The writer of the third Gospel, and an evangelist but he never met Christ in person. But in his Gospel, he says that he came to know about Jesus by talking to eyewitnesses about the events of Jesus’ life, death, and Resurrection. Here the mentioned ‘he’ is Saint Luke. Without meeting Jesus in person, how could he write a Gospel? Listening to those stories must have helped Luke to become a believer, and he wrote this Gospel so that others would come to know and love Jesus.
Luke has been a physician by profession and he has traveled with Saint Paul on his second missionary journey. In fact, Paul calls Luke his “beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14). Because he cared for the bodily needs of others, Luke is the patron saint of doctors. He is also the patron saint of artists because it is believed that he painted a famous portrait of Mary, our Blessed Mother.
In his Gospel, Luke helps us to know how concerned Jesus has been for the sick, the poor, and anyone in need of help, mercy, and forgiveness. Luke tells us that Jesus has come to save all people. Through Luke’s Gospel, we learn how compassionate and caring Jesus has been. Some of the most famous stories Jesus has told are found in Luke’s Gospel: The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37) and the Lost Son (Luke 15:11-42).
The symbol for Luke, the evangelist, is an ox, an animal that was often sacrificed as an offering to God in ancient times. In his writings about Jesus, Luke reminds us of the great sacrifice Jesus made to save all people through his death on the cross and his Resurrection. Hence, the symbol of ox is very apt for his Gospel.
We celebrate the feast day of Saint Luke each year on 18th October. We remember that his Gospel carries on helping us know and love Jesus. Luke’s Gospel also reminds us to look for ways to imitate Jesus by reaching out to our brothers and sisters in need and helping them.