600. October 18, St Luke, Evangelist
Meditations no. 527 (unofficial computer-aided translation)
Prudent government entails asking othersâ opinions.
Luke, a physician from Antioch who wrote in Greek, was a follower of the Apostle St Paul and accompanied him on numerous journeys. He is the evangelist who has given us the most information about Christâs infancy. His Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles are certainly a supernatural work, inspired by God. But they also show the evangelistâs diligent efforts to uncover exact and true information about what has really happened. In the prologue to his Gospel he writes, Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us, just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed.
St Lukeâs example reminds us that in order to sanctify any undertaking we need to have correct information and adequate knowledge in the area of our competence. All of us are limited by nature and need the advice and help of others. Therefore an important norm of prudence is that we distrust our own judgment and measure it against the opinions of others, especially those who have the mission and grace to advise us.
For many years now, this way of acting has been customary in Opus Dei. Our Father said: We have made provisions that there be a âcollegial governmentâ in all our Centres and activities, for neither you nor I can rely exclusively on our personal judgement. It makes me very happy to see that you love collegial government and abhor tyranny. Our Lord has no reason to enlighten anyone who has failed to teach his own collaborators. Collegial government is a sign of humility, since it means no one relies only on his own judgement.
Attachment to oneâs own will and personal opinion is really a spiritual sickness, all the more pernicious the more disguised it is. This is true of any of our apostolic activities, whether it demands a lot of responsibility or is seemingly of little importance. Our Father stresses, Donât place your trust too readily in your own judgment. Just as precious metal is put to the test and needs a touchstone, so too we must verify whether our judgment is fine gold, both in the human and the supernatural sphere, by taking into account the viewpoint of others, especially those who have the grace of state to help us.
The development of any apostolate requires an atmosphere of trust.
In order to act as the spirit of the Work requires, we need a climate of trust around us. Our Father often said, Donât forget my insistence on trust. It is the only way to go ahead. Our apostolate develops on the basis of trust: âcum fide,â with faith.
The life of the early Christians was characterized by an atmosphere of mutual trust and affection. The charity of the Holy Spirit made them feel the joyful reality of belonging to a single family. St Luke records this reality in various passages in the Acts of the Apostles, making present for us the life of the early Church.
Without true, mutual confidence, there is no possibility of living alongside others, and still less of common goals. Be very mindful that, in the Work, government functions on the basis of trust. Everyone in Opus Dei is very frank with his directors. All are fraternally and filially frank, without fear or suspicion. For they know that it would do a lot of harm to their souls and to their apostolic effectiveness if, out of a false respect or fear of receiving a reprimand, they were to harbour a timid fear of those in command. You shouldnât be afraid of anyone or anything, especially not of the directors, for this wouldnât befit a child of God.
When trust is lacking, uneasiness and disquiet soon arise, and also a lack of serenity and due deliberation. From the start I tried to form both your brothers and the St Raphael fellows in a family atmosphere.
I would tell them, âI believe each of you more than a hundred notaries who unanimously agree in telling me the contrary.â A lot of good has come from acting in this way. It has been good for each person, for the Work and for all its apostolates, because such trust is a refined charity.
To the extent that a person is responsible for his own actions, which all of us are in the Work, it is to be presumed that he has good will and therefore has the right to be shown trust. Donât exclude anyone from your trust until he proves that he doesnât deserve it, our Father told us. It is precisely when we trust others that we stimulate their sense of responsibility and help them to act loyally. At the same time we avoid anyoneâs feeling hurt unjustly. I prefer to have one scoundrel trick me than to offend ninety-nine other persons. I have allowed myself to be fooled many times, provided that no harm came to anyone. This is better than distrusting anyone who does not deserve it.
Confident abandonment in the directors ought to be our response to the trust that the Work places in us. We ought to make it easier for those who have to form us to know our personal circumstances. We canât be afraid of their knowing us as we are. Then they can perform their task more easily and more effectively and be good shepherds as the Father has asked them to be. And we will experience the deep and serene joy that springs from our each having given himself completely and trustingly like clay in the hand of the potter, who alone is capable of turning the mass of shapeless earth that we are because of our weakness into vessels of sanctification for Godâs service.
We have to be objective in order to see persons and events in their true perspective.
If we are to serve God effectively, we need to be objective and realistic; we must consider things as they are and in the light of Godâs will. Therefore our Father recommends that we be always in Godâs presence, so that our Lordâs light might impede hurried, imprudent judgments resulting from superficiality or personal pride.
In this respect as well, St Luke is a good example for all Christians. Before writing, he informs himself carefully of the events that he wants to narrate, he compares his sources with one another, and he orders the events he is going to recount.
We need to be objective in judging situations, in providing data that has been requested. in speaking about the state of our soul, and in informing about an apostolate or a particular activity. Our Father advises, Donât be startled to see your deficiencies. See the positive side as well. What seems terrible in life is generally not so dark. That is why I have said more than once that if you are objective you will not be pessimists. If pessimism creeps in, you ought to pinpoint it immediately, humbly searching for the reason. Then you will be able to use the remedy and get back your calm hope.
Acting under Godâs inspiration, the evangelists continually show their desire to be completely objective. In all simplicity they relate the apostlesâ defects, while at the same time showing their good qualities and their sincere desire to follow Christ closely. When St Luke describes central events like Christâs birth or the beginning of his public ministry, he takes care to collect the necessary historical data: the time, the place, the names of civil and religious authorities, the date⌠.
Our Father advised us that to be objective we need to take reasonable precautions and hear âboth sides of the story,â that is, to take into account all the sources of information needed to make a judgement. Always remember, my sons, that one cannot be just unless the facts are well known from both sides and one knows the people concerned in each case very well.
Our desire to know the truth and judge rightly leads us to live a refined charity and understanding with our brothers. We are careful to never judge events rashly and to always find an excuse, since we donât know our brothersâ deepest intentions. If we make an effort to love, we will radiate trust and be the support and strength of those around us. When someone needs to be corrected, we will do so with true affection. To correct well is not a matter of technique; rather it stems from a sincere love that engenders understanding, breaks down barriers and produces unity.
We will always be ready to correct our opinion and to assess the new circumstances that arise. Have you found any greater joy than that of rectifying? The joy of asking pardon? The joy of saying I was wrong and I have changed my mind? For me it is an immense joy. And that is how my children are.
St Luke must have learned about Christâs infancy and many other events in his life from holy Mary. Our Lady will teach us to know those around us very well and to help them with true affection.