Sunday of Saint Luke the Apostle and Evangelist: Luke 10:16–21

What is the foundation of joy for a person who believes in Christ? Their achievements, the recognition of others, or even the spiritual gifts they receive? On Sunday, October 18, 2026, the feast of Saint Luke the Apostle and Evangelist, the Gospel reading invites us to seek an answer. The passage from Luke 10:16–21 shifts our attention from the remarkable results of the disciples’ mission to their communion with God.

“Whoever listens to you listens to Me,” the Lord tells His disciples. Their mission is not a personal initiative; it proceeds from Christ and points to the Father who sent Him (Luke 10:16). We can therefore understand ministry in the Church as a responsibility to bear faithful witness, rather than a right to impose one’s own will. Those who are sent are called to convey the word of the Lord, not to invest their own desires with divine authority. They serve the encounter between the human person and Christ; they do not take His place.

The Seventy disciples return full of joy because even the demons submit to them in Jesus’ name. The words “in Your name” reveal the source of their power: it is not an ability they possess independently, but a gift from the Lord (Luke…