St. Luke the Evangelist: Physician, Gospel Writer, Feast Day and Prayer
Quick answer
St. Luke was a physician and a companion of St. Paul who wrote the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. His writings highlight God's mercy, care for the poor and the role of women, and they preserve the story of Mary at the Annunciation. His feast is October 18.
Key takeaways
- St. Paul calls him "the most dear physician" (Colossians 4:14).
- He wrote both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.
- Only Luke records the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son.
- He is patron of physicians, and tradition also makes him a patron of artists.
If you love the Christmas story, the Prodigal Son, or the Hail Mary, you owe a debt to St. Luke.
The Beloved Physician
Almost everything we know about Luke comes from a few brief mentions. St. Paul calls him “Luke, the most dear physician” (Colossians 4:14, Douay-Rheims). When Paul was alone in prison at the end of his life, he wrote, “Only Luke is with me” (2 Timothy 4:11, Douay-Rheims).
Luke was probably a Gentile. In parts of the Acts of the Apostles, the story suddenly switches to “we” (for example Acts 16:10-17), which suggests that the author was traveling with Paul.
A Careful Historian
Luke opens his Gospel by saying that he has carefully researched everything from the beginning, so that a man named Theophilus might know the truth (Luke 1:1-4). He then continues the story in the Acts of the Apostles, following the spread of the Gospel from Jerusalem to Rome.
The Gospel of Mercy
Dante called Luke the writer of the gentleness of Christ. His Gospel contains many passages found nowhere else:
- The Annunciation and the Visitation, and Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1).
- The shepherds at Bethlehem (Luke 2).
- The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).
- The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), which the Catechism uses to describe conversion (CCC 1439).
- The Good Thief on the Cross (Luke 23:39-43).
Luke pays special attention to the poor, to sinners, and to women, and to the place of prayer in Jesus’ life.
His Later Life
We know little about his death. An ancient prologue to his Gospel says that he never married and that he died in Greece at the age of 84. He is honored as a patron of doctors and of artists.
A Prayer to St. Luke (Original Prayer)
St. Luke, beloved physician, pray for all who are sick and for those who care for them. Help me to show the mercy you wrote about, and to run to the Father when I have gone astray. Amen.
Continue Reading
See our guide to the Catholic Bible, or read about St. Mark and St. Matthew.
Frequently asked questions
When is the feast of St. Luke?
October 18.
Was St. Luke an apostle?
No. He was not one of the Twelve. He tells us that he carefully investigated what eyewitnesses had handed down (Luke 1:1-4).
Why is St. Luke's symbol an ox?
His Gospel opens in the Temple with the priest Zechariah, and the ox was an animal of sacrifice.
Did St. Luke paint Mary?
A tradition, first recorded centuries later, says that he painted her portrait. Historians cannot confirm it, but it explains why painters took him as their patron.
Sources
- Luke 1:1-4; 1:26-56; 10:25-37; 15:11-32; Acts 16:10-17; Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 24
- Catechism of the Catholic Church 125-127, 1439, 2599
