“Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.” (Lk 10:3)
FIRST READING: 2 Tm 4:10-17b
A reading from the Second Letter of St. Paul to Timothy
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.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY: Lk 10:1-9
From the Gospel according to Luke
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.'"
FEAST OF SAINT LUKE - EVANGELIST - October 18th - Gospel (Lk 10:1-9)
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear People of God,
Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Luke, the Gospel author. Today's Word of God tells about Jesus sending out His seventy-two disciples to preach. And before being sent to reap the harvest on the mission field, they were carefully instructed by Him and given different graces to carry out their mission.
God is the Supreme Being. He knows that people need His love and mercy, so He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to the world to accompany people, and to free them from the captivity of Satan. That is why Jesus called on His disciples: "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest."
God knows that there are many suffering souls, many souls in need of His mercy. Therefore, He sent seventy-two disciples to harvest the mission field, preach the Kingdom of God, call people to repentance, and heal the sick and disabled. Today, He also gives this mission to all Christians. All are children of God, so each person must have the duty to go out and help their brothers and sisters escape from Satan's captivity. God does not want His disciples to fall into Satan's traps. Therefore, before setting out on a missionary journey, preaching the Kingdom of Heaven and calling people to repentance, He advised His disciples to give up everything that belongs to this world: glory, honor, and worldly wealth to live lightly and freely. They only put on a missionary garment with a desire to reach all people, a desire to save souls, and a desire to preach about the Kingdom of Heaven.
When sending the disciples out to preach, God knew for sure that they would encounter difficulties and challenges like sheep walking into the midst of wolves. Therefore, He advised His disciples when they set out to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom of God, to live and do exactly what He taught, so as not to fall into Satan's trap.
The things God taught His disciples in the past are still true today. Hold on to the word of God, never neglect the word He gave to people. Because only when you practice exactly what He taught, Satan will not attack, will not harm your soul, and will not hinder the work that God gave you, which is to bring souls to Him.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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