Dante calls him the "Scribe of Christ's Gentleness". He points to the doors of God's mercy ever open wide. The "most dear Physician" of St Paul presents in radiant splendour the healing love of Christ for the poor, the rejected, the sick, and for women, so often exploited and ignored.
He offers parables of redeeming comfort and life-giving hope. Stories of the barren fig tree, the Good Samaritan, the lost sheep and the lost son carry forever the message of redeeming love. He records the compassion of Christ as he gives to us the Saviours words of tender mercy: "Father forgive them for they know not what they do!" ... "This day, you will be with me in Paradise! ..." In times of darkness and despair the life giving words echo in every human heart: "Many sins are forgiven her because she has loved much ...!"
As a gifted lay leader of the early church he served until at 84 he entered into Resurrection joy. At Easter tide we walk the Emmaus road and listen with the two downcast disciples uttering their sad "We had hoped!" With St
Luke Christ opens up for us the Scriptures. Our veiled and weary eyes are opened. Our hearts burn within us as love springs to life. We, so fickle and so frail, recognise our Saviour in the breaking of the bread.
Luke guides us in our Advent journey of repentance and resolve as we prepare for Christmas when the youth of all will be restored. We meet Elizabeth and Zachary, blessed at the coming of their grace-filled child, precursor of the long awaited Saviour. Luke leads us to Mary's quiet home of prayer, and to the message of the Angel, when the Son of God entered our fragmented world to live among us. All grace is given for action. Mary goes to help the pregnant cousin in a time of need. We hear the song of angels. We come in hast with lowly, listening shepherds and seek a saviour who is Christ the Lord in the City of David.
Luke is a kindly guide to faithful prayer, without which we wither and die. He teaches us the "Lord's Prayer" and the powerful parable of the insistent caller seeking loaves of bread at midnight. We learn to ask and so receive, to seek and to ever find, to knock in faith and so enter by newly opened doors. He transmits to us as a legacy of love the Canticles of daily Prayer. The hope-filled "Benedictus" hymn of Zachary opens each gate or morning. The wondrous, grateful Canticle of Mary gives tranquil harmony to our Vesper Prayer when tasks of day are done. The prophetic beauty of the "Song of Simeon" ends our day as we ask for a quiet night and a perfect end. Each day we are in debt to Luke, forever guarding health of body and of mind.
Gratitude is the memory of a noble heart. St Luke recalls that only one of 10 came back to speak a word of thanks. And this a Samaritan! We voice our thanksgiving (perhaps long delayed), in Scripture word and Eucharist shared as we celebrate this Harvest feast of Joy.
The Scripture melody lives on. Even now, as at the first Pentecost he so gladly chronicles, " the Holy Ghost over the bent World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings ..." (Gerard Manley Hopkins, SJ).
For this, most holy God, we praise Your name. May the sun-lit days of "St Luke's Summer" echo with our songs of praise as we ask for healing, light and hope. F.MacN.