St Luke the Evangelist

El Greco's St Luke

October 18th 

Feast Day of 
Luke the Evangelist

Ecclesiasticus 38:1-4,6-10,12-14
2 Timothy 4:5-13
Luke 4:14-21
Psalm 147 or 147:1-7 

Tradition holds that Luke the Evangelist was a doctor, a tradition reflected in the choice of readings for this day. His real claim to our admiration and attention lies elsewhere, however. It is to this otherwise unidentified Gentile, who makes no appearance in the Gospel and never encountered Jesus in the flesh, that we owe the New Testament link between the ministry of Jesus and the post-resurrection Church. Uniquely among the four Gospel writers, Luke wrote a sequel, and thereby told us almost everything we know about the immediate impact of the Resurrection. But more than that, Luke wrote Bible passages of such power and beauty, that they have provided the Church with some of its most enduring prayers and praises for almost two thousand years. As an estimate of his accomplishment, consider just this brief list.

St Luke -- James Tissot

• The Magnificat of Mary (Luke 1: 46-55) is used daily throughout the world, and has inspired musicians in countless different ways.
• Luke alone tells the Bethlehem story that lies at the heart of Christmas (Luke 2: 1-20) .
• The Lord's Prayer in its most familiar form is Luke's version (Luke 11: 1-4).
• Only Luke recounts the compelling appearance of the Risen Christ on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24: 13-32), the subject matter of some of the world's most famous paintings.
• Our only biblical accounts of Christ's Ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost are owed to Luke (Luke 24 & Acts 1 and 2).
• The death of Stephen, the first Christian Martyr is recorded by Luke (Acts 6-8)
• Luke describes Saul's dramatic experience on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9: 1-19)
• It is only because of Luke that we know of Paul's trial and his final trip to Rome (Acts 25-28).

In the light of such a list, can there be any doubt that St Luke's Day is an occasion for thanks and celebration?

St Luke -- Armenian icon

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