"[Evangelization] is not something optional, but the very vocation of the People of God, a duty that corresponds to it by the command of the Lord Jesus Christ himself."
(Pope Benedict XVI)

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings of peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation!"  (Isaiah 52: 7 - Entrance Antiphon on the Feast of St Luke).

Such beautiful feet are those of St Luke the Evangelist whose feast we celebrate today, 18th October 2022 of the 29th week of Ordinary Time.

St Luke writes in Gospel of today:  

“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."  (Luke 10: 1 - 9).

The Master of the harvest, God the Father sent Jesus to preach the Good News. Jesus trained and sent Apostles to spread the Gospel.  Luke was commissioned to preach the word and author the Gospel according to St Luke and Acts of the Apostles. A few words on the profile of St Luke is in order here.

According to Tradition, St Luke is a Gentile physician. When he heard the Good News, he abandoned his medical practice and attached himself to St Paul as his traveling companion. He demonstrated a thorough ability for research and a keen eye to detail in his subjects.  He showed a preferential option for the poor, women and sinners. Without St Luke, our knowledge of the life and work of Jesus Christ would be poorer.  Examples of unique Lukan content:

1. The Infancy Narrative from the Annunciation to the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. (Luke 1 - 2).
2. Parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37).
3. The Publican and the Pharisee. (Lk 18: 13 ).
4. The Parable of the Prodigal Son. (Luke 15: 11 - 32).
5. The forgiveness of the Good Thief from the Cross. (Lk 23:40... ).

“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few."  (Luke 10: 2).  It was so in the beginning. It is still so today.
So many people in our communities no longer consider themselves members of any Church and live lives far removed from the Gospel of Christ. How do we reach these people? This is the challenge for you and me. Whatever answer you have, consider Prayer as the first tool.

10. 18 “If families give Our Lady fifteen minutes a day by reciting the Rosary, I assure them that their homes will become, by God’s grace, peaceful places."
"The family that prays together stays together." (Father Patrick Peyton).

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A Church that fights on its knees Never retreats.
Pray always. Pray everywhere. Pray about everything.

"In those days, Amalek came and waged war against Israel.

"Moses, therefore, said to Joshua, “Pick out certain men, and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in battle. I will be standing on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”

"So Joshua did as Moses told him: he engaged Amalek in battle after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur.

"As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight, but when he let his hands rest, Amalek had the better of the fight.

"Moses’ hands, however, grew tired; so they put a rock in place for him to sit on. Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, so that his hands remained steady till sunset.

"And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword." (Exodus 17:  8 - 13).

Sunday October 16th of the 29th week in Ordinary Time. We have great teachings on Prayer this Sunday. Thank You Holy Spirit.

Prayer and not hard work is the greatest gift and tool of the missionary Church.

In the war against Amalek in the first Reading, we see Moses as a type of the priest interceding for Israel to prevail in the war. The "staff of God" represents the offensive and defensive weapons of war. In the tradition of the Church, we can name the Holy Mass and the Holy Rosary as these weapons in the spiritual warfare.

In His teaching on Prayer in the Gospel of today, Jesus asks: "Will not God secure the rights of His chosen ones who call out to Him day and night?"
WHEN WE STAND ON THE PROMISES OF GOD IN PRAYER, OUR PETITIONS BECOME A RIGHT. GOD PROMISES TO SECURE THE RIGHTS OF HIS CHOSEN ONES. PRAYER NEVER FAILS.

Jesus commanded the Church to pray constantly but did not command the Church to work and to fast constantly. (Cf CCC 2742). Prayer is therefore a vital necessity for the missionary Church. (Cf Luke 18: 1).
Pray always. Pray everywhere. Pray about everything.

"Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed." (2 Timothy 3: 14).

God is faithful. Therefore, strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. God Never Fails!

10. 16 "If you strive to pray the Rosary daily and devoutly, one of two things will happen: either you will sin less and less, becoming more like Christ—or you will give up on the Rosary. In this way, devotion to the Rosary is a direct battle between grace and sin within us. If we persevere in the Rosary, Mary will prevail." (Cf THE SECRET OF THE ROSARY by St Louis Marie de Monfort).

