Feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist – October 18


Luke wrote one of the four books of the Gospel of Jesus Christ included within the New Testament and also added a second volume on the history of the first communities that believed in Jesus.

luke_evangelist

According to tradition, Luke was a disciple of Saint Paul the Apostle and accompanied him on his voyages. He is mentioned in the Epistle to the Colossians as "Luke, the beloved physician" (4:14). It is clear from his writings that he was well educated and knew the Greek language and culture. Some even argue that he was a Gentile believer although his extraordinary knowledge of the history of the people Israel and their writings throws doubt on this claim.

Luke composed the Gospel that bears his name which tells the story of Jesus of Nazareth. He explains in his introduction that he had researched his subject much and used various sources: "I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed. " (Luke 1:3-4). The identity of Theophilus, for whom he wrote his work, is not known. Many consider Luke the first historian of the Church.

It is most likely that one of Luke's sources was the Gospel of Mark and perhaps he was also familiar with the Gospel of Matthew. In addition, Luke had special sources about the Virgin Mary as he tells us precious and unique information about her. A tradition even has Saint Luke painting a first icon of Our Lady.

Luke did not only write his version of the Gospel but also composed a second volume about the communities established by the apostles and the many travels of Saint Paul. This book, "Acts of the Apostles", was included in the canon of the New Testament and these two volumes make Luke a very important voice in the New Testament.

According to modern exegetes, Luke wrote his writings in the 80s of the first century. According to a popular tradition, he died at a ripe old age.

 

 

Soutenez-nous Contactez-nous Vatican News en Hébreu La messe en hébreu Pour la protection des enfants


© 2020 Saint James Vicariate for Hebrew Speaking Catholics in Israel