October 2024 – St. Juliana Catholic Church

Feast of Saint Luke, evangelist

Reading 1 2 Tm 4:10-17b

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.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18

R. (12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

Alleluia See Jn 15:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 10:1-9

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.'”

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

St. Luke the Evangelist

Feast date: Oct 18

On October 18, Catholics and other Christians around the world will celebrate the feast of St. Luke, the physician and companion of St. Paul whose gospel preserved the most extensive biography of Jesus Christ.

St. Luke wrote a greater volume of the New Testament than any other single author, including the earliest history of the Church. Ancient traditions also acknowledge Luke as the founder of Christian iconography, making him a patron of artists as well as doctors and other medical caregivers.

Luke came from the large metropolitan city of Antioch, a part of modern-day Turkey. In Luke’s lifetime, his native city emerged as an important center of early Christianity. During the future saint’s early years, the city’s port had already become a cultural center, renowned for arts and sciences. Historians do not know whether Luke came to Christianity from Judaism or paganism, although there are strong suggestions that Luke was a gentile convert.

Educated as a physician in the Greek-speaking city, Luke was among the most cultured and cosmopolitan members of the early Church. Scholars of archeology and ancient literature have ranked him among the top historians of his time period, besides noting the outstanding Greek prose style and technical accuracy of his accounts of Christ’s life and the apostles’ missionary journeys.

Other students of biblical history adduce from Luke’s writings that he was the only evangelist to incorporate the personal testimony of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose role in Christ’s life emerges most clearly in his gospel. Tradition credits him with painting several icons of Christ’s mother, and one of the sacred portraits ascribed to him – known by the title “Salvation of the Roman People”– survives to this day in the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

Some traditions hold that Luke became a direct disciple of Jesus before his ascension, while others hold that he became a believer only afterward. After St. Paul’s conversion, Luke accompanied him as his personal physician– and, in effect, as a kind of biographer, since the journeys of Paul on which Luke accompanied him occupy a large portion of the Acts of the Apostles. Luke probably wrote this text, the final narrative portion of the New Testament, in the city of Rome where the account ends.

Luke was also among the only companions of Paul who did not abandon him during his final imprisonment and death in Rome. After the martyrdom of St. Paul in the year 67, St. Luke is said to have preached elsewhere throughout the Mediterranean, and possibly died as a martyr. However, even tradition is unclear on this point. Fittingly, the evangelist whose travels and erudition could have filled volumes, wrote just enough to proclaim the gospel and apostolic preaching to the world.

Patronage: artists, bachelors, bookbinders, brewers, butchers, doctors, glass makers, glassworkers, gold workers, goldsmiths, lacemakers, lace workers, notaries, painters, physicians, sculptors, stained glass workers, surgeons.

Plans, Monuments and Keys / Planes, Monumentos y Llaves

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If you scroll down to the “About the Author” section at the bottom of this reflection, you’ll see I call myself “a regular guy.” I have not been ordained nor have I professed any religious vows. I do not have a theology or divinity degree. I went to college 41 years ago to study journalism, and in the year 2024, that is a dying field, not unlike the folks who used to make buggy whips. Yet here I am, begging the Holy Spirit to help me say something worthwhile about the Word of God chosen for this day.

The first reading seems simple enough. Paul lays out for the Ephesians that, basically, God has always had a plan for us, and the culmination of that plan is in the sacrificial love of His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is through Jesus and His love for us that we have any worth at all.

The Gospel from Luke is a bit of a stumper. What exactly is Jesus telling the people? They build monuments to the prophets who were killed by their ancestors, but how does that make them complicit? I think the Lord is calling them out for being two-faced. How can they honor these prophets with monuments if they don’t honor them by following the prophecies they spoke? Let’s bring it into the present day. How can we call ourselves Catholic, if we’re not following all the teachings of the Church? Why do we think we get to pick and choose from two millennia of guidance? Lord, have mercy!

Then there’s the matter of the keys. Jesus says scholars of the law have taken away the key of knowledge. It makes me think of those who would interpret the Scriptures in contrast to what they plainly say, or who try to confuse the people for their own benefit. It would do us well to remember that Jesus, Himself, is the key of David. He is the key we need for the knowledge that we need. Read what Jesus has to say, listen to His Word, and most definitely pray to Him.

I think we need to approach it all in a spirit of humility. Who do we think we are? God knows exactly who we are. A Lenten retreat this year encouraged me to read a small book entitled “Know Thyself: 100 Guided Meditations on Humility of Heart,” adapted from the writings of Rev. Fr. Cajetan Mary Da Bergamo (1672-1753). It has been an eye opener, reminding me that the process of attaining humility is a daily battle. Cardinal Merry Del Val’s Litany of Humility, reprinted in a list of prayers at the back of the book, does a great job of letting us know our rightful place. The final line of the litany puts it all in perspective: “That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.”

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Si miras la sección de abajo que dice “Acerca del autor” al final de esta reflexión, verás que me considero “un hombre normal”. No he sido ordenado ni he profesado ningún voto religioso. No tengo un título en teología o divinidad. Fui a la universidad hace 41 años para estudiar periodismo, y en el año 2024, esa es una carrera casi en extinción, no muy diferente de la gente que solía hacer látigos para carruajes. Sin embargo, aquí estoy, rogando al Espíritu Santo que me ayude a decir algo que valga la pena sobre la Palabra de Dios elegida para este día.

La primera lectura parece bastante sencilla. Pablo explica a los efesios que Dios siempre ha tenido un plan para nosotros, y la culminación de ese plan está en el amor sacrificial de Su Hijo, nuestro Señor y Salvador Jesucristo. Es a través de Jesús y Su amor por nosotros que tenemos algún valor.

