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*[http://www.comeandseeicons.com/l/ysm03.htm Icon and Story of St. Luke, Evangelist & Iconographer]
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[[Image:Luke_first_icon.jpg|right|frame|Apostle and Evangelist Luke, the first iconographer]]
The holy, glorious and all-laudable '''Apostle and Evangelist Luke''' is the [[evangelist|author]] of the [[Gospel of Luke]], the companion of the [[Apostle Paul ]] ([[Book of Philemon|Phil]] 1:24, [[II Timothy|2 Tim]] 4:10-11), and is numbered among the [[Apostles#The Seventy|Seventy Apostles]]. He was a native of Syrian [[Church of Antioch|Antioch]] and a physician, and is the founder of [[iconography]].
His emblem is the calf, the third symbolical beast mentioned by [[Book of Ezekiel|Ezekiel]] (1:10), which is a symbol of [[Christ]]'s sacrificial and [[priest]]ly office, as pointed out by St. [[Irenaeus of Lyons|Irenaeus]]. His [[feast day]]s are celebrated on [[October 18]]; on [[April 22]] with Apostles [[Apostle Nathaniel|Nathaniel]] and [[Apostle Clement|Clement]]; on [[June 20]] on which day his [[relics]], among others, were translated to the [[Church of the Holy Apostles (Constantinople)|Church of the Holy Apostles]] in Constantinople; and on [[January 4]], the [[synaxis]] of the Seventy.
==Life==
[[Saint]] Luke, was of Greek origin born in the Hellenistic city of Antioch, studied <ref> According to the book of the "Life of the Saints" of the Orthodox Church" </ref> and was extremally educated. His studies included Greek philosophy, medicine, and art in his youth. He was also a professional physician. St. Luke came to Jerusalem where he came to believe in the [[Jesus|Lord]]. He and [[Apostle Cleopas|Cleopas]] met the [[resurrection|resurrected]] Lord on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24).
After [[Pentecost]], Luke returned to Antioch and worked with the Apostle Paul, traveling with him to Rome, and [[conversion|converting]] [[Judaism|Jews]] and [[pagan]]s to the Christian Faith. "Luke, the beloved physician, ... greets you," writes the Apostle Paul to the Colossians ([[Colossians]] 4:14). At the request of Christians, St. Luke wrote his [[Gospel]] in the first century. According to some accounts this [[Timeline of Church History|took place]] around 60 A.D., and according to others around 80 A.D. After St. Paul's [[martyr]]dom, St. Luke preached the Gospel throughout Italy, Dalmatia, Macedonia, and other regions. He painted icons of the Most-holy Theotokos—not just one, but three—as well as icons of the Holy Apostles [[Apostle Peter|Peter]] and Paul. For this reason, St. Luke is considered the founder of Christian iconography. In his old age, he visited Libya and Upper Egypt; from Egypt he returned to Greece, where he continued to preach and convert many with great zeal despite his age.
In addition to his Gospel, St. Luke wrote the [[Acts of the Apostles]] and dedicated each of these works to Theophilus, the governor of Achaia. Luke was 84 years old when the wicked idolaters tortured him for the sake of Christ and hanged him from an olive tree in the town of Thebes, in BoethiaBeothia of Greece <ref> Nikiphoros-Kallistos Xanthopoulos, Eccles. History XIVth c. His [[miracle]]-working relics were transported to Constantinople during the reign of Emperor ConstantiusAD., Migne P.G. 145, the son of Constantine876 </ref>.
St. Luke wrote the first [[icon]], of the Most Holy [[Theotokos]] ''Directress'' or ''Hodigitria'', mentioned in the [[Paraklesis]] to the Theotokos:
:''Luke the Evangelist.
::—[http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/learntochant/paraklesis.asp The Service of the Small Paraklesis] ([[GOARCH]])
==The Relics of St. Luke==
His [[miracle]]-working relics were transported to Constantinople during the 4th-century, under the reign of Emperor Constantius (357AD), the son of Constantine. In 1204, the Crusadors of the IV Crusade stole the relic from Constantinople and transported it to Padova in Italy and it is still located there in the Catholic church of Santa Justina at the centre of the city.
In 1992, the then Metropolitan Ieronymos of Thebes and Levathia (currently the Archbishop of Greece) requested the return of a "a significant fragment of the relics of St. Luke to be placed on the site where the holy tomb of the Evangelist is located and venerated today". This prompted a scientific investigation of the relics in Padua, and by numerous lines of empirical evidence confirmed that these were the remains of an individual of Syrian descent who died between 130 and 400 A.D. The Bishop of Padua then delivered to Metropolitan Ieronymos the rib of St. Luke that was closest to his heart to be kept at his tomb in Thebes, Greece. [http://www.traces-cl.com/archive/2000/novembre/luca.htm]
The tomb works miracles even today. In [[December 22]], 1997 at 1.30pm myrrh appeared on the tomb's marble and since then the interior of the marble sarcophagus is fragrant.The olive tree is still living to the right side of the cemetery in Thebes. On the right side of the sanctuary of this church is the roman sarcophagus where the body of St. Luke had been placed. This tomb belonged to a Roman family of the 2nd-century BC but later on it was emptied and the Christians of Thebes used it as "honour" for St. Luke's relic since it was a majestic tomb.
==Hymns==
:For the Word who alone knows the hearts of men,
:Chose him, with the wise Paul, to be a teacher of the gentiles!
== Notes ==
<references/>
==Source==
*[http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/saints.asp?contentid=246 Luke the Evangelist] (GOARCH)
*[http://www.unicorne.org/orthodoxy/avrilmai/stluc.htm Icons of St. Luke] by Dr. Alexander Roman
[[Category:Biblical Saints|Luke]]
[[Category:Seventy Apostles|Luke]]
[[Category:Iconographers|Luke]]
[[Category:Martyrs|Luke]]
[[Category:Saints|Luke]]
[[Category: 1st-century saints]]
[[ro:Apostolul Luca]]
