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. 2 Timothy 4:17B
"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. Luke 10:2-3
Piety
The Prayer of Mary
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever. (Lk 1:46-55)
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever. (Lk 1:46-55)
Study
Sunday, we were invited to come to the feast. Today, we celebrate an actual liturgical feast – the Feast of Saint Luke. Luke's Gospel is, above all, the Gospel of the Merciful Heart of Jesus. Michael Card refers to it as the “Gospel of Amazement.” Luke focuses on the big reversal where the rich will have nothing and the poor will be rich. He emphasizes the fact that Christ is the salvation of all men, especially of the repentant sinner and of the lowly. The theme is perfectly captured in the Magnificat (The Prayer of Mary).
Our Good News today comes from one of the high, positive emotional points in Luke’s narrative – before Jesus and his followers entered Jerusalem. Today, we see the second commissioning of the missionaries – a mission which success will result in bringing great to the Master.
Some of the instructions in this mission go beyond the commission of the Twelve: “…Greet no one along the way.”
Jesus tells the seventy-two not to get involved in small talk. The mission is too serious. The notes in the NAB explain that because of the urgency of the mission and the single-mindedness required of missionaries, attachment to material possessions should be avoided and even customary greetings should not distract from the fulfillment of the task.
Another instruction not already given to the Twelve is: “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.”
In this way, the disciples were told to imitate Jesus. Back in the Christmas story, upon the birth of Jesus, the angels appeared singing: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Jesus always greeted people with Peace – even when he re-visited the locked Upper Room to bring the Holy Spirit upon Christ. At the end of Luke’ narrative, Jesus appeared among them while they were hearing the report about the Journey to Emmaus. Although shocking the disciples, the greeting was the same: [Jesus] stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” (Luke 24:36B)
Action
St. Luke was a very active and creative member of the early Church. In addition to being a doctor, he was an artist and writer. He left behind some of the most beautiful prayers and iconic images that became the cornerstones of prayer life and spirituality for many.
To celebrate his feast, read some parts out of the Acts of the Apostles. As you do, you will realize that St. Luke accompanied St. Paul on some of the latter’s missionary journeys. Can his spiritually accompany you on your mission? Can you accompany him with your prayers?
Go on your way!
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| Besides being a writer and physician, legend has that St. Luke was an artist. There are multiple images of Our Lady which bear the claim to St. Luke's hand. The three most famous include the Black Madonna of Czestochowa found in the Jasna Gora Monastery in Czestochowa, Poland. |
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