OCTOBER 18, 2014 : FEAST OF SAINT LUKE, EVANGELIST

Feast of Saint Luke, Evangelist
Lectionary: 661

Reading 12 TM 4:10-17B

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.

Responsorial Psalm PS 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.

Gospel LK 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.’”

www.usccb.org

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 life 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 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. 

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."

www.dailyscripture.net

Me? An Apostle?

October 18, 2014. Feast of Saint Luke, Evangelist

Luke 10: 1-9 After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ´Peace to this house!´ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ´The kingdom of God has come near to you.´" Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe that you are present here as I turn to you in prayer. I trust and have confidence in your desire to give me every grace I need to receive today. Thank you for your love, thank you for your immense generosity toward me. I give you my life and my love in return. Petition: Lord, increase my faith so that in any trial I will trust in you. 1. Amazing Graces: Luke, whose feast we celebrate in today’s liturgy, is the only gentile author in the New Testament. It was part of God’s design that he be chosen by God to be the author of one of the Gospels and the Book of Acts. “Who am I to receive such a grace?” Luke might easily have said to himself, marveling at the gratuitousness with which he received his role within the Church. An honest look at the great grace we have received in being called to be part of God’s Church should bring us to say the same thing: Who are we to receive such an incredible blessing?! Why did we receive this grace and our next-door neighbor did not? Why have so many souls in the history of the world never had the opportunity to know about Christ, but we have? Only one answer comes close. God wants it, and it is part of his plan of love for all mankind. 2. More Hands on Deck: Here is a true situation at a parish on the West Coast: After five draining hours in the confessional, the priest climbs out to verify that no one else is in line. This is the normal Sunday morning routine there. During those hours the priest was witness to several powerful conversions, souls finding peace after years of struggle, other saintly souls whose delicate consciences were cause for admiration, and still others moving along with a “more-or-less” attitude in their response to God, but who were helped by the grace of reconciliation. Many more confessions could be heard, but there simply aren’t enough priests to meet the need. The more confession is offered, the more the faithful take advantage of the opportunity, and the more the Church grows in holiness. Do we pray that God send more laborers to the harvest? 3. A Lamb without Sandals: Christ’s comparison almost seems cruel: “I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals….” If he considers the apostles to be like lambs, why on earth would he send them among wolves? As always, Christ wants to stretch the faith of the apostles. “My Father’s providence will take care of you and protect you” is the message he wants them to accept and live. Later he tells them to take these items with them (cf. Luke 22:36), but he also reminds them, “‘When I sent you out with no purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?’ They said, ‘Nothing.’” He wants us to rely on him, not on our own skills or talents. While we always need to apply all our God-given human intelligence and prudence, we still need to rely on God to bless our work and fill in for what is lacking. Conversation with Christ: Lord, so much of what I’m faced with each day seems to be beyond my capabilities, yet I see clearly that you want me to continue pushing forward, trusting in your providence. This isn’t easy! Help be to have confidence in you. Resolution: If faced with an obstacle today, I will pray for God’s assistance rather than rely only on myself. By Father Daniel Ray, LC

www.regnumchristi.org

SATURDAY, 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).
READING: Moses appointed seventy elders to assist him in the government 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 to help him in his mission. Jesus sent them out two by two to proclaim the kingdom of God. 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, they must alert the people that God's reign was at hand. Severe judgment was in store for those who rejected the call to repentance. Jesus prayed that more laborers would answer God's call to prepare the soil for the rich harvest that was to come.
REFLECTING: 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].
PRAYING: St. Luke, pray for me that I might have your zeal to proclaim the Gospel.