El Evangelio de Lucas es un poco confuso. ¿Qué exactamente le está diciendo Jesús a la gente? Ellos construyen monumentos a los profetas que fueron asesinados por sus antepasados, pero ¿cómo eso los convierte en cómplices? Creo que el Señor los está llamando a rendir cuentas por tener doble vida. ¿Cómo pueden honrar a estos profetas con monumentos si no los honran siguiendo las profecías que pronunciaron? Ahora lo vemos de acuerdo al tiempo presente. ¿Cómo podemos llamarnos católicos si no seguimos todas las enseñanzas de la Iglesia? ¿Por qué creemos que podemos elegir entre dos milenios de orientación? ¡Señor, ten piedad!

Luego está el asunto de las llaves. Jesús dice que los eruditos de la ley han quitado la llave del conocimiento. Me hace pensar en aquellos que interpretan las Escrituras en contraste con lo que dicen claramente, o que tratan de confundir a la gente para su propio beneficio. Nos haría bien recordar que Jesús mismo es la llave de David. Él es la llave que necesitamos para el conocimiento que necesitamos. Leamos lo que Jesús tiene que decir, escuchemos Su Palabra y, definitivamente, oremos a Él.

Creo que debemos abordar todo esto con un espíritu de humildad. ¿Quiénes creemos que somos? Dios sabe exactamente quiénes somos. Un retiro de Cuaresma de este año me animó a leer un pequeño libro titulado “Know Thyself: 100 Guided Meditations on Humility of Heart” (Conócete a ti mismo: 100 meditaciones guiadas sobre la humildad del corazón), adaptado de los escritos del Reverendo Padre Cajetan Mary Da Bergamo(1672-1753). Me ha abierto los ojos y me ha recordado que el proceso de alcanzar la humildad es una batalla diaria. La letanía de la humildad del cardenal Merry Del Val, reimpresa en una lista de oraciones al final del libro, nos ayuda bastante a saber cuál es nuestro lugar legítimo. La última línea de la letanía lo pone todo en perspectiva: “Para que otros puedan llegar a ser más santos que yo, con tal de que yo pueda llegar a ser tan santo como deba, Jesús, concédeme la gracia de desearlo”.

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Mike Karpus is a regular guy. He grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, graduated from Michigan State University and works as an editor. He is married to a Catholic school principal, raised two daughters who became Catholic school teachers at points in their careers, and now relishes his two grandchildren, including the older one who is fascinated with learning about his faith. He also has served on a Catholic school board, a pastoral council and a parish stewardship committee. He currently is a lector at Mass, a Knight of Columbus, Adult Faith Formation Committee member and a board member of the local Habitat for Humanity organization. But mostly he’s a regular guy.

Feature Image Credit: George Becker, https://www.pexels.com/photo/brass-colored-keys-333838/

Woe is Me! / ¡Ay de Mí!

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In today’s Gospel passage Jesus confronts the Pharisees and experts of the law with a series of woes, highlighting their hypocrisy and neglect of justice and love.

One of the woes states “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.” Jesus condemns the Pharisees for their desire for recognition and status, seeking the best seats in synagogues and seeking honor in public spaces. This highlights the danger of pride and self-centeredness, which can blind individuals to the needs of others and distort their spiritual priorities.

Another one of the woes states “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.” This metaphor of unmarked graves further illustrates the Pharisees’ spiritual condition. Like hidden tombs, their outward righteousness masks inner corruption, deceiving others and contaminating those who come into contact with them.

I think there is great importance behind passages such as these. Jesus is reminding us that we are human and that our initial reactions and how we carry ourselves are not always what God would prefer. We are continuous works in progress and it is our job to continue to grow in our faith.

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En el pasaje del Evangelio de hoy, Jesús confronta a los fariseos y maestros de la ley con una serie de advertencias, destacando su hipocresía y su descuido de la justicia y el amor.

Una de las advertencias dice: “¡Ay de ustedes, fariseos, porque les gusta ocupar los lugares de honor en las sinagogas y que les hagan reverencias en las plazas!” Jesús condena a los fariseos por su deseo de reconocimiento y estatus, buscando los mejores asientos en las sinagogas y el honor en los espacios públicos. Esto resalta el peligro del orgullo y el egocentrismo, que pueden cegar a las personas ante las necesidades de los demás y distorsionar sus prioridades espirituales.

Otra advertencia es: “¡Ay de ustedes, porque son como esos sepulcros que no se ven, sobre los cuales pasa la gente sin darse cuenta!” Esta metáfora de los sepulcros sin marcar ilustra aún más la condición espiritual de los fariseos. Como tumbas ocultas, su rectitud exterior enmascara la corrupción interior, engañando a los demás y contaminando a quienes entran en contacto con ellos.

Creo que pasajes como estos tienen una gran importancia. Jesús nos recuerda que somos seres humanos y que nuestras reacciones iniciales y nuestra manera de comportarnos no siempre son las que Dios preferiría. Somos una obra en constante progreso y es nuestro trabajo seguir creciendo en la fe.

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Heather Orlowski and her husband are busy parents of two little girls (ages 2 and 4). The Catholic Church holds a special place in her heart and in her entire life. She attended Catholic schools from Kindergarten through college. She graduated from Aquinas College with a degree in Elementary/Special Education. Catholic Education is very important to her and she now teaches 1st and 2nd grades at St. Therese Catholic School. In her free time, she loves creating memories with her family and watching her little girls play soccer.

Feature Image Credit: Chris Dixon, unsplash.com/photos/a-black-and-white-photo-of-a-street-sign-with-the-washington-monument-in-the-background-M6Yiq9YIgAU