Feast of Saint Luke, evangelist
Lectionary: 661
Lectionary: 661
Beloved:
Demas, enamored of the present world,
deserted me and went to Thessalonica,
Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
Luke is the only one with me.
Get Mark and bring him with you,
for he is helpful to me in the ministry.
I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas,
the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments.
Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm;
the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.
You too be on guard against him,
for he has strongly resisted our preaching.
At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf,
but everyone deserted me.
May it not be held against them!
But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.
Demas, enamored of the present world,
deserted me and went to Thessalonica,
Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
Luke is the only one with me.
Get Mark and bring him with you,
for he is helpful to me in the ministry.
I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas,
the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments.
Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm;
the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.
You too be on guard against him,
for he has strongly resisted our preaching.
At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf,
but everyone deserted me.
May it not be held against them!
But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 145:10-11, 12-13,
17-18
R.(12) Your
friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
AlleluiaSEE JN 15:16
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 10:1-9
The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter,
first say, 'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter,
first say, 'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"
Meditation:
"The
kingdom of God has come near to you"
What
kind of harvest does the Lord want us to reap today for his kingdom? When Jesus
commissioned seventy of his disciples to go on mission, he gave them a vision
of a vast field that is ready to be harvested for the kingdom of God. Jesus
frequently used the image of a harvest to convey the coming of God's reign on
earth. The harvest is the fruition of much labor and growth - beginning with
the sowing of seeds, then growth to maturity, and finally the reaping of fruit
for the harvest.
God's
word grows like a seed within us
In like manner, the word of God is sown in the hearts of receptive men and women who hear his word, accept it with trust and obedience, and then share the abundant fruit of God's word in their lives with others. The harvest Jesus had in mind was not only the gathering in of the people of Israel, but all the peoples (and nations) of the world. John the Evangelist tells us that "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
In like manner, the word of God is sown in the hearts of receptive men and women who hear his word, accept it with trust and obedience, and then share the abundant fruit of God's word in their lives with others. The harvest Jesus had in mind was not only the gathering in of the people of Israel, but all the peoples (and nations) of the world. John the Evangelist tells us that "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
Be
a sower of God's word of peace and mercy
What does Jesus mean when he says his disciples must be "lambs in the midst of wolves"? The prophet Isaiah foretold a time when wolves and lambs will dwell in peace (Isaiah 11:6 and 65:25). This certainly refers to the second coming of the Lord Jesus when all will be united under the Lordship of Jesus after he has put down his enemies and established the reign of God over the heavens and the earth. In the meantime, the disciples must expect opposition and persecution from those who would oppose the Gospel. Jesus came to lay down his life for us, as our sacrificial lamb, to atone for our sins and the sins of the world. We, in turn, must be willing to offer our lives with gratitude and humble service for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
What does Jesus mean when he says his disciples must be "lambs in the midst of wolves"? The prophet Isaiah foretold a time when wolves and lambs will dwell in peace (Isaiah 11:6 and 65:25). This certainly refers to the second coming of the Lord Jesus when all will be united under the Lordship of Jesus after he has put down his enemies and established the reign of God over the heavens and the earth. In the meantime, the disciples must expect opposition and persecution from those who would oppose the Gospel. Jesus came to lay down his life for us, as our sacrificial lamb, to atone for our sins and the sins of the world. We, in turn, must be willing to offer our lives with gratitude and humble service for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
We
are called to speak and witness in God's name
What is the significance of Jesus appointing seventy disciples to the ministry of the word? Seventy was a significant number in biblical times. Moses chose seventy elders to help him in the task of leading the people through the wilderness. The Jewish Sanhedrin, the governing council for the nation of Israel, was composed of seventy members. In Jesus' times seventy was held to be the number of nations throughout the world. Jesus commissioned the seventy to a two-fold task - to speak in his name and to act with his power.
What is the significance of Jesus appointing seventy disciples to the ministry of the word? Seventy was a significant number in biblical times. Moses chose seventy elders to help him in the task of leading the people through the wilderness. The Jewish Sanhedrin, the governing council for the nation of Israel, was composed of seventy members. In Jesus' times seventy was held to be the number of nations throughout the world. Jesus commissioned the seventy to a two-fold task - to speak in his name and to act with his power.
