In order to become a priest, I was sent
up to seminary in Wisconsin to study for four years, where I earned two
degrees, a Masters of Divinity degree and a Masters of Arts in Theology. I spent my summers working in parishes or
serving as a chaplain at Baptist Hospital in Jackson. I still spend a lot of time studying and
reading books. Bishop Latino is wanting
me to be well-prepared for my work as a priest in my diocese. Jesus sends out his disciples in today’s
Gospel reading in pairs, but he does not send them out very well equipped, does
he? He sends them out without a sack or
sandals or money. He even tells them he
is sending them out as lambs amongst wolves.
This story is part of our Christian
tradition. It passes down Jesus’
teachings and ministry to us. We hear
this reading today as we celebrate Luke the Evangelist. The early Church Fathers saw Luke as the
author of both the Gospel that bears his name and the Acts of the
Apostles. In his document PORTA FIDEI
(THE DOOR OF FAITH) that announced the Year of Faith for our Church, which
began on October 11, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about the faith that is passed on to
us through Mary hearing the words of the angel, through the apostles leaving
everything in order to follow Christ, through the disciples who formed the
first Christian community, through the martyrs who gave their lives up for the
faith, through the men and women who have consecrated their lives to the Church
throughout the ages, and through all of the men and women throughout history
whose names are written down in the Book of Life. Luke and the other Evangelists played a key
role in passing down the faith to future generations. We celebrate Luke today and his faith to
which he is a witness in his Gospel. May
our faith truly become vibrant and life-giving in every step that we take on
our pilgrimage journey. May Luke
accompany us as we try to rediscover the richness of our faith as we celebrate
the Year of Faith.
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