相信大家有看過颱風後的新聞，看到很多樹木倒塌了，道路鐵路交通癱瘓了，還有很多水浸的報告。大家又有沒有留意到，新界農民的損失如何呢？他們的農作物還未完全成熟，未到收割時期。結果幾個月來的功夫，全部淹沒在水下，化為烏有！可以想像，倘若不去收割已成熟的莊稼，任由它們停留在田野間，會有甚麼後果？它們會招來趕之不盡的飛鳥和蝗蟲，把農民的心血吃光，即使避過蝗禍餘下的，亦會掉在地上，很快便會腐爛。因此，不及時收割，實在浪費！所以，耶穌對那七十二個門徒說：「莊稼多而工人少，所以你們應當求莊稼的主人，派遣工人來，收割祂的莊稼。」（路10:2）
可惜現代人生活在工業社會，與大自然和農業脫節，完全感受不到收割的迫切性。原來收割，是去搶救那些莊稼，免得它們被飛鳥害蟲所食，或者腐爛在地。同樣道理，傳福音，使其他人得到天主的解放，得到天主的救贖，也是一項與時間，與魔鬼競賽的任務！天主教徒素來依賴神職人員的牧養，變得很被動。傳福音，尋找亡羊，加入教會，變成了神職人員的責任。教友普遍認為祇要為聖召祈禱，為福傳祈禱便足夠了！這是一個很嚴重的問題。我們願意將來，與自己心愛的人，天堂地獄相隔嗎（16:26）？祇為我們心愛的人祈禱，便可以使他們信耶穌嗎？倘若我們說愛他們，但對他們未來永恆的生命，沒有付出半點努力，我們的愛是真的嗎？
我們用不著成為聖經學者，神學家或者傳教士。就像今天所慶祝的聖人路加，他信主前是一個醫生，信主後仍然是一個醫生。相信他曾在聖母的晚年，照顧聖母的健康，所以他能得到很多一手資料，編寫【路加福音】。聖路加並不是甚麼學者或者神學家，他依然以他的專業，服務病人。祇不過他從新定位，以福音的精神行事。他所編寫的福音，處處流露出「山中聖訓、真福八端」的精神。福音中，貧窮的人、溫良的人可以發言，慈善的撒瑪黎雅人和浪子的故事，道出慈悲的真義。路加更編寫了【宗徒大事錄】，說出渴慕天主救贖的人，尋求人類的和平合一，不畏強權的迫害，如何喜樂地活出恩寵生活的喜樂。聖路加以他的醫術，以他的言行，與人分享得救的喜樂。在他的時代，路加醫生算是個有學識的人。他所寫的福音，不但文筆優美，更是一本充滿祈禱的福音：聖母經、匝加利亞讚歌、聖母讚主曲、光榮頌等等，藉路加之筆，留傳後世。可見聖路加是一個祈禱的人，在祈禱中，尋求天主的旨意。
各位兄弟姊妹，路加醫生做得到的，你和我也可以做得到。
讓我們向聖路加學習，多閱讀他所寫的，充滿慈悲和祈禱的福音，並以福音的教訓，作為生活的指導，熱愛耶穌，樂意事奉耶穌，勸人信耶穌。
天主保祐！
I Lost My Race Against Time (Luke 10:1-9)
We have all watched post-typhoon news and have seen many fallen trees and how all the land bound traffic have come to a halt. There were also reports of floodings. But do you know how much loss farmers in the New Territories have suffered? It was not yet harvest time but all the produces were submerged and destroyed under water! Let us imagine what would happen if we allow the harvest to stay in the field? Swarms of birds and locusts would come to eat up all the produces and efforts of farmers. Those dropped to the ground would rot. What a waste if we don't reap the harvest in time! Thus, Jesus told the seventy two disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the labourers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out labourers for his harvest." (Luke 10:2)
Unfortunately, modern people live in industrial societies and have lost touch with nature and agriculture. They do not feel the urgency of reaping the harvest. Reaping is to save the harvest from birds, locusts and rotting. In a similar manner, evangelization which helps people attain God's liberation and redemption is also a race against time, a competition against Satan! Catholics used to relying on the pastoring of the clergy. They have become passive. Evangelization has become the responsibility of the clergy. The laity think that it is enough to pray for vocation and pray for evangelization! It is a serious issue. Do we want to see our beloved ones separated on the other side of the abyss (16:26) Can we make our beloved ones believe in Jesus simply by prayers? If we really love them but do not work for their eternal life, is our love genuine?
We don't have to become a biblical scholar, a theologian or a missionary. Just like St. Luke whose feast we celebrate today, he had been a physician before he was converted and was still a physician after his conversion. We believe that he took care of the health of the Blessed Virgin Mary in her advanced age. Thus, St. Luke was able to write his gospel with a lot of first-hand information. St. Luke was no scholar nor theologian. He was still a physician taking care of his patients. But he repositioned himself, serving his patients with the spirit of the gospel. In his gospel, we find beatitudes everywhere. There, the poor and the meek were given voice. The Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son spell out the true meaning of mercy. St. Luke also wrote the Acts of the Apostles, depicting how those who hungered and thirsted for God's salvation sought peace and unity among people, how they were not deterred by persecutions and led a life of grace in joy. St. Luke shared the joy of salvation with his medical skills, his words and deeds. During his times, Luke the physician was a learned man. Not only is his writing style elegant, but his gospel is also prayerful: Ave Maria, Benedictus, Magnificat and Gloria etc. are preserved and handed down to future generations. St. Luke is truly a prayerful man. In his prayers, he sought God's will.
Brethren, if Luke the physician could do it, you and me can.
Let us learn from St. Luke. Read his corpus which is full of mercy and prayers. Let his teachings guide our life to love Jesus, to be happy to serve Jesus and to persuade others to believe in Jesus.
God bless!
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