Feast of Saint Luke, evangelist
Sheep amongst the wolves.
Click here for today's readings on the USCCB website.
Reading: 2 Timothy 4:10-17b
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18
Alleluia: See Jn 15:16
Gospel: Luke 10:1-9
Today’s readings audio:
Saint Luke, the Evangelist
Saint Luke was a Gentile physician born in Antioch, Syria. He is known for the gospel that bears his name as well as the Acts of the Apostles. He traveled with St. Paul during his ministry during a portion of Paul’s ministry but stayed with him when Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea and traveled with him to Rome while he awaited trial and eventual execution.1
Saint Luke was fluent in Greek and knew Hebrew Scriptures and was a great teller of stories. His gospel gives us several parables such as The Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son. His style of writing emphasizes God’s plan of Salvation and the evangelizing mission of the Church.2
Paul’s Loneliness (2 Timothy 4:10-17b)
In today’s first reading, St. Paul is recounting his loneliness as various companions have either deserted him because of their worldliness or because they have been sent on missions. St. Luke is the only one with him and Paul sends for St. Mark.
But Paul finds strength in the Lord.
17 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. And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
2 Timothy 4:17
And this is the lesson that we should learn from St. Paul. We live in adverse times and those that we think are friends today can easily turn against us. In the current political climate people are finding that those that they thought were friends abandon them or even vilify them. Family turns against itself. And this is not only in politics, but other areas of our lives, especially as it has to do with sexual deviancy and religion.
Our friends, families, and co-workers can and sometimes will turn against us. But we need to always lean on God. I know that I have made that mistake a number of times in the past. But if we live our lives with God always first and in prayer, God will be there for us. And it is important to remember that in a relationship, it is always God first, spouse second, and family third. All others come dead last. He never leaves us, we leave him. He is always waiting for our return and is always willing to stand by our side.
How will you lean on God today? What is your prayer life like? Are you relying on God or are you relying on others.
The Mission of the Seventy-two (Luke 10:1-9)
In today’s gospel Jesus sends out the seventy-two disciples on a mission of evangelization. In some texts, the number is 72 and in some it is 70. The number 70 is significant because it symbolizes completeness.
In Numbers 11:16, the Lord tells Moses to gather 70 of the elders of Israel and in Isaiah 23:15, the lifetime of the King is 70 years, the time that Tyre will be forgotten. The Babylonian Exile as described in Jeremiah 25 is 70 years. All of these reference the fullness of God’s time and the 70 represents the fullness of the disciples sent forth to evangelize and spread the Good News of Jesus.
3 Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Luke 10:3
Jesus is warning the disciples that they will not have an easy time with this evangelization. He is warning that they will face adversity in their preaching and some will oppose them. Jesus makes a similar reference after he is resurrected in Acts 10:29.
29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock.
Acts 20:29
In today’s broken and fractured world, we see division within the churches and hatred towards our brothers and sisters. However, we have the fullness of faith in the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church has survived over 2000 years. And while some of the shepherds over the centuries have led the sheep astray, many shepherds have remained to fight the various heresies and apostacies of the past.
Today, we need to love our shepherds, but we need to be wary of those that might lead us astray. The only way we are going to know this is if we study our Bibles, our Catechisms, and the documents of the Church Fathers. We need to be willing to go back and read the books of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Theresa of Ávila and the other Doctors of the Church. In this way we can defend our faith and help in its evangelization as the 72 disciples did and St. Luke after them.
What are you going to do today in order to remain in the fullness of faith? How will you combat the wolves that are among the sheep? How will you evangelize the nations.
A Prayer for Loneliness
Heavenly Father, there are days when I feel that You have forgotten about me. When I need You most, it seems I cannot reach You. Yet I do believe You are present during times of loneliness, and when my heart feels empty. Teach me to find You even in my darkest hours. Amen.
Franciscan Media. Saint Luke. https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-luke/
DivineOffice.org. About Today for St. Luke, Evangelist. https://divineoffice.org/about-1018-luke/?date=20241018