Icon of St. Luke the Evangelist - 21st c. - 00STLE01

Feast Day/Commemorated: April 22

Saint Luke, a native of Syrian Antioch, was a highly educated physician skilled in Greek medicine. Upon hearing about Christ, he traveled to Palestine and eagerly embraced the Lord's teachings, becoming one of the Seventy Apostles sent to preach the Kingdom of Heaven during Jesus's earthly ministry. After the Resurrection, the risen Christ appeared to Luke and Cleopas on the road to Emmaus, a testament to his direct encounter with the Savior. His close association with the Apostle Paul began during Paul's second missionary journey, and they remained inseparable companions, with Luke being one of the few who stayed by Paul's side until the end of his life.

Following the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul, Saint Luke embarked on extensive missionary journeys, preaching the Gospel in Achaia, Libya, Egypt, and the Thebaid. He eventually suffered martyrdom in the city of Thebes, where his earthly life concluded. Beyond his evangelistic endeavors, tradition attributes to Saint Luke the remarkable distinction of painting the first icons of the Mother of God, receiving her blessing for these sacred images. He is also credited with painting icons of the chief Apostles Peter and Paul, further cementing his artistic legacy within the early Church.

Saint Luke's literary contributions are foundational to Christianity. Under the guidance of Apostle Paul, he authored the Gospel of Luke around 62-63 A.D. in Rome. This Gospel meticulously chronicles the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, providing a firm historical foundation for Christian doctrine, drawing from oral traditions and even direct accounts from the Most Holy Virgin Mary herself. His second work, the Acts of the Holy Apostles, written around the same time, continues the narrative, detailing the actions and fruits of the Apostles after Christ's Ascension. Acts prominently features the Jerusalem Council of 51 A.D., a pivotal event that marked Christianity's divergence from Judaism and its expansion into the wider world, driven by the guiding presence of the Holy Spirit.

The holy relics of Saint Luke have a compelling history, having been moved from Constantinople to Padua, Italy, possibly during the 1204 Crusade. In a significant ecumenical gesture in 1992, Metropolitan Hieronymus of Thebes requested a portion of Saint Luke's relics from the Roman Catholic bishop of Padua to be placed in the saint's original sepulchre in the Orthodox cathedral in Thebes. This request spurred a thorough investigation by the Roman Catholic Church, which included examining the relics in Padua and the skull believed to be Saint Luke's in Prague.

Scientific analysis confirmed the skeleton belonged to an elderly, strongly built man. Further DNA testing of a tooth found in the coffin revealed consistency with Syrians from the Antioch region dating between 72-416 A.D., while the skull in Prague perfectly matched the skeleton's neck bone, and the tooth fit the jawbone. As a result of these findings, Bishop Mattiazzo sent a rib from the relics to Metropolitan Hieronymus, allowing a portion of Saint Luke's venerated remains to return to his original tomb in Thebes, fostering a spirit of shared heritage and reverence between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches.

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