Jesus
gave his disciples instructions for how they were to carry out their ministry.
They must go and serve as people without guile, full of charity (selfless
giving in love) and peace, and simplicity. They must give their full attention
to the proclamation of God's kingdom and not be diverted by other lesser
things. They must travel light - only take what was essential and leave
behind whatever would distract them - in order to concentrate on the task of
speaking the word of the God. They must do their work, not for what they can
get out of it, but for what they can give freely to others, without expecting
reward or payment. "Poverty of spirit" frees us from greed and
preoccupation with possessions and makes ample room for God's provision. The
Lord Jesus wants his disciples to be dependent on him and not on themselves.
God
gives us his life-giving word that we may have abundant life in him. He wills
to work in and through each of us for his glory. God shares his word with us
and he commissions us to speak it boldly and plainly to others. Do you witness
the truth and joy of the Gospel by word and example to those around you?
"Lord
Jesus, may the joy and truth of the Gospel transform my life that I may witness
it to those around me. Grant that I may spread your truth and merciful love
wherever I go."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Jesus the Good Shepherd changes wolves
into sheep, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"How
then does [Jesus] command the holy apostles, who are innocent men and 'sheep,'
to seek the company of wolves, and go to them of their own will? Is not the
danger apparent? Are they not set up as ready prey for their attacks? How can a
sheep prevail over a wolf? How can one so peaceful conquer the savageness of
beasts of prey? 'Yes,' he says, 'for they all have me as their Shepherd: small
and great, people and princes, teachers and students. I will be with you, help
you, and deliver you from all evil. I will tame the savage beasts. I will
change wolves into sheep, and I will make the persecutors become the helpers of
the persecuted. I will make those who wrong my ministers to be sharers in their
pious designs. I make and unmake all things, and nothing can resist my
will.'" (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 61)
FEAST OF SAINT LUKE, EVANGELIST
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, LUKE 10:1-9
(2 Timothy 4:10-17b; Psalm 145)
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, LUKE 10:1-9
(2 Timothy 4:10-17b; Psalm 145)
KEY VERSE: "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few" (v. 2).
TO KNOW: Moses appointed seventy elders to assist him in the governance of the people (Ex 18:19, 24:1-9). In the same manner, after Jesus commissioned the Twelve Apostles (Lk 9:1-6), he sent forth another seventy-two disciples (six times twelve), which corresponds to all the nations listed in Genesis 10. Jesus sent them out two-by-two to proclaim the kingdom of God. We don’t go it alone! These disciples were his representatives; therefore, they deserved the support of those who benefited from their ministry. Jesus warned the disciples that they would be like helpless sheep exposed to prey, and must depend upon God's providence and protection. As God's messengers, the first thing they should do was to cure the sick. Christ is Soter, healer of both body and spirit. The second task was to proclaim "the reign of God is at hand." Jesus prayed that more laborers would answer God's call to prepare the soil for the rich harvest that was to come.
TO LOVE: Let us "who hold and teach the Catholic faith that comes to us from the apostles" continue in our own time to hand on the faith that we have received, just as the apostles did in their time [Eucharistic Prayer I].
TO SERVE: St. Luke, pray for me that I might have your zeal to proclaim the Gospel.
FEAST OF SAINT LUKE, EVANGELIST
Luke is commonly thought to be the only non-Jewish writer in the New Testament. Luke was not an Apostle, nor an eye witness to the life, death and resurrection of Christ He obtained some of the material for his gospel from Mark's gospel and from others who compiled narratives about Jesus (Lk 1:1-4). According to the letter to the Colossians, Luke was a physician (Col 4:14), and tradition says that he was also an artist. Luke may have accompanied Paul on his second and third missionary journey (Acts 16:10ff; 20:5ff; 27-28), and might have been with Paul during his imprisonment (Phlm 24). After Paul's death, Luke wrote a second book, "The Acts of the Apostles." Luke's writings show the development of the early Church in the context of the Roman Empire, and also focus on Jerusalem and the Temple. Material found only in Luke's gospel includes much of the account of Jesus' birth and boyhood. We find an emphasis on the love of Jesus in his compassion for sinners, suffering persons, for outcasts, and for the poor. The role of women in is emphasized in Luke, more than in other gospel writings. Luke died a martyr.
