Thánh Luca là ai? Chúng ta chỉ biết qua là ông đã sinh ra ờ thành phố Antioch và làm nghề thầy thuốc. Ông đã theo Thánh Phaolô như là người môn đệ trung thành của thánh Phaolô.. Qua các bài đọc trong sách Tông đồ công vụ, chúng ta có thể đoán được là Thánh Luca là người đồng hành rất thân thiết với Thánh Phaolô trên đường rao giảng tin mừng cho dân ngoại, và đặc biệt nhất là trong những giai đoạn gần cuối cuộc đời của Thánh Phaolô. Mặc dù có nhiều người bỏ rơi Thánh Phaolô trong những năm qua tù đày ở Rome, nhưng Thánh Luca đã luôn trung thành và ở gần với Thánh Phaolô cho đến khi thánh Phaolô được tử vì đạo.
St Luke was a close companion of Paul, including near the end of Paul's life. Many people deserted Paul in these last years, but Luke chose to faithfully remain with Paul.
Who is St Luke? We know that he came from the city of Antioch and worked as a physician. Eventually, he wrote both the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles. Among other things, his writings express the deep compassion Jesus had for the sick, the poor, women and people living on the margins of society. The Gospel of Luke gives these people a voice. Luke reveals Jesus' tender care for people in need and emphasizes how important they are in God’s sight.
It is said that Luke was also one of the seventy people sent out by Jesus in today’s Gospel passage (Lk. 10). Accordingly, Luke witnessed firsthand how God healed, nourished and blessed people in need. Luke saw that Jesus loved people personally and profoundly. The Gospel of Luke is known as the Gospel of compassion and the Gospel of joy.
Have I ever sensed Jesus looking upon me with compassion?
Lord, help me to bring the Joy of the Gospel to many people
The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. 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.” Luke 10:1–2
Saint Luke, whom we honor today, was a true evangelist. As an evangelist, he followed the inspiration from our Lord and was used to bring God’s saving message to the ends of the earth. And there is little doubt that his ministry will continue to have a transforming effect on the lives of many until the end of the world. Tradition states that Saint Luke became a martyr, being hanged on an olive tree. He is identified in the New Testament as a physician and as a disciple of Saint Paul. Both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles are attributed to him.
Saint Luke is often spoken of as an evangelist to the gentiles. His Gospel was written in such a way that it didn’t presume a full understanding of the Jewish faith and customs. Therefore, it is believed to have been primarily written for those who are not of Jewish origin. Thus, the life and mission of Saint Luke must remind us that the Gospel needs to be shared with all people, especially with those who do not have a deep and sustaining relationship with God.
In today’s Gospel from Saint Luke, we read that Jesus sent seventy-two disciples “to every town and place he intended to visit.” Only Luke mentions the larger scale sending of seventy-two disciples. The other Gospels only mention the sending of the Twelve. Though many of these seventy-two disciples would have gone to Jewish territory, some would have unquestionably gone to non-Jewish territory. The mission of these seventy-two was to prepare everyone they encountered for the preaching of Jesus and for the establishment of the Kingdom of God.
As we honor Saint Luke today and read this passage from his Gospel, we are reminded that we are all sent by our Lord. We are sent to those who share our faith, such as family, friends and fellow parishioners. We are sent to love them and do all we can to help deepen their faith and love of God. But we are also called to share the Gospel with those who do not yet know Jesus as their Savior. There are so many people we encounter every day who have never truly met our Lord. Are there people in your life that God is calling you to reach out to? Who do you know that God may be calling you to share the Gospel with?
Reflect, today, upon the fact that the Gospel is meant for everyone. Speak to our Lord and tell Him that you are ready and willing to be used by Him to bring His saving message to others. As you do so, wait on the Lord, listen to His inspiration, and respond when He calls. If someone comes to mind whom you sense God is calling you to evangelize, begin to pray for that person. Pray for them every day and be attentive to any inspiration God gives you to share His love and saving message with them. Do not be afraid to be an evangelist like Saint Luke. Doing so might make an eternal difference in someone’s life.
My saving Lord, You sent Your disciples on a mission to share Your saving message with all. Today I especially thank You for the life and ministry of Saint Luke. Please use me, dear Lord, to imitate his wonderful example and to share Your glorious life with others. Please lead me and inspire me to especially reach out to those whom You have put into my life. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Lord God, send me as a laborer into your harvest! Let me bring peace to those I encounter today. When I am united to you through your grace, I am a bearer of the Kingdom in this world. May your reign be extended by my actions, prayers, and words to many hearts today!
1. Luke’s Life and Writings: Luke was a close companion and collaborator of Paul. He was a medical doctor by profession (Colossians 4:14). He was a well-educated, culturally Greek (Hellenized) Jew from Antioch. He became a Christian missionary who joined up with Paul on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:10). Luke stayed in Philippi for a time to evangelize (Acts 16:12) but later sailed with Paul from Philippi to Troas and went with him to Jerusalem (Acts 20:6). Luke sailed with Paul to Rome (Acts 27:1) and stayed with Paul while Paul was imprisoned there (2 Timothy 4:11). Luke wrote his Gospel after those of Matthew and Mark for educated Greco-Romans as well as for Greek-speaking Jews from a variety of theological backgrounds. Luke wrote a second volume, known as the Acts of the Apostles, to complete his Gospel. In the Acts of the Apostles, he shows how the Holy Spirit’s work in the life of Jesus now operates in the living community of Christ’s mystical body, the Church (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, 99). Because the second volume doesn’t include important events such as the martyrdoms of the protagonists of the story, Peter and Paul, and doesn’t mention the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, the Gospel of Luke and Acts were likely written sometime between A.D. 62-67 (see Pitre, The Case for Jesus, 98-100). According to tradition, Luke was martyred and hanged from an olive tree in Thebes at the age of 84.
Meditation: Luke 10:1-9 Saint Luke, Evangelist
A few decades ago, a team of salespeople would have mapped out their territory and assigned a particular town to each salesperson. The salespeople would go to every home in that town, and if the door opened, they would try to sell their product, whether it was vacuum cleaners, encyclopedias, suits, or anything else.
Now, in the age of huge department stores and Internet shopping, that personal approach isn’t practical anymore. Some might even call it old-fashioned and inefficient.
But that’s not the way Jesus looks at things. In fact, he used an “old-fashioned” approach when he sent out the seventy-two disciples. He could have just beamed his message of salvation into people’s brains and avoided all the messiness using ordinary human beings. Instead, he chose rough-hewn tradesmen and their wives to go out and deliver it personally. He sent them to demonstrate his message in action and then tell people that the kingdom of God was at hand.
We may wonder why Jesus would use such low tech means to announce the good news. He certainly isn’t against technology. He might indeed have used the tools of our media-drenched age if they had existed at the time. But then again, he might not. Think about the number of messages that are thrown at you every day. Would you pay attention to one more text message, one more tweet, or one more sound bite? Wouldn’t you be more likely to pay attention to a living, breathing person whose life has been changed by Christ? That’s why the disciples were so effective.
That’s also why Jesus has appointed you to be his witness. You have some very good news to deliver. Evangelization is not about delivering the exactly right facts. It’s about telling your own story of God’s mercy and presence—a story that only you can tell. So don’t worry about doing it perfectly. If God wanted perfection, he wouldn’t have chosen us humans to do the work. Just make yourself available, and let the Spirit work through you. If the seventy-two could do it, so can you!
“Lord, help me to see my corner of the world as your mission field. Give me a compassionate heart so that I can witness to your love and grace
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