Reformation Day is celebrated by many Protestant churches on October 31. It commemorates the Reformation and honors leaders such as Martin Luther, whose courage and conviction helped shape church history.
 

Luther’s life was threatened because he spoke out against practices he believed did not reflect the true mission of the Church. Forced into hiding, he found refuge at Wartburg Castle as the guest of the ruler of Saxony.
 

While there, Luther took on an enormous task: translating the Bible from the original languages into German. This was no simple project. At the time, Germany was made up of many regional dialects, making communication difficult from one area to another.
 

Luther wanted ordinary people to clearly understand God’s Word. To make sure his translation used everyday language, he is said to have listened carefully to common speech, even consulting the castle’s butcher for familiar expressions and wording.
 

Luther’s translation became a tremendous gift to the German people. Not only did it place Scripture into the hands of everyday readers, but the language he used also helped unify the many German dialects. In that sense, Martin Luther is often considered one of the fathers of the modern German language.