Luke the Evangelist is one the four traditionally ascribed authors of the canonical Gospels. The early Church fathers ascribed to him authorship of both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. The New Testament mentions Luke briefly a few times. Many scholars believe that Luke was a Greek physician who lived in the Greek city of Antioch in Ancient Syria, although some other scholars and theologians think Luke was a Hellenic Jew.
Luke was a disciple of St. Paul, and participated in Pauline missions. Luke is believed to have died in Boeotia as a martyr. According to Greek medieval historians, Luke's tomb was located in Thebes, whence his relics were transferred to Constantinople in 357. Nowadays his relics are venerated in Padova, Prague, and Thebes.
Christian tradition, starting from the 8th century, states that he was the first icon painter. He is said to have painted pictures of the Virgin Mary and Child, in particular the Hodegetria image in Constantinople (now lost). Starting from the 11th century a number of painted images were venerated as his autograph works, including for example, the Black Madonna of Częstochowa and Our Lady of Vladimir. He was also said to have painted Saints Peter and Paul, and to have illustrated a gospel book with a full cycle of miniatures. Late medieval Guilds of St Luke in the cities of Late Medieval Europe, especially Flanders, or the "Accademia di San Luca" (Academy of Saint Luke) in Rome—imitated in many other European cities during the 16th century—gathered together and protected painters. The tradition that Luke painted icons of Mary and Jesus has been common, particularly in Eastern Orthodoxy. The tradition also has support from the Saint Thomas Christians of India who claim to still have one of the Theotokos icons that Saint Luke painted and which St. Thomas brought to India.
He's considered the saint patron of artists, physicians, bachelors, surgeons, students and butchers. His feast in Catholic and Orthodox churches is celebrated on October 18th.
pgierech
