The Feast of St. Luke

Today, we celebrate the Feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist.  Luke was unique as a New Testament writer.  He was a Gentile and a physician.  He was also a fellow missionary with St. Paul.  St. Luke is the author of both the Gospel bearing his name, as well as the book of Acts.

Of the four Gospel accounts, Luke is the only one that tells us about the annunciation to Mary, her visit with Elizabeth, Jesus in the manger, the angels appearing to the shepherds, and the story of Simeon, the boy Jesus teaching in the Temple, the story of the Good Samaritan, the prodigal son, Lazarus and Dives, Zacchaeus (that wee little man!), and the Emmaus Road account of the resurrection (where Jesus is made known in the breaking of the bread).  There are in Luke's Gospel account six miracles and eighteen parables that are not found in the other three accounts.

In Acts, Luke tells us about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church.  He also tells us about the spread of Christianity "around the world."

 

A Prayer for the Feast of St. Luke

 

O Shepherd of us all, who inspired your servant Saint Luke the Physician to set forth in the Gospel the love and healing power of Jesus:  Grant, we ask you, your Spirit to your whole Church that we might be rich toward you in worship and in service to the poor; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

 

(Information drawn from Lesser Feasts and Fasts 1997 and from For All the Saints: A Calendar of Commemorations Second Edition.)