"Here," I thought, "is an easy bible study to prepare." I was convinced that this gospel was easier to teach than Saint Mark or Saint Matthew. After all, the style is elegant, the events are engaging and easy to follow, the plan is very well laid out, and, Saint Luke is a gentile, so, presumably, he would go easy on Old Testament references.

Boy, was I wrong!

The Gospel of Saint Luke is deceptively simple. Sure, you could read it like you read the newspaper. In fact, it is possible to read this gospel in one sitting, cover-to-cover, and one will definitely benefit from doing so. Nevertheless, to understand the original meaning in its proper context, a bit more work is required. But then, the reward is great because we get a clearer understanding of the plan of salvation, and a more faithful rendition of the life of our Lord when he walked the Earth.

And isn't this the purpose of any bible study? To know the Lord better, so we may worship him in Spirit and in Truth? Certainly, as Catholics, the Liturgy, when lived faithfully and with a meek and contrite heart is the greatest act of worship by which we come to a greater knowledge of God. Contrary to what one might think, a bible study is not necessary to attain heaven, but when one loves, one is naturally inclined to know everything he can about the beloved and that's where a bible study, faithful to the Magesterium and liturgically centered can greatly help

Welcome to the study of the Gospel of Saint Luke!

In this lecture, we present a panoramic view of salvation history, starting in the Garden of Eden and ending with the birth of Our Lord. We will focus on specific events, relevant to the Gospel of Saint Luke. The Catholic Foundation Library presents a thorough and complete coverage of the same topic.

By grouping these key references into one lecture, it becomes possible to move through the Gospel of Saint Luke at a more reasonable pace. Otherwise, we would have to constantly interrupt the flow of the study to provide essential Old Testament background elements in every lecture.

In this lecture, we present a panoramic view of salvation history, starting in the Garden of Eden and ending with the birth of Our Lord. We will focus on specific events, relevant to the Gospel of Saint Luke. The Catholic Foundation Library presents a thorough and complete coverage of the same topic.

By grouping these key references into one lecture, it becomes possible to move through the Gospel of Saint Luke at a more reasonable pace. Otherwise, we would have to constantly interrupt the flow of the study to provide essential Old Testament background elements in every lecture.

Oftentimes, we may be tempted to think that it would be a wonderful thing for us to meet an angel or even an archangel. That's what happened to Zachariah while he was fulfilling his priestly duty at the Temple of Jerusalem.

But that encounter did not go as one might expect: angels singing and heavenly melodies. Instead, Gabriel gave Zachariah a message that his intellect could not readily accept -- and for good reasons.

So, the angel mutes Zachariah and makes him unable to speak.

Can angels do that? And if angels, what of demons?

As soon as we dig a little deeper in the Gospel of Saint Luke, we find beautiful gems in the form of questions. These questions are a great source of wonderment. We can then, in imitation of Mary, ponder these things in our hearts and gain a deeper understanding of God's plan of salvation in our lives.

This momentous event, unique in the history of mankind, is the direct result of Mary's fiat; her "yes." What is not properly understood is that if Mary had said "no," the Incarnation would not have happened. Therefore, we owe her a great deal of gratitude for the role she played in salvation history.

On June 22, 431 A.D., the Council of Ephesus proclaimed Mary Theotokos -- Mother of God. But if Mary is the Mother of God, does this title mean she is the Mother of the Trinity? Also, if she is the Mother of the Second Person of the Trinity, does it follow that she is of divine nature?

The role and importance of Mary in salvation cannot be overstated, nor the duty of gratitude we owe her. Indeed, as the Mother of the Redeemer, she holds a place of pride in Salvation History.

The Visitation to Saint Elizabeth is an extension of the Annunciation to Mary. Mary, having heard from Gabriel that Elizabeth was six months pregnant went with haste, to serve her cousin. In this one gesture of kindness and service, Mary ushers the New Covenant. Like St. John the Baptist, she is a forerunner of Christ, announcing his coming by imitating him before his birth.

"And who am I that the Mother of My Lord should come to me?" Elizabeth, who in the natural order would be greater than Mary by virtue of her age, recognized Mary as her Queen -- The Khebirah -- the Mother of the King, in the supernatural order. And yet, it is the Queen who did not come to be served but to serve her cousin; words that her Son would echo when instituting the Eucharist on Holy Thursday.

In this lecture, we deepen our understanding of Mary's maternity and queenship and her privileged relation to the Holy Spirit.