Friday 18 October 2019
St Luke
2 Timothy 4:10-17. Psalm 144(145):10-13, 17-18. Luke 10:1-9.
Your friends tell the glory of your kingship, Lord – Psalm
144(145):10-13, 17-18
‘I am sending you out like lambs among wolves’
The word ‘apostle’ means ‘one who is sent’. Jesus sends out 72
missionaries to prepare the way for his eventual arrival in the villages across
the countryside. The story highlights a few things about Jesus’ mission. First,
he can’t do it all on his own. Jesus needs others who help prepare and spread
the message. Second, Jesus did not establish himself in one place. He went out
to people – he didn’t presume that people would come to him. And, finally, much
of Jesus’ preaching took place in rural areas, away from the main centres. It
would be in the heart of the Holy City that Jesus would find the greatest
opposition. This story reminds us that we too are asked to be people who ‘go
out’ in the midst of our ordinary life and seek to open the doorway of Christ
for others.
Saint Luke
Saint of the Day for October 18
(d. c. 84)
 |
| The Apostle Luke | Andrey Mironov |
Saint Luke’s Story
Luke wrote one of the major portions of the New Testament, a
two-volume work comprising the third Gospel and Acts of the Apostles. In the
two books he shows the parallel between the life of Christ and that of the
Church. He is the only Gentile Christian among the Gospel writers.
Tradition holds him to be a native of Antioch, and Paul calls him “our beloved
physician.” His Gospel was probably written between 70 and 85 A.D.
Luke appears in Acts during Paul’s second journey, remains at
Philippi for several years until Paul returns from his third journey,
accompanies Paul to Jerusalem, and remains near him when he is imprisoned in
Caesarea. During these two years, Luke had time to seek information and
interview persons who had known Jesus. He accompanied Paul on the dangerous
journey to Rome where he was a faithful companion.
Luke’s unique character may best be seen by the emphases of his
Gospel, which has been given a number of subtitles:
1) The Gospel of Mercy
2) The Gospel of Universal Salvation
3) The Gospel of the Poor
4) The Gospel of Absolute Renunciation
5) The Gospel of Prayer and the Holy Spirit
6) The Gospel of Joy
1) The Gospel of Mercy
2) The Gospel of Universal Salvation
3) The Gospel of the Poor
4) The Gospel of Absolute Renunciation
5) The Gospel of Prayer and the Holy Spirit
6) The Gospel of Joy
Reflection
Luke wrote as a Gentile for Gentile Christians. His Gospel and
Acts of the Apostles reveal his expertise in classic Greek style as well as his
knowledge of Jewish sources. There is a warmth to Luke’s writing that sets it
apart from that of the other synoptic Gospels, and yet it beautifully
complements those works. The treasure of the Scriptures is a true gift of the
Holy Spirit to the Church.
Saint Luke is the Patron Saint of:
Artists/Painters
Brewers
Butchers
Notaries
Physicians/Surgeons
Brewers
Butchers
Notaries
Physicians/Surgeons
Lectio Divina: St. Luke, Evangelist - Luke 10:1-9
Lectio Divina
Friday, October 18, 2019
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord,
our help and guide,
make your love the foundation of our lives.
May our love for you express itself
in our eagerness to do good for others.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
our help and guide,
make your love the foundation of our lives.
May our love for you express itself
in our eagerness to do good for others.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 10: 1-9
The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of
Him in pairs, to all the towns and places He himself would be visiting. And He
said to them, 'The harvest is rich but the laborers are few, so ask the Lord of
the harvest to send laborers to do his harvesting. Start off now, but look, I
am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Take no purse with you, no
haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road.
