Short biography of saint luke
St. Luke the EvangelistFeast day: Oct 18
On October 18, Catholics and other Christians around the world will celebrate the feast of St. Luke, the physician and companion of St. Paul whose gospel preserved the most extensive biography of Jesus Christ. First Century, died c. age 84 Quote: Reflection: In the first century, the city of Antioch was the capital of the Roman province of Syria and one of the most important cities in the eastern Mediterranean. For centuries, its ancient remains could be found in Antakya, Turkey, until a February 2023 earthquake obliterated many treasured religious sites. In the first century, Antioch was a central trade route in the Roman Empire, a culturally diverse city, mostly Greek-speaking, and an intellectual hub with a massive library. Antioch was also one of the earliest Christian communities, initially evangelized by Saints Paul and Barnabas, and whose first bishop was Saint Peter, “and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians” (Acts 11:26). Today’s exceptionally important saint, Saint Luke the Evangelist, was most likely born, raised, and discovered the faith in this city. Luke is credited with writing the Gospel of Saint Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. According to the fourth-century historian, Eusebius, Luke “was of Antiochian parentage and a physician by profession, and…was especially intimate with Paul The following story appeared in the October 7 Idaho Catholic Register. By Emily Woodham Staff Writer St. Luke the Evangelist is the author of more than 25 percent of the New Testament canon. His works comprise more writing than the works of St. John the Evangelist or St. Paul the Apostle. However, his identity is among the most debated among scholars. There is little agreement about most of his life, except for the consensus that he wrote the Gospel of St. Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. The following is a best guess at who he was and what he did: St. Luke was born at the beginning of the first century A.D. to a wealthy family in Antioch (modern day Tur-key). His family was Hellenistic Jews (Greek-speaking Jews of the Diaspora, when Jews were “dispersed” from the Holy Land). His knowledge of literature, history, geography and prose displayed in his writing betrays that he was among the educated elite, with one of the best Classical educations in the region. He also studied medicine and became a physician. Luke might have left his wealth in Antioch to join the Essenes (a Jewish sect, to which St. John the Baptist is believed to have belonged) at Qumran (where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered). If so, he was most likely among the 70 disciples of Jesus and the unnamed disciple on the Road to Emmaus with Cleopus. (Luke 24:13-35) However, it was not until 51 A.D. that he met St. Paul the Apostle at Troas and began accompanying him on his missionary journeys. (Acts 16:11) He was a dear friend to Paul. St. Paul called him “the beloved physician.” (Col. 4:14) Luke accompanied Paul on missionary journeys. While in Jerusalem, Paul’s testimony caused such an outrage among Jewish leaders that they had Paul ar-rested. After hearing his case, Roman rulers sent Paul to Rome to be tried as a citizen. Luke accompanied Paul to Rome (c. 60 A.D.). After two years of house arrest, Pau St Luke, the Apostle and Evangelis Feast day: October 18th The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke, was a native of Syrian Antioch, a companion of the holy Apostle Paul (Phil.1:24, 2 Tim. 4:10-11), and a physician enlightened in the Greek medical arts. Hearing about Christ, Luke arrived in Palestine and fervently accepted the preaching of salvation from the Lord Himself. As one of the Seventy Apostles, Saint Luke was sent by the Lord with the others to preach the Kingdom of Heaven during the Savior’s earthly life (Luke 10:1-3). After the Resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to Saints Luke and Cleopas on the road to Emmaus. Luke accompanied Saint Paul on his second missionary journey, and from that time they were inseparable. When Paul’s coworkers had forsaken him, only Luke remained to assist him in his ministry (2 Tim. 4:10-11). After the martyric death of the First-Ranked Apostles Peter and Paul, Saint Luke left Rome to preach in Achaia, Libya, Egypt and the Thebaid. He ended his life by suffering martyrdom in the city of Thebes. Tradition credits Saint Luke with painting the first icons of the Mother of God. “Let the grace of Him Who was born of Me and My mercy be with these Icons,” said the All-Pure Virgin after seeing the icons. Saint Luke also painted icons of the First-Ranked Apostles Peter and Paul. Saint Luke’s Gospel was written in the years 62-63 at Rome, under the guidance of the Apostle Paul. In the preliminary verses (1:1-3), Saint Luke precisely sets forth the purpose of his work. He proposes to record, in chronological order, everything known by Christians about Jesus Christ and His teachings. By doing this, he provided a firmer historical basis for Christian teaching (1:4). He carefully investigated the facts, and made generous use of the oral tradition of the Church and of what the All-Pure Virgin Mary Herself had told him (2:19, 51). In Saint Luke’s Gospel, the message of the salvation made possi
St. Luke wrote a greater volume of the New Testament than any other single author, including the earliest history of the Church. Ancient traditions also acknowledge Luke as the founder of Christian iconography, making him a patron of artists as well as doctors and other medical caregivers.
Luke came from the large metropolitan city of Antioch, a part of modern-day Turkey. In Luke's lifetime, his native city emerged as an important center of early Christianity. During the future saint's early years, the city's port had already become a cultural center, renowned for arts and sciences. Historians do not know whether Luke came to Christianity from Judaism or paganism, although there are strong suggestions that Luke was a gentile convert.
Educated as a physician in the Greek-speaking city, Luke was among the most cultured and cosmopolitan members of the early Church. Scholars of archeology and ancient literature have ranked him among the top historians of his time period, besides noting the outstanding Greek prose style and technical accuracy of his accounts of Christ's life and the apostles' missionary journeys.
Other students of biblical history adduce from Luke's writings that he was the only evangelist to incorporate the personal testimony of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose role in Christ's life emerges most clearly in his gospel. Tradition credits him with painting several icons of Christ's mother, and one of the sacred portraits ascribed to him – known by the title “Salvation of the Roman People”-- survives to this day in the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
Some traditions hold that Luke became a direct disciple of Jesus before his ascension, while others hold that he became a believer only afterward. After St.
Featured image: Photo by Renáta Sedmáková; Main image: via WikipediaOctober 18: Saint Luke the Evangelist—Feast
Patron Saint of artists, bachelors, bookbinders, brewers, butchers, glassworkers, goldworkers, laceworkers, notaries, physicians, and surgeons
Pre-Congregation canonization
Liturgical Color: Red
Version: Full – Short
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Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word have handed them down to us, I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received. ~Luke 1:1–4Saint Luke the Evangelist