Feast of Saint Luke, evangelist
October 18, 2021
Feast of Saint Luke, evangelist
Lectionary: 661
Reading I
Beloved:
Demas, enamored of the present world,
deserted me and went to Thessalonica,
Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
Luke is the only one with me.
Get Mark and bring him with you,
for he is helpful to me in the ministry.
I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas,
the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments.
Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm;
the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.
You too be on guard against him,
for he has strongly resisted our preaching.
At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf,
but everyone deserted me.
May it not be held against them!
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.
Responsorial Psalm
- (12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Alleluia
- R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
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.
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.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’”
Reflection: BUILDING 'THE KINGDOM OF GOD
In today's Gospel Jesus sends the 72 disciples with clear mission. His focus is on the communities, to renew and reorganize them in such a way that they could, once again, be an expression of the Covenant, a sign of the Kingdom of God. They went to prepare the way for Jesus. Jesus instructs the disciples as how they had to reconstruct a new community based on kingdom values: (1) Hospitality: They were to gift the peace of the Lord to the families that welcomed them. They were to become part of the family as Jesus himself became one of us. (2) Sharing: They were instructed to share the life and work of the family initiating a new Gospel model of living and loving each other. (3) Communion around the same table: The disciples were asked to accept the communion and table fellowship eating the food of the family. This meant a new intimacy with God. (4) The Acceptance of the excluded: Jesus empowered them to proclaim the Good News, heal the sick, cast out the devils, thus enabling those who were excluded to full participation in the family. (5) The coming of the Kingdom: The Kingdom is a new reality of loving and of living together with others, as a family centred on God.