“Growing in our love for the Word, by reading and reflecting daily and living the Word, in all our daily activities of life!”
(Based on the Feast of St Luke, the Evangelist)
A poor woman had lost her husband and was going through a great deal of agony and distress.
One day, her neighbour brought her a small, worn-out pamphlet.
She gave it to the sorrowful woman and told her:
“I found this lying on the street. Somebody must have dropped it.
I read it.
There is a wonderful story of a Man Who helps those who are unhappy.
I thought of you. It might do you help!”
The sorrowful woman took it.
She not only read it, but also had her life transformed by it!
The pamphlet was a copy of the Gospel of St Luke!
This Gospel with its powerful themes of consolation and comfort had brought peace and relief to the woman in sorrow.
Today, on this Feast day of the Evangelist St Luke, let us meditate on this beautiful gift which he has penned – the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to St Luke.
St Jerome was of the opinion that, “among all the evangelists, St Luke was the most skilled writer of Greek.”
It is to St Luke that we owe some of the finest Gospel portraits…
The nostalgic infancy narratives of Jesus
… The Annunciation of Jesus (1: 26-38)
… The Birth of John the Baptist (1: 57-66)
… The visit of the shepherds at the Birth of Jesus (2: 15-20)
… The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple (2: 22-38)
… The Loss of Jesus in the Temple (2: 41-52)The distinguished and daring ministries of Jesus
… The Programmatic Speech in Nazareth, His hometown (4: 16-30)
… The raising of widow’s son at Nain (7: 11-17)
… The story of Martha and Mary of Bethany (10: 38-42)
… The Samaritan Leper (17: 11-19)
… The transformation of Zacchaeus (19: 1-10)
… The conversion of the good thief (23: 39-43)
… The encounter with the two disciples on the way to Emmaus (24: 13-35)The illustrious and much-loved parables
… The Good Samaritan (10: 29-37)
… The Prodigal Son (15: 11-32)
… Rich Man and Lazarus (16: 19-31)
… The Persevering Widow (18: 1-8)
… The Publican and the Tax Collector (18: 9-14)
The marvellous brush of the Physician St Luke has some unique thrusts as well…
… which are also great reminders to us, in our spiritual lifestyle.
- A Gospel of Inclusive
St Luke’s Gospel has distinctive stories and incidents on how Jesus accepted and recognized the dignity of those, who were otherwise, left out in the society…
… the Samaritans
… the tax-collectors
… the public sinners
… the women
Am I a person who is willing to accept those who are rejected, abandoned and pushed-out of the society?
Do I exhibit “exclusivist” mentality by sticking on to only “my” culture, language, race, class etc and fail to celebrate differences?
- A Gospel of Prayer
St Luke’s Gospel presents greatly the aspect of the prayer, by presenting many instances…
… of Jesus praying
… of Jesus exhorting on prayer
… of many Temple scenes
Am I a person who enjoys the taste of prayer?
Do I fail to have a regular and consistent time to spend with the Lord and discover and implement the Father’s Will in my life?
- A Gospel of the Poor
St Luke displays his special love for the poor…
… through his many parables on the poor
… and the denouncement of riches…
And thus exalts them as the “favoured ones of God” and restoring their dignity and honour
Do I make radical choices to grow in my “poverty” i.e. my total dependence on the Providence of God?
Do I share my gifts, my talents and my riches, with those in need and find joy in this sharing?
- A Gospel of the meal
St Luke’s Gospel has an interesting presentation of Jesus as most of the time being “at meal or on the way to a meal”
There are nearly 19 references to food, with 13 of them being exclusive to this Gospel.
The meal is a reference to the communitarian dimension in spirituality!
Am I a person who cherishes the presence of the other and be willing to celebrate life?
Do I also become aware that the Lord constantly calls us to share in His Meal – the Holy Eucharist and make my life, in turn, a Eucharist to the other?
The Gospel of St Luke, along with many more themes is a wonderful reminder of the Love and Mercy of God…
… calling us to live in joy and service.
May this Feast Day of this Great Evangelist…
… help us to grow in our love for the Word, by reading and reflecting daily
… and challenge us to live the Word, in all our daily activities of life!
Happy Feast of St Luke, the Evangelist!
God Bless! Live Jesus!
📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE CHURCH – MYSTERY OF MEN’S UNION WITH GOD
In the Church this communion of men with God, in the “love [that] never ends,” is the purpose which governs everything in her that is a sacramental means, tied to this passing world.
“[The Church’s] structure is totally ordered to the holiness of Christ’s members.
And holiness is measured according to the ‘great mystery’ in which the Bride responds with the gift of love to the gift of the Bridegroom.”
Mary goes before us all in the holiness that is the Church’s mystery as “the bride without spot or wrinkle.”
This is why the “Marian” dimension of the Church precedes the “Petrine” (Cf. CCC # 773)
Reflection Capsules 