The Doctor

If I had to choose a saint to have a chat with, I just might make it Luke.  He was a man who knew how to listen and he knew how to tell stories. It is his feast day today.

He wasn’t one of the twelve apostles but he was an important companion to St Paul who called him the beloved physician.  He wrote a Gospel and The Acts of the Apostles.  His Gospel is full of kindness, forgiveness and second chances. He tells us about the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son and the one grateful leper who came back to say thank you.

Luke seems particularly interested in people in need of a little TLC. His stories remind us that God's love often appears in the most ordinary places: at a meal, on a journey, or in an unexpected act of kindness.

St Luke reminds me that I can make a difference simply by listening properly, checking on a neighbour, or offering a kind word to someone having a difficult day.  After all, healing the world is a noble ambition, but we might as well begin with the person sitting beside us.