The Feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist

His life

+ According to ancient tradition, Luke was born in Syria and was a physician.

+ A companion of Saint Paul the Apostle, he was in Rome with Paul at the time of his martyrdom. It is said that after Paul’s death, Luke traveled to Greece where he wrote his gospel and the Acts of the Apostles.

+ In his writings, Saint Luke presents a Christian community of equals where all things are held in common and shows us a Jesus who is a friend of sinners and outcasts (cf. Acts 2:42-44).

+ Saint Luke is believed to have died of natural causes around the year 84.

+ Honored as the patron of doctors and pharmacists, he is also celebrated as a patron of artists because of an ancient tradition that he painted the first icon of the Madonna and Child.

For prayer and reflection

“The holy evangelists searched the wisdom of past ages. Through their gospels they confirmed the words of the prophets, alleluia.”—from The Liturgy of the Hours, antiphon from Morning Prayer for the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist

Spiritual bonus

On this day we also remember Saint Gwen of Tagarth. Gwen (who has also known as “Blanche” or “Candida”) was the daughter of Saint Brychan. Following the death of her husband, Gwen worked to spread the Gospel in northern Wales. She was killed by pagan Saxons at Talgarth around the year 492 and was honored as a saint immediately after her death.

Prayer

Lord God, who chose Saint Luke
to reveal by his preaching and writings
the mystery of your love for the poor,
grant that those who already glory in your name
may persevere as one heart and one soul
and that all nations may merit to see your salvation.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(from The Roman Missal)

Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.