Saint Luke, Evangelist
First Point
Saint Luke was the faithful companion of the Apostles of Jesus Christ. From them he learned the mysteries of the Christian religion and the holy Gospel,1 as he declares. How fortunate it is to draw truth from its source! This is the way to possess it well and to practice it perfectly. This is also what made Saint Luke so firm in his faith, for he found in the holy Apostles and in their teaching, which he studied with the greatest attention,2 all that was most solid in his piety. He made his faith, his actions, and his way of life be ruled by what they had taught him. As for his faith, it was so enlightened that he had the happiness of knowing the purest truths of the holy Gospel and of being filled with the holiest maxims found there.As for his actions, they were so wise that they made him known and loved by everyone.As for his way of life, it was governed so well that it served as a model for the Christians of his time.In these three ways, you ought to be imitators of this saint. Your faith must be a light that guides you in all things and a shining beacon to lead to heaven those you instruct. Your conduct must be so wise in their regard, as it is for you, that your students will respect it, because they will see that it is far aboveordinary human behavior and free from the passions that destroy, or at least diminish, the respect due to those who are responsible for leading others. Finally, your way of life must be a model for them, because they ought to find in you the virtues they are to practice.
Second Point
This saint had a very special friendship with Saint Paul, which is why in several of his epistles, Saint Paul sends to his correspondents and to others the greetings of Saint Luke as well as his own. He calls Saint Luke his very dear friend,3 whom he has also chosen to be the companion of his travels. That was a great benefit to Saint Luke, because in this way he shared in the ardent zeal of this holy Apostle, in the many conversions he made, and in all the work he did in the long and frequent journeys he undertook to work to establish the Church. Saint Paul had a great love for suffering and took pleasure in it; he also communicated to Saint Luke a love for mortification, which he had so much at heart that the Church writes of him that he always bore in his body the mortification of Jesus Christ. This was something he had learned from Saint Paul, who said of himself that he bore on his body the stigmata, that is, the marks of the wounds of jesusChrist.4 You will establish between Saint Paul and you a close friendship, as Saint Luke did, if you often read his epistles, select and study theprincipal maxims contained in them, meditate on them attentively, and make it your glory to practice them. Make it a point every day topractice one of them in particular.
Third Point
It was Saint Luke’s privilege to write the holy Gospel and in this way to be one of the secretaries of Jesus Christ. He was also the historian of the foundation of the true religion by writing the book of the Acts, which contains an account of the wonderful things accomplished by the holy Apostles in Judea after the death of Jesus Christ, before they spread out to preach the Gospel throughout the world.5 He describes especially the principal deeds and journeys of Saint Paul. It could be that Saint Luke did not often proclaim the holy Gospel in person, and he might not have converted a great many peopleby his preaching, but how many did he not bring to embrace our religion through his writings! This expression from his Gospel, Sell all you have, and give it to the poor,6 was all that Saint Anthony needed to quit the world and all his wealth and to withdraw into the desert for the rest of his life.Spoken words pass on and touch hearts only once and momentarily, but the good done by written words, which last forever, like those Saint Luke composed, produces results unendingly and is ablecentury after century, even to the end of the world, to convert a great number of souls, provided they are well disposed to hear the word of God expressed therein.Listen with docility to the word of God. Read it every day with attention, and Saint Luke will be for you an Apostle of Jesus Christ and a preacher of the holy Gospel.
Historical Context
The Evangelist Luke was probably born at Antioch, in Syria, of Greek, not Jewish, parents. As author of the Gospel bearing his name and the Acts of the Apostles, he is the largest single contributor to the New Testament. We learn about him from passages in the Acts, together with a few references to him in Paul’s epistles. From the style and content of his writings, we can deduce that he was well educated and knowledgeable in geography, the administration of the empire, andmedical matters and that he was concerned about historical accuracy, care for the poor, and sensitivity toward women. Moreover, he wasprobably familiar with the mother of Jesus or at least greatly interested in all that concerned her.
Scripture Citation
- cf Lk 1:2
- Lk 1:3
- Col 4:14; Phlm 24
- Gal 6:17
- Mt 28:19
- Lk 18:22