The feast of St. Luke the Evangelist
2 Tim.4: 10-17ab Luke 10: 1-9
Theme: Zeal for the things of God
Today the church celebrates the feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, a great companion of St. Paul. The zeal for the things of God is not in doubt in the life of St. Luke. He willingly gave everything he had in the proclamation of the word of God. We see that in his missionary Endeavour and in the 3rd gospel that he wrote. The zeal with which he handled the things of God is worthy of emulation by all those who are Christians. That brings me to a very important question as we celebrate his feast today, how much zeal do you have about things that have to do with God? It is a question that we need to answer as individual and as children of God. His zeal for the gospel is seen in his disposition for collaborative ministry with St. Paul. His willingness to continue in the mission with Paul was obvious. My brothers and sisters in Christ, the love of God for you and I is unending. That is why the little we can do to proclaim the gospel and make the world around us better; we should not hesitate to do it.
In the gospel of today, Jesus reminds us of the fact that the world in which we live needs men and women to work for God; this is seen in the life of St. Luke whose feast we celebrate today. All of us as children of God have received different gifts from God, and it is expected that we use this gift to the glory of God. There is nobody that does not have something to give, or with which he or she can help people to get closer to God. Gone are the days when everything is left to consecrated men and women, things have changed, and we can all promote the kingdom of God. One of the easiest ways to preach Christ in our own time is through the type of life we lead. It is one thing to preach it, and it is another thing to live it out in our daily life. We are all encouraged to be mindful of this fact and be conscious of the kind of life we always lead.
My brothers and sister in Christ, we are all encouraged today to do all within our power to ensure that we continue to promote the good news of the kingdom in our word and deed wherever we find ourselves in life. As you do this, may almighty God bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.