Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Happy New (Church) Year! Each Advent, we disciples begin a new liturgical year. Our Lectionary Cycle (i.e., the Sunday Gospel readings) changes to Year C, which means most of our Gospel readings this year will come from the Gospel according to St. Luke. Luke was a physician by trade who did not grow up in the Jewish faith. He was a Gentile converted to Christianity and became a companion of St. Paul. In addition to composing his Gospel account, Saint Luke also wrote the Acts of the Apostles, a sort-of “sequel” to his Gospel. Although St. Paul wrote more books, Luke’s two contributions are long enough that they actually make up a greater percentage of the New Testament (about 24%) than those of any other author. Because of his emphasis on the Virgin Mary and women in general, St. Luke has been called the “Marian Gospel” and the “Gospel of women.” Luke is also known to emphasize Jesus’ love of the poor and sick. His Gospel has additionally been called the “Gospel of mercy” and the “Gospel of forgiveness.” Pay special attention to these attributes as we make our way through Luke’s amazing Gospel.