ST. LUKE

 *_WEDNESDAY, October 18, 2023_* 

Weekday (28) Ordinary Time

 *St Luke the Evangelist. (Feast)* 

First Reading. 2 Timothy 4: 10-17

Psalm. Ps 145: 10-13, 17-18 

Gospel. Luke 10: 1-9

TOPICS FOR REFLECTION

 *A PERSON WHO LACKS A VISION, LACKS A MISSION* 

 *ST. LUKE ACCOMPLISHED HIS VISION AND MISSION* 

It is expected that every individual must have a vision, that is, a goal that one wishes to achieve in life, while a mission means purpose, the reason one aims to achieve the goal.

Therefore, he who lacks a goal will certainly lack a purpose. 

In today's Gospel, the Lord appointed 72 others and sent them out 2 by 2 into every town and place where he was about to come. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. 

If one is focused with a defined vision and mission, one will become a good labourer, if not focused, one will become a bad labourer in the Lord's vineyard.

My dear, we all know that life is hard and difficult to scale through without one bruise or another. However, if one wants to survive in life, such must have a defined vision, and the vision must be a clear one. It is when your vision is clear that your mission can be meaningful.

Our vision in life should be to reach out to others. Every vocation, career, and profession in life is centred on reaching out to others, and that is when the mission of the vision becomes accomplished.

It is a virtuous circle, others reach out to us, and we reach out to others.

Similarly, one of the greatest advantages of not being distracted and staying focused on one's mission is the ability to become wise. Once, one is wise, to survive as a lamb among wolves may become possible, though not going to be easy.

My dear, the Lord has called you in your state of life to bear witness to Him as a lamb among wolves, either as a cleric, religious or lay faithful. In every vocation of ours, what is our vision and mission in that places of the apostolate, among the people of God, in your offices, marketplaces, schools, etc?

Any place we find ourselves, once we lack vision, then the purpose of existing in that particular place becomes useless because there will be no mission to fulfil and to survive among wolves may not be possible. 

Note that a visionless person is a missionless person, and such is a bunch of distractions to himself and society. 

Let us try to imitate St. Luke whose feast we celebrate today, he has a vision, he pursued his goal and was able to accomplish his mission. 

St. Luke was a doctor and a well-educated man who embraced the Christian faith and became a companion of Saint Paul in his apostolic journeys. He is the author of the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. He portrays especially the gentleness and compassion of the Lord, the action of the Holy Spirit, and the role of Mary as the mother of Jesus and the Church.

May St. Luke continue to intercede for us.

 *Peace ✌️ be with you* 

 *Rev. Fr. Segun Oladeji, CRS.*