October 18
Luke, the evangelist
aving followed
the far-famed Paul in his countless tribulations on land and sea, the venerable
Luke is well deserved to be praised by him. Since this evangelist of the
Lord earned the commendation of so great an apostle and teacher of the
Gentiles, surely it is not too much to say that he deserves the praise
of everyone. Let us praise him then, beloved, together with the apostle.
With one voice, heart, and tongue let us extol him, proclaiming him a true
physician of souls sent by God. The whole burden of his teaching seems
to be nothing other than a medicine for ailing souls.
The gospel is called the good news because it tells of the kingdom that
follows toil, the life that follows death. If you love God, the gospel
is written for you. And if it is written for you, accept this most precious
pearl, the gift of the evangelist, and carefully guard in the depths of
your heart this pledge of a friend. O what a gift, what a pledge, if you
stop to think, reflect, and deeply ponder! And if with great vigilance
you pay good heed to it, it will bring you happily to the joy that lasts
for ever, where you will exult unceasingly with the choirs of angels.
From John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., Tradition Day by Day: Readings from
Church Writers. Augustinian Press. Villanova, PA, 1994.
HTML text prepared by David P. Steelman
