Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist

AM: Psalm 103 • Ezekiel 47:1-12 • Luke 1:1-4
PM: Psalm 67, 96 • Isaiah 52:7-10 • Acts 1:1-8

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Luke the Evangelist. This year is Year C in the Revised Common Lectionary, which focuses on Luke’s gospel account. We have heard a lot from him this year! Each of the gospelers offers a different focus, and they highlight particular pieces of Jesus’ ministry. Luke’s gospel talks a lot about money and wealth as it relates to the kin-dom of God. Luke offers a clear vision of what is possible in God’s commonwealth.

We read from Luke’s prologue and the opening to Acts, both of which are addressed to Theophilus. Luke endeavors to put everything he knows about Jesus’ life and about the life of the early church into writing for his dear friend Theophilus. What a gift! By virtue of the importance of these writings, we receive them many generations later. 

Today as we honor Luke, I want to imagine that feverish writing, wanting to get every detail right, and praying to share the story as fully as he can. He may not have written all of this himself and may have had others he dictated to, but the excitement and dedication is all the same. I think back to late nights with lots of coffee typing away at papers that seemed like they will never end. And also the deep joy of finishing them and being proud of what I could share through writing. 

I want to celebrate Luke’s commitment and care for the gospel! Thanks be to God that people were inspired to create full accounts of Jesus’ life. These biographers and evangelists give us a tremendous gift that adds richness and clarity to our lives. 

Written by Adelyn Tyler-Williams

...who has a particular love for Luke’s Gospel and its challenges regarding our earthly attachments. When Adelyn needs clarity about ministry, Acts is also a go-to. She gives great thanks to St. Luke.