Whatever house you enter, let your first words be, "Peace to this house!" And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Stay in the same house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the laborer deserves his wages; do not move from house to house.
Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is put before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, "The kingdom of God is very near to you."
Whatever house you enter, let your first words be, "Peace to this house!" And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Stay in the same house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the laborer deserves his wages; do not move from house to house.
Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is put before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, "The kingdom of God is very near to you."
3) Reflection
● Today, on the feast of the Evangelist Saint Luke, the Gospel
presents to us the sending out of the seventy-two disciples who have to
announce the Good News of God in the villages and in the cities of Galilee. We
are the seventy-two who come after the Twelve. Through the mission of the
disciples, Jesus seeks to recover the community values of the tradition of the
people who felt crushed by the twofold slavery of the Roman domination and by
the official religion. Jesus tries to renew and organize the communities in
such a way that again they are an expression of the Covenant, an example of the
Kingdom of God. This is why He insists in hospitality, sharing, communion, and
acceptance of the excluded. This insistence of Jesus is found in the advice
that He gave to his disciples when He sent them out on mission. At the time of
Jesus there were other movements which, like Jesus, were looking for a new way
to live and to live together. John the Baptist, the Pharisees and others for
example. They also formed communities of disciples (Jn 1: 35; Lk
11: 1; Ac 19: 3) and they had their missionaries (Mt 23: 15).
But as we will see there was a great difference.
● Luke 10: 1-3: The Mission. Jesus sends out the disciples to the places where He wanted to go. The disciple is the spokesperson of Jesus. He is not the owner of the Good News. He sends them out two by two. That favors reciprocal help, because the mission is not individual, but rather it is a community mission.
● Luke 10: 2-3: Co-responsibility. The first task is to pray in order that God sends laborers. All the disciples have to feel that they are responsible for the mission. This is why I should pray to the Father for the continuity of the mission. Jesus sends out his disciples as lambs in the middle of wolves. The mission is a difficult and dangerous task because the system in which the disciples lived, and in which we live, was and continues to be contrary to the reorganization of living communities.
● Luke 10: 4-6: Hospitality. Contrary to the other missionaries, the disciples of Jesus should not take anything with them, no haversack, no sandals; but they should take peace. This means that they have to trust in the hospitality of the people. This is because the disciple who goes without anything, taking only peace, indicates that he trusts in people. He thinks that he will be welcomed and people will feel respected and confirmed. By means of this practice the disciple criticizes the laws of exclusion and recovers the ancient values of life in a community. Do not greet anybody on the way means that no time should be lost with things which do not belong to the mission.
● Luke 10: 7: Sharing. The disciples should not go from house to house, but they should remain in the same house. That is, that they should live together with others in a stable way, participate in the life and work of the people and live from what they receive in exchange, because the laborer deserves his wages. This means that they should trust the sharing. Thus, by means of this new practice, they recover an ancient tradition of the people, criticizing a culture of accumulation which characterized the politics of the Roman Empire and they announced a new model of living together.
● Luke 10: 8: Communion around the table. When the Pharisees went on mission, they got ready. They thought that they could not trust the food the people would give them and that it was not always ritually “pure”. For this reason they took with them a haversack, a purse and money to be able to get their own food. Thus, instead of helping to overcome divisions, the observance of the laws of purity weakened the living out of the community values even more. The disciples of Jesus should eat whatever the people offered them. They could not live separated, eating their own food. This means that they should accept sharing around the table. They should not be afraid to lose legal purity in contact with the people. Acting in that way, they criticize the laws which are in force, and they announce a new access to purity, that it is intimacy with God.
● Luke 10: 9a: The acceptance of the excluded. The disciples have to take care of the sick, cure the lepers and cast out devils (Mt 10,:8). That means that they should accept those who were excluded within the community. This practice of solidarity criticizes the society that excluded many and indicates concrete ways for changing this. This is what the pastoral ministry with the excluded, migrants and marginalized does today.
● Luke 10: 9b: The coming of the Kingdom. If these requests are respected, then the disciples can and should shout out to all parts of the world: The Kingdom of God has arrived! To proclaim the Kingdom is not, in the first place, to teach truth and doctrine, but to lead toward a new way of living and living together as brothers and sisters starting from the Good News which Jesus has proclaimed to us: God is Father and Mother of all of us.
