20191018
LUKE
A FAITHFUL COMPANION AND SUPPORTER OF PAUL
18 OCTOBER,
2019, Friday, St Luke, Evangelist
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: Red.
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First reading
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2 Timothy 4:10-17 ©
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Demas has deserted me for love of this
life and gone to Thessalonika, Crescens has gone to Galatia and Titus to
Dalmatia; only Luke is with me. Get Mark to come and bring him with you; I find
him a useful helper in my work. I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come,
bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas, and the scrolls, especially the
parchment ones. Alexander the coppersmith has done me a lot of harm; the Lord
will repay him for what he has done. Be on your guard against him yourself,
because he has been bitterly contesting everything that we say.
The
first time I had to present my defence, there was not a single witness to
support me. Every one of them deserted me – may they not be held
accountable for it. But the Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through
me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I
was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm
144(145):10-13a,17-18 ©
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Your friends, O Lord,
make known the glorious splendour of your reign.
All your creatures shall thank you, O
Lord,
and your friends shall repeat
their blessing.
They shall speak of the glory of your
reign
and declare your might, O God.
Your friends, O Lord,
make known the glorious splendour of your reign.
They make known to men your mighty deeds
and the glorious splendour of
your reign.
Yours is an everlasting kingdom;
your rule lasts from age to
age.
Your friends, O Lord,
make known the glorious splendour of your reign.
The Lord is just in all his ways
and loving in all his deeds.
He is close to all who call him,
who call on him from their
hearts.
Your friends, O Lord,
make known the glorious splendour of your reign.
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Gospel Acclamation
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cf.Jn15:16
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Alleluia, alleluia!
I chose you from the world
to go out and bear fruit,
fruit that will last,
says the Lord.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Luke 10:1-9 ©
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The Lord appointed seventy-two others and
sent them out ahead of him, in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself
was to visit. He said to them, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few,
so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest. Start off now,
but remember, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no
haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road. Whatever house you go into,
let your first words be, “Peace to this house!” And if a man of peace lives there,
your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Stay in
the same house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer
deserves his wages; do not move from house to house. Whenever you go into a
town where they make you welcome, eat what is set before you. Cure those in it
who are sick, and say, “The kingdom of God is very near to you.”’
LUKE A FAITHFUL
COMPANION AND SUPPORTER OF PAUL
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ 2 Timothy 4:10-17; Luke 10:1-9]
In the gospel, we read that “the Lord
appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him, in pairs, to all
the towns and places he himself was to visit. He said to them, ‘The harvest
is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send
labourers to his harvest.'” Like the apostles and disciples, the Lord is
sending us out to spread the Good News of the Kingdom of God. But it is
significant that the Lord sends us out in pairs, as a team, never alone.
There is no place for an individualistic approach to ministry. It is
always carried out in communion with the Lord and with the Church.
For this reason, the
Lord appointed the 12 Apostles earlier on, thereby establishing the apostolic
college under the leadership of St Peter. (cf Lk 6:12-16; Mt 16:18f) The collegial nature of apostolic
ministry is rooted in the mind of Jesus. This explains why the true
Church of Christ must be founded on the apostles. But it is not
sufficient for the bishop to be linked to one of the apostles but all bishops
must act and teach in communion with St Peter represented by the Holy
Father. Just as bishops work in hierarchical communion with the
Holy Father and the college of bishops, so too the priests are called to work
in communion with the diocesan bishop; and the parishioners in communion with
the parish priests. Indeed, without communion, there is no mission since our
mission is communion!
But this collaboration
in the ministry is always threatened by disagreements and individualism among
the ministers and missionaries of the gospel. This was the case of St Paul in his ministry as
well. He shared with Timothy, the challenges and oppositions he
faced. Earlier on, he had a disagreement with Barnabas on taking John
Mark in the second missionary journey. “Barnabas wanted to take with them
John called Mark. But Paul decided not to take with them one who had deserted them
in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work. The
disagreement became so sharp that they parted company; Barnabas took Mark with
him and sailed away to Cyprus.” (Acts 15:37-39) Besides, we read in today’s
letter that he was also deserted by Demas and was opposed bitterly by Alexander
the coppersmith, causing him much harm. We can be sure it was not easy
for Paul to manage his collaborators in the ministry. We should not be
surprised that there would have been others. Most of all, St Paul felt so
alone, especially when had to defend himself. He wrote, “there was not a
single witness to support me. Every one of them deserted me.”
