St Luke
Meet the physician who became an evangelist and historian. St Luke, companion of St Paul, gave the Church both the most literary Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. His writings emphasise God's mercy to sinners, the poor, and the outcast.
Physicianand Evangelist
St Luke was a Gentile, a physician, and the only non-Jewish author in the New Testament. He became a companion of St Paul, accompanying him on missionary journeys and remaining with him during his imprisonment in Rome. Paul calls him "the beloved physician" in his letter to the Colossians.
Luke's Gospel, written in elegant Greek, is the longest of the four. He alone records the Annunciation, the Visitation, and the Magnificat. His Gospel emphasises Christ's compassion for sinners, women, the poor, and Samaritans. The parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son appear only in Luke.
Luke also wrote the Acts of the Apostles, continuing the story from the Ascension through Paul's arrival in Rome. Tradition holds that he was an artist who painted icons of the Blessed Virgin. He is symbolised by the ox, representing the sacrifice that opens his Gospel in the Temple. Luke is the patron saint of physicians and artists.
At a Glance
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.”
The Magnificat
Luke 1:46-47
The Gospel of Mercy
St Luke gave the Church its most tender portrait of Christ - the friend of sinners, healer of the sick, and Saviour of the lost. His Gospel remains the heart of Christian preaching on mercy.