St Luke the Evangelist | Monday 18 October 2021
Today is Monday the 18 October, the feast of St Luke, in the 29th week of Ordinary time.
The Choir of Winchester Cathedral sing the Kyrie from William Byrd’s Mass for 5 Voices. Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison: Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Today’s reading is from the Second Letter to Timothy.
2 Timothy 4:10-17
for Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful in my ministry. I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will pay him back for his deeds. You also must beware of him, for he strongly opposed our message.
At my first defence no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles might hear it. So, I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
Upon your first hearing of today’s passage, what is the tone you notice? Is this letter the tone of a tough preacher? Or perhaps more of a vulnerable writer, relying only on the provision of the Lord?
“The Lord stood by me and gave me strength.” Can you remember a time you’ve prayed a similar prayer? Or perhaps you need some resilience from God to meet a particularly difficult situation at the moment…
As you hear the passage again, notice the focus is on simply spreading the Gospel and strength in the Lord…
In the closing moments you might like to simply ask for God’s strength today…
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.