We all feel like St Paul
many times in our ministry even when we want to do something for God, for the
Church or for the poor. We
face so many challenges from within and without. Often, we feel alone,
misunderstood and not even supported by our closest allies. On many
occasions, we stand alone to defend and explain ourselves. This is why a
leader must have fortitude in such moments, otherwise, he will succumb under
pressure and opposition. Others oppose us because they genuinely believe
that we are in the wrong. But many oppose us for their own agenda and
interests, their pride and ego, rather than for the good of the Church.
This is the same warning that the Lord gives to His disciples, when He sent
them out on the mission. “Start off now, but remember, I am sending you
out like lambs among wolves.” There are wolves in sheep’s clothing even
in the ministry. Some are using the Church and the gospel for their own
agenda. If we are not careful and attentive, we can allow the mission of
the Church to be sabotaged by those with their own ideological and even
political interests. Unfortunately, even the Church hierarchy is not
spared of this infiltration as well. St Paul warned Timothy about
Alexander, “Be on your guard against him yourself; because he has been bitterly
contesting everything that we say.”
Regardless, those of us
who are opposed by others in carrying out the work of God, must remain calm,
firm, level-headed and charitable in what we do. We have much to learn from St Paul
who, although as a human being felt pain and anguish for being misunderstood
and abandoned, yet he did not attack his opponents or say nasty things about
them as many of us would when we are not happy with those whom we cannot get
along, especially at work or in ministry. Although he expressed
sorrow and did not hide his disappointments and regrets, yet he entrusted his
work to the Lord. He mentioned the fact but left God to decide what was
best. As for those who abandoned him out of fear for their lives or
personal interests, instead of judging or condemning them for their lack of
courage, generosity and weakness, he prayed, “may they not be held accountable
for it.”
Jesus reminds us to act
like lambs among wolves.
If we were to retaliate using the same methods that our enemies use on us, then
we would be no better than them. Rather, as leaders we should not be
afraid to suffer in silence. Jesus invites us to adopt this attitude of
openness. “Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, ‘Peace to
this house!’ And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on
him; if not, it will come back to you.” St Peter also exhorted the
Christians under persecution to suffer patiently. “Do not repay evil for
evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for
this that you were called – that you might inherit a blessing.” (1 Pt 3:9; cf 1 Pt 3:14-17)
We must remember that at
the end of the day, the work we do is the work of God, not ours. This is why we must rely only on His grace
and not just on our strength. This was why the Lord asked His disciples
to live a life of simplicity so that they will not be attached to anything or
even anyone in this life. He said, “Carry no purse, no haversack, no
sandals.” Because the work we do is God’s work, we must allow Him to work
in and through us. We are only to be docile and cooperate with His
grace. This was how St Paul stood firm in the gospel even when he was all
alone with no one to help him. He wrote, “But the Lord stood by me and
gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all
the pagans to hear.” The psalmist says, “He is close to all who call him,
who call on him from their hearts.”
However, if we are the
ones opposing, we must ask ourselves whether we are the cause of division in
our community.
Saint Clement in a letter to the Corinthians on the need to preserve harmony in
love wrote, “Who then among you is generous, who is compassionate, who is
filled with love? He should speak out as follows: If I have been the cause of
sedition, conflict and schisms, then I shall depart; I shall go away wherever
you wish, and I shall do what the community wants, if only the flock of Christ
live in peace with the presbyters who are set over them. Whoever acts thus
would win great glory for himself in Christ, and he would be received
everywhere, for the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” (cf Divine
Office Reading Friday 14th Week) The gospel asks us to
purify our intention of serving the Lord. “Stay in the same house, taking
what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer deserves his wages; do
not move from house to house. Whenever you go into a town where they make you
welcome, eat what is set before you.” We must not be selective in
what we are called to do except to preach the gospel and make the good news
felt. “Cure those in it who are sick, and say, ‘The kingdom of God is
very near to you.'”
Today, let us learn from
Luke who was a great companion and fellow worker with St Paul. He was supportive of St Paul
throughout his second and third missionary journey. He stood by him and
was a great consolation to Paul as he said, “only Luke is with me.”
He must have given St Paul great strength to continue his ministry.
Knowing that someone is supporting us gives us much consolation and strength in
our discouragement, loneliness and sadness. As an evangelist, he noted all that
St Paul said and did. He was not working for himself or for his glory but
always recording what he saw and heard. He began his gospel by setting
out his intention which is to proclaim the truth about Jesus. (cf Lk 1:1-4)
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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