Let us give thanks today for St. Luke. Without the Third Gospel we would not know the story of the Prodigal Son or the Good Samaritan. He left us the beautiful prayers the Benedictus and the Magnificat which the Church prays every day. He emphasized Jesus’ love for the poor. He pointed out the role of women in the ministry of Jesus. He invoked the role of the Holy Spirit. In addition to his Gospel account St. Luke also wrote the Acts of the Apostles. This book demonstrated that those first believers continued the mission of Jesus in their own lives. So with us — we do not simply admire what Jesus said and did, we continue his saving work in our own day and time.