St. Luke

Their story

Luke was a Gentile, probably from Antioch in Syria, and St. Paul calls him "the beloved physician." He became a close companion of Paul, traveling with him on his missionary journeys and staying with him during his imprisonment. Near the end of his life, Paul wrote from prison, "Luke is the only one with me." Luke wrote both the Gospel that bears his name and the Acts of the Apostles, which tells the story of the early Church. He was a careful writer who said he had investigated everything from the beginning. Only Luke gives us many of the best-loved parts of the Gospels: the angel Gabriel's visit to Mary, the Visitation, the Magnificat, the shepherds at Bethlehem, the finding of the boy Jesus in the Temple, and parables like the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son. His Gospel is often called the Gospel of mercy, because it shows Jesus' special care for the poor, women, sinners and outcasts. An ancient tradition says Luke painted portraits of the Virgin Mary, and so he became a patron of artists. According to early sources, he died in Greece at an advanced age. His symbol is an ox, an animal of sacrifice, because his Gospel begins in the Temple with Zechariah.