Feast Day ~ October 18
Everyone admires a “Renaissance” man or woman: one who is broadly educated, widely read, skilled in several fields, who has traveled extensively and is able to carry on intelligent conversations on many subjects. In the historical period we designate as the Renaissance, these characteristics would also have included being able to dance, sing, and play a musical instrument and to compose and recite poetry. Very few people – in any age – have manifested these characteristics, but the Church can boast of one among the saints who fits the description perfectly.
St. Luke has given us a wonderful Gospel from which we learn about our Lord’s life and earthly ministry, and a thrilling account of the early days of the Church as the Apostles continued Christ’s work. The Gospel of Luke was written between the years 70 and 80 and the Book of Acts from 75-85. Much of what we know about St. Luke comes from these two books and from the Epistles of St. Paul. We learn that he was a Gentile [Col. 4:10-15] from the city of Antioch who was a physician [Col. 4:14]. We can surmise that he had studied Hebrew theology so that he knew of the expectation of the Messiah, that he had learned of Jesus and his teachings and had become a follower; we learn that he and Cleopas met the resurrected Lord on the road to Emmaus and only recognized him when he broke bread with them [Luke 24:13-32]. Tradition holds that St. Luke owned land in Antioch which he donated to the fledgling Christian community. The cave on this land, which served as the first church there, can still be visited today. We know from St. Luke’s use of the word “we” in the book of Acts that he accompanied St. Paul on his missionary journey to Greece beginning about the year 50 and was sent by Paul to the Macedonian city of Philippi. We read that he accompanied St. Paul, under Roman guard, on his journey to Rome to stand trial and of the dramatic shipwreck on the island of Malta [Act 27, 28]. After the martyrdom of St. Paul, Luke continued to preach the Gospel throughout Italy, Damatia and Macedonia.
In all of these adventures, the skill of the doctor was undoubtedly useful. St. Luke’s attention to detail in his descriptions of events, which he relates to secular historical events for the sake of his Gentile readers, has been of great benefit to all readers through the centuries. It is evident that St. Luke spent some time with the blessed Theotokos and passed on to us in his Gospel many details about her life and that of her family. He gives us beautiful texts which are sung in the services of the Church (the Magnificat, the Benedictus Dominus, the Nunc Dimittis). According to Tradition, St. Luke was also an artist who painted three pictures of St. Mary the Theotokos with the Christ child (which he presented to her for her approval) and also of Saints Peter and Paul. Thus he began the great tradition of iconography.
St. Luke, in his old age, traveled to Libya and northern Egypt, and at the age of 84 was tortured and hanged from an olive tree in the town of Thebes in Beothia for preaching the Gospel. Throughout his long life, he had devoted all of his “Renaissance” characteristics in service to Christ and the furtherance of His Kingdom. We give thanks to God for St. Luke – beloved physician, iconographer, historian, missionary, Evangelist and Apostle, martyr. Holy Luke, pray for us.
Sources: The Lives of the Holy Apostles published by Holy Apostles Convent, Buena Vista, CO; Orthodox Saints by George Poulos; The Prologue from Ochrid by St. Nikolai Velimirovic; The Orthodox Study Bible.