● Luke 10: 1-3: The Mission. Jesus sends out the disciples to the places where He wanted to go. The disciple is the spokesperson of Jesus. He is not the owner of the Good News. He sends them out two by two. That favors reciprocal help, because the mission is not individual, but rather it is a community mission.
● Luke 10: 2-3: Co-responsibility. The first task is to pray in order that God sends laborers. All the disciples have to feel that they are responsible for the mission. This is why I should pray to the Father for the continuity of the mission. Jesus sends out his disciples as lambs in the middle of wolves. The mission is a difficult and dangerous task because the system in which the disciples lived, and in which we live, was and continues to be contrary to the reorganization of living communities.
● Luke 10: 4-6: Hospitality. Contrary to the other missionaries, the disciples of Jesus should not take anything with them, no haversack, no sandals; but they should take peace. This means that they have to trust in the hospitality of the people. This is because the disciple who goes without anything, taking only peace, indicates that he trusts in people. He thinks that he will be welcomed and people will feel respected and confirmed. By means of this practice the disciple criticizes the laws of exclusion and recovers the ancient values of life in a community. Do not greet anybody on the way means that no time should be lost with things which do not belong to the mission.
● Luke 10: 7: Sharing. The disciples should not go from house to house, but they should remain in the same house. That is, that they should live together with others in a stable way, participate in the life and work of the people and live from what they receive in exchange, because the laborer deserves his wages. This means that they should trust the sharing. Thus, by means of this new practice, they recover an ancient tradition of the people, criticizing a culture of accumulation which characterized the politics of the Roman Empire and they announced a new model of living together.
● Luke 10: 8: Communion around the table. When the Pharisees went on mission, they got ready. They thought that they could not trust the food the people would give them and that it was not always ritually “pure”. For this reason they took with them a haversack, a purse and money to be able to get their own food. Thus, instead of helping to overcome divisions, the observance of the laws of purity weakened the living out of the community values even more. The disciples of Jesus should eat whatever the people offered them. They could not live separated, eating their own food. This means that they should accept sharing around the table. They should not be afraid to lose legal purity in contact with the people. Acting in that way, they criticize the laws which are in force, and they announce a new access to purity, that it is intimacy with God.
● Luke 10: 9a: The acceptance of the excluded. The disciples have to take care of the sick, cure the lepers and cast out devils (Mt 10,:8). That means that they should accept those who were excluded within the community. This practice of solidarity criticizes the society that excluded many and indicates concrete ways for changing this. This is what the pastoral ministry with the excluded, migrants and marginalized does today.
● Luke 10: 9b: The coming of the Kingdom. If these requests are respected, then the disciples can and should shout out to all parts of the world: The Kingdom of God has arrived! To proclaim the Kingdom is not, in the first place, to teach truth and doctrine, but to lead toward a new way of living and living together as brothers and sisters starting from the Good News which Jesus has proclaimed to us: God is Father and Mother of all of us.
4) Personal questions
● Hospitality, sharing, communion, welcoming and acceptance of
the excluded: are pillars which support community life. How does this take
place in my community?
● What does it mean for me to be Christian? In an interview on TV a person answered as follows to the journalist: “I am a Christian, I try to live the Gospel, but I do not participate in the community of the Church”. And the journalist commented: “Then do you consider yourself a football player without a team!” Is this my case?
● What does it mean for me to be Christian? In an interview on TV a person answered as follows to the journalist: “I am a Christian, I try to live the Gospel, but I do not participate in the community of the Church”. And the journalist commented: “Then do you consider yourself a football player without a team!” Is this my case?
5) Concluding prayer
All your creatures shall thank you, Yahweh,
and your faithful shall bless you.
They shall speak of the glory of your kingship
and tell of your might. (Ps 145: 10-11)
and your faithful shall bless you.
They shall speak of the glory of your kingship
and tell of your might. (Ps 145: 10-11)
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