Word to the Wise
Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - Oct. 18 - St. Luke, evangelist
[2 Tim 4:10-17b and Luke 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..." [Luke]
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016 ST. LUKE, evangelist
Tradition and textual analysis have assured us through the centuries that the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles are basically two volumes of one work. Furthermore, they reflect the experience of a missionary church that has expanded well beyond the walls of the "Upper Room" experience of Pentecost! In celebrating the feast of the evangelist, Luke, the church chooses a passage from that gospel which speaks to the missionary experience of instructing and sending. That sequence is important.
The number is symbolic of the number of "nations" that the evangelist knew of, which would be for his audience the whole known world. Those being sent are disciples. They already believe in Jesus and are ready to proclaim his message to the world. They are instructed as to lifestyle and message: "The Kingdom of God is at hand for you." In sending out these disciples, Jesus visits the ends of the earth through their preaching. Later on in this gospel, we learn of some of the trials and persecutions they would experience as well. If you read all of chapter 10, you will hear of the excitement these disciples would experience in preaching and healing.
By virtue of our baptism, we are appointed disciples. Discipleship is not a matter of Holy Orders but Baptism. If we live this commitment with integrity and are willing to "give a reason for the hope that is in you" (1 Pet. 3:15) we can also experience the power of the gospel reaching out to others. Parishioners who have participated as sponsors or teachers in RCIA programs report this kind of experience. Pope Francis has called on all of us to be "missionaries of mercy." I think St. Luke is cheering us on! AMEN
config
view
logs
4096.0 KB
101 ms
4
