the feast of st. luke: thoughts about healing and listening

the feast of luke, the dear and glorious physician,comes at a time when here in the ozarks at least the whole world is hard to ignore. the trees are just beginning to blaze, and the fall and winter winds are fighting for control. two thoughts have dominated my reflections about this day, healing and listening.

it is on this wonderful day that this reading, a reading about healing, comes in morning prayer:

Ezekiel 47
Water Flowing from the Temple47Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple; there, water was flowing from below the threshold of the temple towards the east (for the temple faced east); and the water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. 2Then he brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me round on the outside to the outer gate that faces towards the east;* and the water was coming out on the south side.
3 Going on eastwards with a cord in his hand, the man measured one thousand cubits, and then led me through the water; and it was ankle-deep. 4Again he measured one thousand, and led me through the water; and it was knee-deep. Again he measured one thousand, and led me through the water; and it was up to the waist. 5Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross, for the water had risen; it was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be crossed. 6He said to me, ‘Mortal, have you seen this?’
Then he led me back along the bank of the river. 7As I came back, I saw on the bank of the river a great many trees on one side and on the other. 8He said to me, ‘This water flows towards the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah; and when it enters the sea, the sea of stagnant waters, the water will become fresh. 9Wherever the river goes,* every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish, once these waters reach there. It will become fresh; and everything will live where the river goes. 10People will stand fishing beside the sea from En-gedi to En-eglaim; it will be a place for the spreading of nets; its fish will be of a great many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. 11But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. 12On the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.’

the good news that luke proclaims, of healing, is for all creation.

then there are the wonderful canticles that luke includes at the beginning of his gospel,

the magnificat

and

the benedictus

and

the nunc dimmittis

, which are used every day in daily prayer. but there is also that most important statement of mary, which allows the incarnation: ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ is this not an even better response to hearing scripture than "the word of the lord" or even "hear what the spirit is saying to the churches?" i am going to try using it for a while in my prayer, at least.