Saint of the Day - Luke the Evangelist (October 18th)
Channel: House of Prayers for Everyone (HOPE)
Date: 2023-10-17

St. Luke the Evangelist is one of the four traditional Evangelists of the canonical gospels. He is the author of both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Catholics around the world commemorate his feast day every October 18.

Early Life

Nothing much is known about his early age though Luke is believed to have been born between 1 AD and 16 AD and lived in the Hellenistic city of Antioch in Ancient Syria, born of a Greek family. He is believed to be a physician.

Luke's Closeness to St. Paul

Luke was one of the Seventy Apostles and the "brother" St. Paul the Apostle mentions in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians is Luke. Some traditions hold that Luke became a direct disciple of Jesus before his ascension

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. He was first mentioned by Paul in the Epistle to Philemon, chapter 1, verses 22-25:

22 And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.

23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. 

24 And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.

25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Luke was with Paul in Rome towards the end of the latter's life in Paul's letter to Timothy, as attested in 2 Timothy 4:9-13:

9 Do your best to come to me quickly, 

10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 

11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. 

12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 

13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.

Luke was 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, Luke preached elsewhere throughout the Mediterranean.

Authorship

The Gospel of Luke does not name its author nor does it claim to be written by direct witnesses. The earliest manuscript of the Gospel, dated 200 AD, ascribes the work to Luke.

The Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles make up a two-volume work that scholars call Luke–Acts. Together they account for 27.5% of the New Testament, the largest contribution by a single author.

As a Historian

Luke is considered as historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy but on his accurate description of towns, cities and islands, as well as correctly naming various official titles.

Indeed, the Acts of the Apostles is considered a trustworthy record which revealed the truth, that his account suit his apologetic interests, not in defiance of but in conformity to ancient standards of historiography.

As an Artist

Luke is believed to have painted pictures of the Virgin Mary and Child. A number of painted images were venerated as his autograph works, including the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, Our Lady of Vladimir, and Madonna del Rosario. 

He was also said to have painted Saints Peter and Paul, and to have illustrated a gospel book with a full cycle of miniatures. It is also believed that Luke painted icons of Mary and Jesus, particularly in Eastern Orthodoxy.

Death

Luke died at age 84 in Boeotia, according to a "fairly early and widespread tradition". It is believed that Luke's tomb was located in Thebes before his relics were transferred to Constantinople in the year 357.

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Image attributed to the following:
- By James Tissot - Online Collection of Brooklyn Museum; Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2007, 00.159.207_PS2.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10904544