FEAST OF LUKE, EVANGELIST 

Luke is commonly thought to be the only non-Jewish New Testament writer. Almost all that we know about him comes from 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 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 place the life of Christ and the development of the early Church in the larger context of the Roman Empire and society. On the other hand, his writings are focused on Jerusalem and on the Temple. Material found only in Luke's gospel includes much of the account of Jesus' birth and boyhood. Some of the most moving parables, such as that of the Good Samaritan and that of the Prodigal Son are in Luke's Gospel. We find an emphasis on the human love of Christ, on his compassion for sinners and for suffering persons, for outcasts, and for the poor. The role of women in is more emphasized in Luke than in the other gospel writings. In the Book of Acts, we see how the early Christians at first preached only to Jews, then to Samaritans, then to Gentiles like Cornelius, and finally recognized that Gentiles and Jews were called on equal terms to the service and fellowship of Christ. Luke died a martyr.

www.togetherwithgodsword.com

Saturday 18 October 2014

St Luke. 
2 Timothy 4:10-17. Your friends tell the glory of your kingship, Lord—Ps 144(145):10-13, 17-18. Luke 10:1-9.

Readings

Today is the feast day of St Luke.

St Luke contributed about a quarter of the New Testament. His name is attached to the third gospel, as well as the Book of the Acts of the Apostles.

St Luke is one of the great artisans of the early church. He wrote the story of Jesus with a particular emphasis on compassion, inclusivity and hospitality. He left many unique stories, such as the infancy narratives, and the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son. Let us give thanks for the Good News St Luke has left us. How do we live the story of Jesus?

www.pray.com.au

MINUTE MEDITATIONS 

The Meaning of Sin

Listen, my son, you think, like many others, that sin is the breaking of the law, but it’s not that but infidelity to love.

— from The Joyful Spirit of Padre Pio 

October 18
St. Luke

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" (Colossians 4:14). His Gospel was probably written between A.D. 70 and 85.

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. "Only Luke is with me," Paul writes (2 Timothy 4:11).

Comment:

Luke wrote as a Gentile for Gentile Christians. This Gospel reveals Luke's expertise in classic Greek style as well as his knowledge of Jewish sources.

The character of Luke may best be seen by the emphases of his Gospel, which has been given a number of subtitles: 1) The Gospel of Mercy: Luke emphasizes Jesus' compassion and patience with the sinners and the suffering. He has a broadminded openness to all, showing concern for Samaritans, lepers, publicans, soldiers, public sinners, unlettered shepherds, the poor. Luke alone records the stories of the sinful woman, the lost sheep and coin, the prodigal son, the good thief. 2) The Gospel of Universal Salvation: Jesus died for all. He is the son of Adam, not just of David, and Gentiles are his friends too. 3) The Gospel of the Poor: "Little people" are prominent—Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, shepherds, Simeon, and the elderly widow Anna. He is also concerned with what we now call "evangelical poverty." 4) The Gospel of Absolute Renunciation: He stresses the need for total dedication to Christ. 5) The Gospel of Prayer and the Holy Spirit: He shows Jesus at prayer before every important step of his ministry. The Spirit is bringing the Church to its final perfection. 6) The Gospel of Joy: Luke succeeds in portraying the joy of salvation that permeated the primitive Church.

Quote:

"Then [Jesus] led them [out] as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. They did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God" (Luke 24:50-53).

Patron Saint of:

Artists
Brewers
Butchers
Doctors
Notaries
Painters
Physicians
Surgeons

www.americancatholic.org

LECTIO DIVINA: ST. LUKE - LUKE 10,1-9

Lectio: 

 Saturday, October 18, 2014

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.

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 labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers 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 labourer 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, 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, 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, for example John the Baptist, the Pharisees and others. 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 favours 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 labourers. 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; 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 and live from what they receive in exchange, because the labourer 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 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 even more the living out of the community values. 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. In contact with the people they should not be afraid to lose legal purity. Acting in that way, they criticize the laws which are in force, and they announce a new access to purity, that it 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 within the community those who were excluded. This practice of solidarity criticizes the society that excluded and indicates concrete ways for 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 T.V. 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)

www.ocarm.org