St. Luke the Evangelist

Luke was a Gentile, a physician, and one of Paul's fellow missionaries in the early spread of Christianity through the Roman world. He has been identified as the writer of both the Gospel which bears his name, and it's sequel, the Acts of the Apostles. Luke wrote in Greek, so that Gentiles might learn about the Lord, whose life and deeds so impressed him. Only Luke provides the familiar stories of the annunciation to Mary, of her visit to Elizabeth, of the child in the manger, the angelic host appearing to the shepherd's and the meeting with the aged Simeon. (Excerpted from Lesser Feasts and Fasts, The Church Hymnal Corporation, Third Edition, 1980)

The feast day of St Luke is October 18 th. The symbol of the winged ox, which is assigned to Luke, is a reference to his Gospel, which accents the sacrificial nature of Christ's life.