St. Luke, Evangelist

St. Luke is the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. He is thought to be the Luke identified by St. Paul in the epistles. He is thought to have been a physician.

St. Luke is thought to have been born a Gentile, and probably Greek. His gospel seems to be particularly aimed at Gentiles. The Gospel of Luke is the only gospel to tell the beloved story of the Good Samaritan and of the thankfulness of the Samaritan who is healed of leprosy. These are just a couple examples of how Gentiles are shown in a positive light in his gospel.

This gospel also emphasizes Jesus care and mercy for the poor and outcasts. It also shines light on our Blessed Mother and contains many details about the birth of Jesus which the other gospels do not.

The symbol of St. Luke is the ox. His gospel shows Jesus as a priest and the temple is of importance in it. This symbol is appropriate because of the sacrifices which were performed at the temple.

St. Luke was a companion to St. Paul and was very faithful to him, even when Paul was imprisoned by the Romans and others deserted him.

Patron Saint of …

St. Luke is the patron saint of physicians, surgeons, butchers, and artists (particularly painters).

Daily Mass Readings for the Feast of Saint Luke, Evangelist

• First Reading – 2 Timothy 4:10-17b: “Demas, enamored of the present world, deserted me and went to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Luke is the only one with me.”
• Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 145: “Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.”
• Gospel – Luke 10:1-9: “Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'”

This beautiful prayer of the Virgin Mary is only found in the Gospel of Luke. Download and share this social media graphic.

Introduction to the Gospel of Luke

Read an overview of the Gospel according to Luke and learn about major themes in this gospel, including its emphasis on social justice, mercy, and compassion.

Introduction to the Acts of the Apostles

This summary explains how Acts takes up the narrative where the Gospel of Luke leaves off. The gift of the Holy Spirit enables the early Christian community to spread despite persecution from without and conflicts from within.