Feast of St. Luke, evangelist

“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.” – Luke 10:2

       His story became viral a year ago. Carlo Diaz was a Grab Car driver who pulled over to give food to a homeless woman on the street. It was later discovered that Carlo, his girlfriend and his friends have been doing this regularly. It was such a simple yet inspiring story that shows that an act of kindness doesn’t have to be a grand thing. I hope this story wasn’t just “liked” or “shared” by netizens; rather, I hope that it actually propelled people to act and make a difference in their own ways.

       This is what Jesus calls us to do — to be His hands and feet here on earth. But how can we be that if we are too consumed with our own interests? It takes a conscious effort to shift our focus away from ourselves to other people. American pastor Rick Warren once said, “You’ll find happiness in serving God through serving others.”

     To those of us who say we love God, let us accept our role as “laborers.” Let’s spread the love and change the world one person at a time. Lala Dela Cruz (bella.delacruz@gmail.com)

Reflection: How can you serve someone today? Let this be your guiding thought every day.

Help me to see You in others, Lord. Let my love for You be evident in the way I treat other people.

St. Luke, evangelist, pray for us.

Paul worked with many people, including Luke, the author of one of the Gospels, in his work as a missionary. This is an important reminder to us that the work of the Gospel is a communal reality. We are sent out and we bring people into a community as we evangelize them. Paul’s success as a missionary would have been severely limited without the help of others. He may have been the frontman, but those behind the scenes, who follow up the initial work of Paul, are just as important to the process.

10 Beloved: Demas, enamored of the present world, deserted me and went to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Luke is the only one with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is helpful to me in the ministry. 12 I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas, the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments. 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 You too be on guard against him, for he has strongly resisted our preaching. 16 At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them! 17 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.

R: Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

10 Let all your works give you thanks, O Lord, and let your faithful ones bless you. 11 Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom and speak of your might. (R) 12 Making known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. 13 Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations. (R) 17 The Lord is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. 18 The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. (R)

We are all missionaries. By our baptism, we are incorporated into the Body of Christ and sent out as witnesses to the Gospel. We need to be disciples in the ways of the faith, if we are going to be effective evangelists in both word and deed. The Catholic Church has failed here in recent years. Our catechetical skills have lapsed horribly and we are now suffering the consequences, with an ill-prepared faithful for the pluralistic world.

 GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.

1 The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. 2 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. 3 Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. 4 Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. 5 Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ 6 If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves payment. Do not move about from one house to another. 8 Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, 9 cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’ ”

think: How do you fulfill your call as a missionary of Christ?

Read the Bible in one year Sirach 26-30

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________________________

THERE IS NO “I” IN CHURCH

We celebrate today the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist. In the First Reading, we read Paul imprisoned, abandoned by everybody except Luke.

       Companionship is essential in discipleship. A disciple literally means one who learns from another. Paul did not decide one day that he would write epistles and evangelize the world. He spent time with his mentors, people who have been directly with Jesus. Paul definitely learned from the Apostles themselves. In the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15), we see Paul discussing with the rest of the Apostles. Now in the First Reading, we see that Luke was Paul’s faithful companion. We can assume that aside from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Luke was also mentored by Paul in the Jesus event.

       We belong to a Church that can proudly claim a direct link to the line of the Apostles. The present bishops that we have can trace a direct and unbroken link to the apostolic chain. Through the laying on of hands, the apostolic succession continues, a grace only the Catholic faith can claim.

       Therefore, it is also important that we don’t only read the Scriptures. We must also keep in mind the more than 2,000 years of tradition that has kept and interpreted it. We call this disposition sentire cum ecclesia – to feel with the Church, to think with the Church, to understand with the Church.

       Intelligence and eloquence are not the only things we need to appreciate and unravel the riches of the Scriptures. Away from the Spirit and the tradition that has preserved the gift of God’s revelation, it is very easy to fall into a misguided interpretation of God’s word tailored to suit one’s preference, ideology and personal agenda. There is no “I” in the word Church.

       Today, let us rekindle a deep love and appreciation of God’s word. Let us also renew our bond with the Spirit, the tradition and the ecclesial wisdom that has preserved and nourished the precious gift of God’s revelation. Fr. Joel Jason

---------- REFLECTION QUESTIONS

How updated are you with the rich tradition of our Catholic heritage? Have you equipped yourself with knowledge from the Catechism, papal encyclicals and works in theology?

We honor You, O God, for the graciousness of Your revelation. We esteem as well the Church whom You have commissioned as caretakers of Your Word. Draw me out from the laziness of isolation. Help me to “sentire cum ecclesia.” Amen.