FEAST OF ST. LUKE
Romans,
Chapter 5,
Verse 8
But
God proves his love for us in that
while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
Christ out of pure love frees us from the shame of not
being right with God in this He gives us a new life and peace with God the
Father. Christ by His works brings us refreshment from the filth of our lives
by giving us (1) confidence, (2) peace and (3) eternal life via the sacrifice
of the Eucharist. He did this even though we failed to bear good fruit and
fostered sin not living up to the Fathers vision for us.[1]
Via
Christ selfless act we can today talk to God; now if we could only listen in
return.
Talk is essential for experiencing, expressing and
fostering love. Our ways of asking, and responding to questions, the tone we
use, our timing and any number of other factors form how well we communicate.
We need to develop certain attitudes that express love and encourage authentic
dialogue.
1. Take time,
quality time. This means being ready to listen patiently and attentively to
everything the other person wants to say. It requires the self-discipline of
not speaking until the time is right. Instead of offering an opinion or advice,
we need to be sure that we have heard everything the other person has to say.
This means promoting an interior silence that makes it possible to Listen to the other person without mental or emotional
distractions. Do not be rushed, put aside all of your own needs and worries,
and make space. Often the other spouse does not need a solution to his or her
problems, but simply to be heard, to feel that someone has acknowledge their
pain, their disappointment, their fear,
their anger, their hopes and their dreams. How often we hear complaints like:
“He does not listen to me.” “Even when you seem to, you are really doing
something else.” “I talk to her and I feel like she can’t wait for me to
finish.” “When I speak to her, she tries to change the subject, or she gives me
curt responses to end the conversation”.
2.
Develop the habit of giving real importance to the other person. This means appreciating them and
recognizing their right to exist, to think as they do and to be happy. Never
downplay what they say or think, even if you need to express your own point of
view. Everyone has something to contribute, because they have their life
experiences, they look at things from a different standpoint and they have
their own concerns, abilities and insights. We ought to be able to acknowledge
the other person’s truth, the value of his or her deepest concerns, and what it
is that they are trying to communicate, however aggressively. We have to put
ourselves in their shoes and try to peer into their hearts, to perceive their
deepest concerns and to take them as a point of departure for further discussion.
3.
Keep an open mind. Don’t get bogged down in your own
limited ideas and opinions but be prepared to change or expand them. The
combination of two different ways of thinking can lead to a synthesis that
enriches both. The unity that we seek is not uniformity, but a “unity in diversity”, or “reconciled
diversity”. Fraternal communion is enriched by respect and appreciation for
differences within an overall perspective that advances the common good. We
need to free ourselves from feeling that we all have to be alike. A certain
astuteness is also needed to prevent the appearance of “static” that can
interfere with the process of interchange. For example, if hard feelings start
to emerge, they should be dealt with sensitively, lest they interrupt the
dynamic of dialogue. The ability to say what one is thinking without offending
the other person is important. Words
should be carefully chosen so as not to offend, especially when discussing
difficult issues. Making a point should never involve venting anger and inflicting
hurt. A patronizing tone only serves to hurt, ridicule, accuse and offend
others. Many disagreements between couples are not about important things. Mostly they are about trivial matters. What
alters the mood, however, is the way things are said or the attitude with which
they are said.
4.
Show affection and concern for the other person. Love
surmounts even the worst barriers. When we love someone, or when we feel loved
by them, we can better understand what they are trying to communicate. Fearing
the other person as a kind of “rival” is a sign of weakness and needs to be
overcome. It is very important to
base one’s position on solid choices, beliefs or values, and not on the need to
win an argument or to be proved right.
5.
Finally, let us acknowledge that for a worthwhile
dialogue we have to have something to say. This can only be the fruit of an
interior richness nourished by reading, personal reflection, prayer and
openness to the world around us. Otherwise, conversations become boring and trivial.
When neither of the spouses works at this, and has little real contact with
other people, family life becomes stifling and dialogue impoverished.
Into
whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.'
This day celebrates the life of St.
