St. Luke the Apostle

    Physician and painter: Tradition holds him to be a native of Antioch, and Paul calls him "our beloved physician" (Colossians 4:14). His Gospel was probably written between A.D. 70 and 85. Pagan parents, possibly born a slave, and one of the earliest converts. Legend has that he was also a painter who may have done portraits of Jesus and Mary, but none have ever been correctly attributed to him; this story, and the inspiration his Gospel has always given artists, led to his patronage of them.
    Traveled with Saint Paul and evangelized Greece and Rome with him, being there for the shipwreck and other perils of the voyage to Rome.

    Martyr. After the martyrdom of the Apostle to the Gentiles, Saint Epiphanus says that Saint Luke preached in Italy, Gaul, Dalmatia and Macedonia. Others say he went to Egypt and preached in the Thebaid, the region of the Fathers of the desert. Saint Hippolyte says he was crucified in Greece. His mortal remains were transferred to the Church of the Apostles, built by Constantine the Great at Constantinople, with those of Saint Andrew and Saint Timothy. Some of his relics remain in the Greek monastery of Mount Athos.

Summarizing the Four Gospels:
        1- Matthew: To the Jews, Jesus is the Messiah, the King so much waited by centuries... the Gospel of the Kingdom, of the Church.
        2- Mark: To the Romans, Jesus is the maker of wonders, the Redeemer Servant, the Gospel of Action.
        3- Luke: A Greek, he wrote to the Greeks, Jesus is the Son of Man, of Virgin Mary, the universal Savior, the Gospel of Joy.
        4- John: To all, Jesus is the Son of God, anyone who believes in Him will be saved, the Gospel of Salvation..

Representation of the Four Gospel Writers:
        1- The winged man is mainly a symbol of Matthew because he began his gospel with a genealogy of Jesus as a man.
        2- The winged lion is mainly a symbol of Mark because of his clear proclamation of Jesus' Resurrection, and his continuous fights in the Gospels with the scribes and Pharisee.
        3- The winged ox is mainly a symbol of Luke because of his emphasis on Jesus' sacrificial atonement, opening his Gospel with the sacrifice in the Temple of Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist.
        - The eagle is mainly a symbol of John because of his "soaring" witness to Jesus' divine nature. See  Ezekiel 1

Born at Antioch

Died in Greece

Name Meaning bringer of light (= luke)

Images Gallery of images of Saint Luke

Additional Information

http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintl06.
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintOfDay/default.asp?id=1172

Writings

Canonical Gospel According to Luke   Commentary to Luke
Canonical Acts of the Apostles

  Commentary to Acts of the Apostles 

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