“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. (Psalm 145:10-11)
Reflections on the readings for the Feast of St. Luke (October 18, 2022): 2TM 4:10-17; PS 145:10-11,12-13,17-18; LK 10:1-9
MISSIO offers “Mission In Scripture” to nurture a missionary heart, providing reflections on the missionary themes in the readings of Sundays, Feast Days and Holy Days.
Let us meditate on the mercy of Christ that St. Luke so often mentioned -- and our Savior’s desire for each of us to treasure and to share His mercy with others.
Today we celebrate the faithful life of St. Luke the evangelist. Born in Syria, he is was probably a Gentile. While it is unlikely that he ever met Jesus, Luke certainly learned about Him from those who did. As a convert, he became active in preaching the Christian faith and was for a time a co-worker of St. Paul on his missionary journeys. St. Luke is best known as the author of one of the Gospels and its companion volume, the Acts of the Apostles. His attractive use of language and his emphasis on aspects of Christ’s compassionate message have drawn countless Christians over the ages into closer knowledge of our Lord’s gift of salvation. Today’s Gospel reading speaks of the mission of the seventy-two disciples. Jesus sent them out two by two, saying: “Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. … 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. … 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’” (Luke 10:3,5-6,8-9).
St. Luke knew what it meant to be a missionary. However, it was his writings that have a legacy in two thousand years of Christianity. It is thought that he got some sources from other writings including those of St. Mark. Luke also spent time with important witnesses to our Lord’s ministry. Many believe that at some point he spent time with the Blessed Virgin Mary. In writing about the infancy and childhood of Jesus, Luke references the words between Mary and the Angel Gabriel, and between her and St. Elizabeth, including the Magnificat prayer. Luke also recounts the conversation between Mary and Jesus after she and St. Joseph found Him at the temple after being missing three days. None of this appears elsewhere in the Gospels. It is not certain if St. Luke was a martyr, but it is generally believed he died in Greece at an advanced age.
Suggested missionary action: Let us meditate on the mercy of Christ that St. Luke so often mentioned -- and our Savior’s desire for each of us to treasure and to share His mercy with others. We can also pray to St. Luke asking him to assist us in better appreciating Scriptures.