Daily Devotional • October 18
St. Luke, Evangelist
Psalm 103
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works vindication
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far he removes our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion for his children,
so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
14 For he knows how we were made;
he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for mortals, their days are like grass;
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
18 to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
obedient to his spoken word.
21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
his ministers who do his will.
22 Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Meditation
Today, we celebrate the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel according to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. St. Luke was also known as a physician, and so it is fitting on his feast day to pray for healers of all kinds, as well as consider with gratitude the ways science and medicine have contributed to our own wellbeing.
Jesus himself is often referred to as the great physician because of his work healing the physically sick as well as the spiritually sick. In fact, Jesus came first and foremost to defeat the ultimate illness: death.
Maybe you work as a healer of some kind—a nurse, physician, or therapist, perhaps—thereby participating with Jesus in his good work as “physician.” Maybe you, like me, are receiving medical care. Maybe you are still praying for treatment that’s yet to come. Today is a reminder that healing is on the way. For some of us, it may come in this lifetime. For others, it may come with the resurrection of the dead. But no matter what, Jesus is bringing order and health into the world. We can expect healing to come. And today, we might ask St. Luke to intercede on our behalf.
Elizabeth Hamilton’s writing has appeared in the Dallas Museum of Art, Southern Humanities Review, and Texas Monthly. She has an MFA from Seattle Pacific University. Find her work at elizabethannehamilton.com
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
The Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania – The Episcopal Church
