†Saint Quote
"Faith and love are like the blind man's guides. They will lead you along a path unknown to you, to the place where God is hidden."
–St. John of the Cross †Today's Meditation
"Therefore, when God gives spiritual comfort, receive it with thanksgiving, but know that it is the bounty of God, not thy merit. Be not puffed up, be not overjoyed, nor vainly presume, but rather be the more humble for this gift and the more cautious and fearful in all thine actions; for this hour will pass away and temptation will follow. When comfort shall be taken away from thee, do not presently despair; but wait with humility and patience for the heavenly visit, for God is able to restore thee a greater consolation. This is no new thing, nor strange to those who have experienced the ways of God: for the great saints and ancient prophets have often felt this kind of variety."
—Thomas à Kempis, p. 64 An Excerpt From
Imitation of Christ †Daily Verse
"When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say. For the holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say."
–Luke 12:11-12 |  click to read more | | St. Luke St. Luke the Evangelist (1st c.) was a well-educated Greek physician and a native of Antioch in Syria. He was one of the earliest converts to Christianity, believed to have been one of Jesus' seventy disciples. He was a follower of St. Paul the Apostle and spent most of his life evangelizing with him in Asia Minor up until the time of Paul's martyrdom in Rome. Luke wrote a canonical account of his apostolic journeys with Paul (the Book of Acts) as well as a biography on the life of Christ (the Gospel of Luke). The two books of Luke's Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles were originally a single work. The intimate accounts contained in Luke's gospel of the early years of Christ's life (the Visitation, the Nativity, the Presentation, etc.) lead many scholars to believe that one of the eyewitnesses he interviewed was the Blessed Virgin Mary herself. According to tradition he was also a skilled artist and painted the first icons of Our Lady with the Child Jesus. Several of these icons are still venerated today, the most famous of which hangs in the Church of St. Mary Major in Rome. St. Luke is the patron saint of many trades including artists, painters, doctors, surgeons, and bachelors. His feast day is October 18th.
Find a Devotional for This Saint | Feast of Saint Luke, evangelist Reading I 2 Tm 4:10-17b 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 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18 R. (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 See Jn 15:16 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 10:1-9 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.'" | Daily Meditation: 2 Timothy 4:10-17 Luke is the only one with me. (2 Timothy 4:11) Today we celebrate a man who wrote more than a quarter of the New Testament. In addition to the Gospel that bears his name, Luke is also the author of the Acts of the Apostles. So thanks to St. Luke, we know not just about Jesus but also about how his first followers built and led the early Church. Luke wasn't just a writer; he was also a missionary. He was a close companion of St. Paul, especially during his arrest in Jerusalem and his fateful journey to imprisonment in Rome. Today's first reading, in fact, shows us that while just about everyone else deserted Paul during his time in prison, Luke remained with him, loyal to the end. Luke was as heroic a disciple as you could imagine. But even if he had not written two inspired books in the Bible or had not been a courageous missionary, he would still stand out. That's because he was a powerful, moving example of the faithfulness and loyalty of the Lord. Luke treated Paul like his own brother, even after everyone else had left him. There may have been more popular preachers he could have joined—or at least those who managed to stay out of prison. But that didn't matter to Luke. All he wanted was to remain with his friend Paul during his times of trial so that he could continue to help and encourage him. So if you doubt whether you could ever follow in the footsteps of the great St. Luke, don't become discouraged. You don't have to travel to the ends of the earth. You don't have to write a single word. Instead, focus on being a loyal friend and brother or sister in the Lord. Look at your relationships as gifts from the Lord, and commit yourself to these people with all your heart. Ask the Spirit to help you be as faithful to them as Luke was to Paul. More by your actions than by your words, let them know that they can rely on you through thick and thin. Do that, and you'll be ministering the love of Christ to them in a deeply moving way! "Lord, make me into a faithful, loving friend to the people around me." Psalm 145:10-13, 17-18
Luke 10:1-9 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"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." My strength is in the Lord. He is my stronghold.
From Nahum: "The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of distress; He cares for those who trust in Him."
What can be said of those who trust in Him? The whole message of Divine Mercy is about trusting in Him, isn't it? The painting says "Jesus, I Trust In You". How many actually trust? What if only those who truly fear Him...truly trust Him? Right? How many of these authentic Christians are there?
St. Paul said: "At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me."
It's as if a true Christ follower has to endure the very same pains of Christ our Lord, of abandonment and torture. Where can one get strength to endure? No wonder so few stick with it...til the end. | We pray today;
" 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." Who is God's friend? I notice something about my situation, in ministries, and as a leader, and as a boss. Someone that is put out in front, people think they know him. Very few would actually know me...intimately. Very few could see me as a true friend. What do I mean? I mean, the inverse is true. I could only count a select few as a trusted friend. Whereas many would see me as their friend, I could say about them "I don't even know them!".
I say this because in Scripture, our Lord turns away people from Heaven "get away from me...evil doer...I do not KNOW YOU". And to "know' in the the old Scripture, means to be intimate with someone. As Mary says "how can this be (being pregnant) if I do not KNOW man!" meaning, she has never known physical intimacy, nor was her plan to ever know being a consecrated woman of God.
Friends? Is our Lord your friend? How do you know? I'll tell you...only those being intimate with Him really know...and the Holy Eucharist is everything. | In the Gospel today we heard our Master and Teacher:
""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..." And our Lord sends everyone in the great "co-mission" which is the very last part of our Holy Mass. Too many leave before our Lord dismisses them. Too many do not stay for the final command, and therefore, wish, the very will of God. Listen to the last words of the Father.
Listen to what they say. They are not always the same. Listen, and this means....obey.
There is an over abundance of work for the Lord. It is mind-boggling how much work awaits a true Christ follower. There are billions of souls in need of Christ....of salvation.
Where do you stand? And why are you standing around!? LOL. Weren't these the words of angels when our Lord ascended into Heaven? Soon they were brushed away...to get to work.
Do not be overwhelmed by problems. Get to work for the Lord.
Do not be overwhelmed by feelings. Get to work in God's Kingdom of stable joy.
Do not be distracted by the work of the world. Get to focus on God's Kingdom.
How do you pray? What do you pray for? Where are your priorities? What are your ideals? What is your passion? Is it not the same Passion of our Lord?
What can you do in your small corner of the world? See Mother Mary.
My advice to all "say yes to the Lord". Too many have stayed in the rut of "I'll think about it". Too many have left things for tomorrow in this daily harvesting. We harvest any and all souls, and God does all the work thereafter.
Therefore, bring in every single soul you meet...to God our Father.
He awaits them with abundant graces to achieve what He desires....true intimacy.
True Communion. | ....................
Lord, You are the Son that I revolve around, the Light, the very sustenance that gives life to all things. I depend on You like never before, and I long to belong to You even more. Lord, hear our prayer.
...................
St. LUKE
Pray For Us! from your fellow slave of Christ,
adrian |  click to hear | Random Bible Verse 1
2 Corinthians 7:1 7
Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body1 and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
