Information: St. Luke
| Feast Day: | October 18 |
| Born: |
Antioch, Turkey |
| Died: | Greece |
| Major Shrine: | Padua, Italy |
| Patron of: | Artists, Physicians, Surgeons |
Posted on 10/17/2010 10:53:57 PM PDT by Salvation
St. Luke wrote a greater volume of the New Testament than any other single author, including the earliest history of the Church. Ancient traditions also acknowledge Luke as the founder of Christian iconography, making him a patron of artists as well as doctors and other medical caregivers.
Luke came from the large metropolitan city of Antioch, a part of modern-day Turkey. In Luke's lifetime, his native city emerged as an important center of early Christianity. During the future saint's early years, the city's port had already become a cultural center, renowned for arts and sciences. Historians do not know whether Luke came to Christianity from Judaism or paganism, although there are strong suggestions that Luke was a gentile convert.
Educated as a physician in the Greek-speaking city, Luke was among the most cultured and cosmopolitan members of the early Church. Scholars of archeology and ancient literature have ranked him among the top historians of his time period, besides noting the outstanding Greek prose style and technical accuracy of his accounts of Christ's life and the apostles' missionary journeys.
Other students of biblical history adduce from Luke's writings that he was the only evangelist to incorporate the personal testimony of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose role in Christ's life emerges most clearly in his gospel. Tradition credits him with painting several icons of Christ's mother, and one of the sacred portraits ascribed to him – known by the title “Salvation of the Roman People”-- survives to this day in the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
Some traditions hold that Luke became a direct disciple of Jesus before his ascension, while others hold that he became a believer only afterward. After St. Paul's conversion, Luke accompanied him as his personal physician-- and, in effect, as a kind of biographer, since the journeys of Paul on which Luke accompanied him occupy a large portion of the Acts of the Apostles. Luke probably wrote this text, the final narrative portion of the New Testament, in the city of Rome where the account ends.
Luke was also among the only companions of Paul who did not abandon him during his final imprisonment and death in Rome. After the martyrdom of St. Paul in the year 67, St. Luke is said to have preached elsewhere throughout the Mediterranean, and possibly died as a martyr. However, even tradition is unclear on this point. Fittingly, the evangelist whose travels and erudition could have filled volumes, wrote just enough to proclaim the gospel and apostolic preaching to the world.
St. Luke, the author of Acts too!
| Feast Day: | October 18 |
| Born: |
Antioch, Turkey |
| Died: | Greece |
| Major Shrine: | Padua, Italy |
| Patron of: | Artists, Physicians, Surgeons |
Prayers to Saint Luke, Apostle and Evangelist
Patron of Artists, Bachelors, Bookbinders, Butchers, Doctors, Glassmakers, Glassworkers, Goldsmiths, Lacemakers, Notaries, Painters, Physicians, Sculptors, & Surgeons
Let holy Luke, Thine Evangelist, we beseech Thee, O Lord, intercede for us, who for the glory of Thy name ever bore in his body the mortification of the Cross. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
Prayer of the Order of St. Luke
Almighty God, who inspired Your servant Luke the Physician to set forth in the Gospel the love and healing power of Your Son:
Graciously continue in Your Church the love and power to heal, to the praise and glory of Your Name, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen
Most charming and saintly Physician, you were animated by the heavenly Spirit of love. In faithfully detailing the humanity of Jesus, you also showed his divinity and his genuine compassion for all human beings. Inspire our physicians with your professionalism and with the divine compassion for their patients. Enable them to cure the ills of both body and spirit that afflict so many in our day. Amen.
feast day: October 18
I go to St. Luke Church. We celebrated on Saturday with a significant whoop-up.
We have a St. Luke Church in our area too.
Saint Luke, the Evangelist
Feast Day
October 18th
Lanceloot Blondeel
Saint Luke Painting the Virgin's Portrait
1545 -- Oil on canvas
Groeninge Museum, Bruges
Saint Luke , born of a pagan family, was a convert to the faith. He was a companion of Saint Paul, who called him "the beloved physician" (Col. 4:14), and Luke's Gospel was written in accordance with Paul's preaching. He accompanied the Apostle Paul on two of his missionary journeys, and was with Paul in Rome when the Emperor Nero imprisoned Paul. Luke also wrote the account of the early days of the Church, Acts of the Apostles. According to tradition, Luke was also an artist who painted the likeness of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Tradition assigns Luke the emblem of the Ox, from Revelation 4:7, the description of the four winged creatures who are thought to represent the Four Evangelists -- the others are Matthew (Man), Mark (Lion), and John (Eagle).
Collect
Father, you chose Luke the Evangelist to reveal by preaching and writing the mystery of your love for the poor.
Unite in one heart and spirit all who glory in your name, and let all nations come to see your salvation.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Scripture Readings
First Reading: II Timothy 4:10-17
For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you; for he is very useful in serving me. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will requite him for his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense no one took my part; all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength to proclaim the message fully, that all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth.
Gospel Reading: Luke 10:1-9
After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to come. And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house!' And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages; do not go from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you; heal the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'
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