It's almost midnight here in Upstate New York. The leaves are swirling, the owls are hooting. What, pray tell, are we celebrating today?

Reformation Day, that's what! Happy Reformation Day!

On this day in 1517, the monk Martin Luther of Germany nailed his 95 Theses on the massive wooden doors of Castle Church. They contained his public denouncement of papal decrees and false doctrines. Luther changed history when he stood up for the biblical doctrine of justification by faith in Christ's work. Western civilization was forever changed at this man's stand.

The 95 Theses are a terrific read. And Martin Luther was one saucy fellow. What a guy! Read some of these classic truths:

# 6 The Pope has no power to remit any guilt, except by declaring and warranting it to have been remitted by God; or at most by remitting cases reserved for himself; in which cases, if his power were despised, guilt would certainly remain.

# 8 The penitential canons are imposed only on the living, and no burden ought to be imposed on the dying, according to them.

# 13 The dying pay all penalties by death, and are already dead to the canon laws, and are by right relieved from them.

# 27 They preach man, who say that the soul flies out of purgatory as soon as the money thrown into the chest rattles.

# 28 It is certain that, when the money rattles in the chest, avarice and gain may be increased, but the suffrage of the Church depends on the will of God alone.

# 37 Every true Christian, whether living or dead, has a share in all the benefits of Christ and of the Church, given him by God, even without letters of pardon.

# 43 Christians should be taught that he who gives to a poor man, or lends to a needy man, does better than if he bought pardons.

# 82 Why does not the Pope empty purgatory for the sake of most holy love and of the supreme necessity of souls—this being the most just of all reasons—if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of that most fatal thing money, to be spent on building a basilica—this being a very slight reason? (haha!)

By the way, the movie Luther is an excellent movie if you like movies. We have watched it many times and it must be one of our Top Ten Favorites.

Have a safe and happy Reformation Day!