received into the senate of the theological faculty of the University of Witten-berg, having been called to the position of Doctor in Bible. He spent the rest of his career in this position at the University of Wittenberg.

Luther was one day to examining the vulgate version of the Bible in the University Li-brary, when he saw with astonishment that there were more gospels and epistles than in the lec-tionaries. He was shocked by the contents of his newly found treasure. His heart was deeply touched, and he was resolved to devoting himself to a spiritual life. He separated himself from his friends and fellow-students, and withdrew into the Augustine convent at Erfurt.

As a friar of the Augustinian Order of Eremites, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo, are several Roman Catholic monastic orders and congregations of both men and women living according to a guide to religious life