As well as being the Year of Mercy and the Centenary year of our Archdiocese, we remember that in the Catholic Church the Sunday readings revolve around a three year cycle. This follows the Gospels of Sts Matthew, Mark and Luke – with bits of St John scattered here and there. So this year we are in the Year of Luke, through to the Feast of Christ the King in November.

The New Testament mentions Luke a few times, and the Letter to the Colossians refers to him as a doctor; so he is thought to have been both a physician and a disciple of St Paul. He was in Rome with Paul, as the Acts tell us. His style of writing, described by some as the most human of the evangelists, and ancient traditions that he painted portraits of Our Lady and others, have him also as an artist. Many think Our Lady was one of the original sources for His Gospel..

After some interest shown last week in the poetry of Malcolm Guite, here is his sonnet on St Luke.

His Gospel is itself a living creature
A ground and glory round the throne of God,
Where earth and heaven breather through human nature And One upon the throne sees it is good.
Luke is the living pillar of our healing,
A lowly ox, the servant of the four,
We turn his page to find his face revealing
The wonder and the welcome of the poor.
He breathes good news to all who bear a burden,
Good news to all who turn and try again,
The meek rejoice and prodigals find pardon,
A lost thief reaches paradise through pain,
The voiceless find their voice in every word
And, with our Lady, magnify the Lord.
From “Sounding the Seasons”, Malcolm Guite, 2012