The homily also stressed that although God had a concrete role and plan for Martin Luther King, he "wasn't Jesus, Dr. King wasn't the Messiah. But I'll tell you one thing: he knew him."

Father Pratt ended his homily with an unscheduled singing of "We Shall Overcome," which was joined by the choir and assembly.

Pierre Monette Jr., a Boston lawyer, then read King's speech "The Drum Major Instinct."

"It was extremely overwhelming. It was a really overwhelming feeling, because often-times we just hear excerpts of Dr. King's speeches," Monette Jr. said of standing in the shoes of one of the great social-justice leaders of our age.

In the speech read, the words of King addressed the problem of poor people spending beyond their means.

"If we think about the meaning of remembrance scripturally, to remember means to make present. I think, it is important to make his message present so that we continue to act on it," said Father Gerald Osterman, administrator of St. Katherine Drexel Parish, who attended the prayer service.

Meyer Chambers, director of The Archdiocese of Boston Black Catholic Choir, noted the significance of King's message in today's world.

"You have to have the newest this, you have to have the newest that, and that cycle has not changed. But, the disparity between the classes has," he said.

Regarding the choir, Chambers said it had its first public showing at the first diocesan celebration of the holiday in 1992. The choir will celebrate their anniversary on June 30 at Boston College High School, but the annual archdiocesan celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. holds a special significance.

"It is the choir's anniversary every time," he said.

The following day, Jan. 16, St. Katherine Drexel Church hosted the Red Cross for a blood drive in the church hall. Held each year since 2003, the blood drive is seen as another way to honor King's memory by giving the gift of life.