SATURDAY OF THE 28TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR
Celebration: St. Luke, Evangelist
A physician from , he was converted to the Christian faith. He was a disciple of and a faithful companion in all his journeys. He was the author of the third Gospel and of the Acts of the Apostles. He was the evangelist who wrote about the childhood of Jesus and who has told us some of the most moving parables of the Lord, such as that of the lost sheep and the prodigal son. In his gospel, he highlights the universality of salvation.
Table of the Word
First Reading: 2 Timothy 4:10–17b
Gospel: Luke 10:1–9
Theme: Messengers of Hope: Called, Sent, and Sustained by the Spirit
Reflection
On this feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, the Church honours one who was not among the Twelve, yet was deeply marked by the Spirit and entrusted with one of the most tender portraits of Jesus ever written. Luke, physician, historian, and companion of St. Paul, devoted his gifts to proclaiming the Gospel of Mercy and narrating the growth of the early Church in the Acts of the Apostles.
In the first reading, St. Paul’s words to Timothy carry a tone of solitude and faith: “Only Luke is with me.” (2 Tim. 4:11)
Luke’s steadfast companionship reveals his character, a faithful friend, unshaken by hardship, and a quiet co-worker in the Gospel. His presence beside Paul mirrors the fidelity Christ calls every disciple to embody.
The Gospel presents Jesus sending the seventy-two disciples to every town and place He intended to visit. Their mission is clear and simple: to announce peace, to heal, and to proclaim, “The Kingdom of God has come near to you.” (Luke 10:9)
Luke’s Gospel and Acts make this mission vivid. He shows a Christ who reaches beyond boundaries to Gentiles, women, the poor, and sinners. His is the Gospel of inclusion and compassion, portraying the Saviour who is “gentle and humble of heart.”
The Church Fathers called Luke “the painter of Christ’s humanity.” Through his words, we meet Jesus who weeps over Jerusalem, forgives His persecutors, and promises Paradise to a dying thief. His Gospel reveals that divine mercy is not abstract; it is incarnate love that seeks and saves the lost.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (no. 852) affirms this missionary spirit: “The Holy Spirit is the protagonist, the principal agent of the whole of the Church’s mission.”
Thus, like Luke and the seventy-two, every baptized Christian is sent forth by the Spirit to bring healing, joy, and hope, especially where faith has grown cold.
As Pope Francis teaches in Evangelii Gaudium (no. 24): “The Church which ‘goes forth’ is a community of missionary disciples who take the first step, who are involved and supportive, who bear fruit and rejoice.”
To celebrate St. Luke, therefore, is to rekindle the flame of our missionary calling, to write, speak, and live the Gospel through acts of mercy and witness to hope.
Beloved in Christ, let us write a Gospel with our lives. Let our words and actions narrate Christ’s love to others.
Finally, let us bring peace wherever we go. Let our presence calm hearts and reflect God’s tenderness.
+ Peace be with you.
© ARCHIVE 18102025
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