Luke, one of Jesus' 12 disciples. Luke was thought to be an educated
Gentile, or non-Jew, and may have even been a physician. Some biblical
historians believe he may have even been a slave. Luke wrote two books in the
New Testament -- the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. The Gospel of
Luke focuses on converting non-Jews to Christianity.
St
Luke Facts
·
Luke
worked with the apostle Paul, and traveled with him throughout Asia Minor,
proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ.
·
The
Gospel of Luke describes a popular passage referred to as the 'The Parable of
the Good Samaritan'. In it a traveling man is attacked by robbers who
strip and beat him. A priest and a Levite pass by without helping him.
A Samaritan stops and cares for him, taking him to an inn where the
Samaritan pays for his care. (Luke 10:25-37)
·
What
became of Luke is unclear. Some accounts say he was martyred, while
others say that he lived to an old age and died in Greece.
·
The
feast Day for St. Luke is held on October 18 in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox
Church and some Protestant churches. The Orthodox Church refers to this
day as the Feast of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke.
St
Luke Top Events and Things to Do
·
Read
the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke. This is the story that is most
often read at Christmas time about the birth of Jesus Christ.
·
Read
the popular 'Parable of the Good Samaritan'. Use this to inspire you to
go out of your comfort zone to help someone in need.
·
Some
traditions believe that St. Luke, in addition to being a writer and physician,
was a painter. Do a little artwork today to honor the saint.
·
Go
get a check up. Luke was a physician. Take care of your body in
honor of St. Luke.
·
Pray
for doctors and those who care for the sick through the intercession of St.
Luke, patron of physicians.
·
Foods
this day to honor St. Luke would include some beef dish, as he is known as the
"ox" and is the patron of butchers. For dessert, bake some raisin
Banbury Tarts to evoke the festivals of England on this day, or a cake in the
shape of a book with decorations of a calf or ox for this evangelist.
·
Today
is also known as "Sour Cakes Day" in Scotland, because baked cakes
were eaten with sour cream in Rutherglen.
·
Around this
feast is known as "St. Luke's Little Summer," a period of summer-like
days that occur around October 18 named to honor the saint's feast day. It's
similar to the the term "Indian Summer," which officially occurs
between November 11-20). St. Luke gives us some golden days before the cold of
winter.
Above seaside Lemosos and on the
eastern flank of 6,500-foot Mt. Olympus, you’ll also find ten magnificent
medieval churches and monasteries, whose modest exteriors stand in contrast to
their rich interiors, embellished with some of the finest Byzantine frescoes
and icons in the Mediterranean. At the ornate 11th-century Kykkos Monastery,
even the cloisters are richly frescoed, and a golden icon of the Virgin
ascribed to St. Luke is said to work
miracles. Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis (St. Nicholas of the Roof) is covered
entirely in wall paintings. The monks who lived here were not only gifted
artists but also master vintners, following a 5,500-year-old wine-making
tradition in Cyprus. Stop at Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery for a visit to the
region’s oldest wine-making site. The dark amber– colored Commandaria, a sweet
wine that was a favorite elixir of medieval crusaders, is thought to be the
world’s oldest appellation and is made from centuries-old vines in the Troodos
foothills. For something with a little more kick, stop in any village bar for a
glass of zivania, a centuries-old Cypriot beverage produced from the residue of
grapes. With a 45 percent (and up) alcohol content, it is also used to treat
wounds and sore throats.
"Read
these counsels slowly. Pause to meditate on these thoughts. They are things
that I whisper in your ear-confiding them-as a friend, as a brother, as a
father. And they are being heard by God. I won't tell you anything new. I will
only stir your memory, so that some thought will arise and strike you; and so
you will better your life and set out along ways of prayer and of Love. And in
the end you will be a more worthy soul."
108. I like to see you living that
'ambitious reparation'. The world! you say. — Very good, but first of all, the
members of your supernatural family, your own relations, the people of your
country.
Daily Devotions
[1] The Collegeville Bible Commentary
[2] Pope Francis, Encyclical on Love.
[4]Schultz,
Patricia. 1,000 Places to See Before You Die
[5]http://www.escrivaworks.org/book/the_way-point-1.htm
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