Feast of St. Luke

Friday, October 18, 2019
Feast of Saint Luke,
Evangelist
First Reading:
2 Tim 4:9-17
Gospel Reading:
Lk 10:1-9
The Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place, where he himself was to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is rich, but the workers are few. So you must ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to his harvest. Courage! I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Set off without purse or bag or sandals; and do not stop at the homes of those you know.
“Whatever house you enter, first bless them saying: ‘Peace to this house.’ If a friend of peace lives there, the peace shall rest upon that person. But if not, the blessing will return to you. Stay in that house eating and drinking at their table, for the worker deserves to be paid. Do not move from house to house.
“When they welcome you in any town, eat what they offer you. Heal the sick who are there and say to them: ‘The kingdom of God has drawn near to you.'”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
Today is the feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, writer of the Acts of the Apostles. The themes we read in his writings include God’s unlimited forgiveness, the importance of prayer, the role of women in the Church, and the universality of the evangelizing Church. In today’s Gospel Luke speaks of a community mandated to evangelize radically. The radical nature of the mandate is rolled out in these words: “Set off without purse or bag or sandals; and do not stop at the homes of those you know.” In other words, evangelizers must not only be poor in spirit but must appear poor to society.
While it is true that appearances can be deceptive, they also serve as overt signs of a person’s internal disposition. Some people dismiss external appearances on the ground that the internal is eloquent enough to express one’s spirituality. Wrong. For as long as the Church uses signs and symbols to spread the Word, externals remain important to the work of evangelization.
How radical are you in following Christ? Here is an enlightening anecdote. A Jew overhears two Catholics talking about the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. He is almost convinced. But none of the two could explain to him why many Catholics behave like God is not present at the Holy Eucharist. Some do not even bother to kneel down at the consecration for the flimsy reason that there are no cushioned kneelers available. If one cannot be radical in these minor gestures of reverence to God, there is reason to doubt about his capability to be radical in greater matters.
Let us ask for Luke’s intercession that we may become radical followers of Christ. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M.