Feast of Saint Luke, Evangelist
While this Gospel is often read when individuals take religious vows or become ordained, this Gospel really pertains to all Christians. Just as Jesus missioned the seventy-two in today’s Gospel (Luke 10:1-9), this missioning is still asked of every Christian today. Christians do not have to be missioned to foreign lands to preach the Gospel for the message of God’s saving work can be carried out in our own neighborhoods. However, this action is not going to be easy and Jesus knew the various hardships people would endure because His followers were sent out “like sheep among wolves” (Luke 10:3). Paul, in the first reading, acknowledged that despite the good intentions Christians may abandon each other (II Timothy 4:9-10), but the one thing that always remains is the “Lord who stood by me and gave me strength” (II Timothy 4:17). May God continue to give us strength on our Christian journey.
On this feast day of St. Luke, we pray for all health care workers, but especially physicians who work to bring healing and support to all sick members of the body of Christ.