Enjoy St. Luke's Summer

Update*** I did in fact enjoy a roast beef sandwich at the local riverside park, contemplating the beauty of nature, before heading to the adoration chapel to pray the Luminous mysteries. I could see this becoming an annual tradition. ***

According to Catholic Culture, this warming period in mid to late October was once known by this name. Because Luke the Evangelist is symbolized as an ox, they suggest serving beef for dinner. I'm rather tickled, because last night was warm enough, we were able to grill burgers outside, perhaps for the last time this year. If the temps don't drop down where you live, maybe you could do the same today and thank St. Luke for the 'meat' of his Gospel.

The website has a vital reminder for us today: "St. Luke, the inspired author of the third Gospel and of the Acts of the Apostles, was a native of Antioch in Syria and a physician, and one of the early converts from paganism. He accompanied St. Paul on a considerable part of his missionary journey. He was also his companion while in prison at Rome on two different occasions. His account of these events, contained in the Acts, is firsthand history."

We must remember that St. Luke never met Jesus; he only learned about Jesus from others. If you consider how many of the unique contributions he made to the New Testament were eyewitness accounts of others: Mary, the centurion, the Talitha khoum girl- people whose lives had been touched by Jesus in profound ways. For a Greek foreigner trying to comprehend what his heart was telling him was true, it would have been crucial that he hear these eyewitness accounts from others and only natural that he would have included them in his Gospel, as they must have been a part of his full and ongoing conversion.

Then consider how many more accounts of healing occur in his Gospel. As a physician, St. Luke would have been keenly interested in these testimonies. Though still conjecture, the narrative of how St. Luke may have encountered the many people whose accounts only take place in his Gospel has been imaginatively and dramatically rendered by that prolific novelist, Taylor Caldwell in her book, Dear and Glorious Physician, one of my all-time favorites. I encourage you to locate her novel at your next used book sale and read it after you've finished your roast beef.

Or- better yet-- beginning today, read Luke's Gospel one passage at a time, and imagine yourself there with the crowds in Judea. Or read Acts and encounter Luke's firsthand report of the missionary work of St. Paul, a man who once slew Christians. Imagine the history and moment as they must have experienced it in the cultural milieu of the time, those early Christians. Consider what a difference knowing Jesus has made in your life. If you're going to finish that slice of beef, honor St. Luke by visiting your physician soon for a check-up, especially if you're at risk for heart disease. You can also honor St. Luke as patron of the visual arts by visiting a museum or watching a film such as The Robe or looking at a stained glass window. Find a way to enjoy the 'Indian summer' weather, if it lingers. Best of all, contemplate Mary with St. Luke in the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary.

Enjoy being a Child of the Light!