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"Do not have Jesus Christ on your lips, and the world in your heart." (St Ignatius of Antioch).

"Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.”

"Jesus replied to him, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?” Then he said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

"Then he told them a parable.

“There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.

"He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’

"But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’

"Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.”  (Luke 12:  13 -  21).

Monday 17th October 2022 of the 29th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of a giant of our faith: St Ignatius of Antioch. (+ 107). Syrian. Bishop and Martyr. Ordained Bishop by St Peter himself. Father of the Church. Ground to pieces by wild beasts under the persecution of Emperor Trajan.

Why is St Ignatius of Antioch pivotal in the history of the Church? Anyone ordained Bishop by the Apostle Peter has a claim to fame. But for St Ignatius of Antioch, there are other reasons. During his journey from Antioch to Rome under heavy armed guards, Ignatius composed seven extraordinary letters. These letters are the earliest authoritative teaching on the Eucharist, the hierarchy of the Church, etc.

Ignatius was torn to pieces by the iron teeth of wild beasts because he acknowledged Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior before Emperor Trajan.

Our key Scripture for today is the self congratulatory words of the foolish rich man whose land produced abundant harvest. He did not give thanks to God. He did not share his bounty with the poor.  He received a jolting message from God who is our Divine Providence:

"You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?" (Luke 12: 20).

From the beginning of salvation history, God has taught man to trust in Him for all his needs. Below are a few relevant Scriptures:

#1. Gather the manna you need for one day.  The next day, "I the Lord Your God will supply fresh manna for the new day." (Cf Exodus 16: 21 - 35).
Hoarding is idolatry. Deal with your insecurity with prayer.

#2. "Give us today the food we need."  (Matthew 6: 11).
God who is our Providence knows exactly what we need and when we need it.

#3.  "Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil."  (Matthew 6 : 34).
God says: My Name is: I AM. My Name is not I WAS. My Name is not I WILL BE.
Learn from God's Name that He is always Emmanuel, God with you always. He is in control everywhere, in everything and always. Do not be fooled by what you consider accidents or coincidences.

Jesus promises that if we seek first the kingdom of God and His holiness, God who knows what we need and when we need it will never fail to provide adequately for us.

Do not allow wealth to be a snare for you.  Rather make your wealth the trusting of God's promises. God wants His faithful promises to be our protection and armor in every situation. (Cf Psalm 94: 4). Not even a single one of them has failed.

Below is St Ignatius of Antioch in his own words:

“Let me be food for the wild beasts for they are my way to God. I am God’s wheat and shall be ground by their teeth so that I may become Christ’s pure bread. Pray to Christ for me that the animals will be the means of making me a sacrificial victim for God.” (St Ignatius of Antioch).

10. 17  “The Rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the Heart of Jesus, Our Redeemer, who loves His Mother.” (St Louis Marie de Monfort).

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“Leave it all to God and leave your interests in His hands. He knows what is fitting for us…” (St Teresa of Avila).

"Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God.

“Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

"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: 8 - 12).

Saturday 15th October 2022 of the 28th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of a great woman: St Teresa of Jesus, popularly known as St Teresa of Avila. (1515 - 1582). Spanish Carmelite and great Reformer and Mystic. She was a great spiritual writer. She is one of the four women to be proclaimed Doctor of the Church.

The teaching of Teresa aims at bringing you to Jesus. She wants you to know Jesus more, so that you can love Him and serve Him more. Teresa cares deeply about Prayer as a means of union with God. Teresa and other Doctors of the Church are very interested in your eternal destiny. The academic doctors of theology are often speculative with little explicit intention to evangelize and catechize.

Jesus concludes today's Gospel with a masterpiece promise:
"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).

My personal favorite title for the Holy Spirit is "The Voice that Speaks in Court."  This is because of my experience of the fulfillment of this promise. The Holy Spirit has enabled me to speak with wisdom and courage when I was in a tight corner and needed these gifts most.

Here is one of the great maxims of St Teresa of Avila.

"Let nothing trouble you,
let nothing frighten you.
All things are passing;
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
He who possesses God lacks nothing: God alone suffices."  (St Teresa of Avila).

10. 15  "Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us."

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com