LAST Sunday was the Feast Day of St Luke. Summer-like days that occur around October 18 are often called, “St Luke’s Little Summer.”

I think that St Luke is one of the greatest of our saints, for many reasons.

The Gospel of Luke has been called “the most beautiful book in the world.”

St Luke is the patron saint of physicians, surgeons, students, butchers and artists. You can see a fine stained-glass window depicting St Luke in the two side windows of St Llawddog Church, Cilgerran, by John G O Howe (1854).

Luke has a wonderful gift of drawing the most vivid word-pictures, almost like artists, who can convey a striking likeness with a few strokes.

He is known as “the beloved physician”. In Colossians 4 verse 14, Paul writes to the Christians in the city of Colossae: “Luke, the beloved physician and Demas greet you.”

St Luke accompanied St Paul on part of the Second Missionary Journey and on part of the Third and travelled with him to Rome where Paul was executed.

Tradition has it that Luke was one of the Seventy Apostles and the unnamed disciple on the Road to Emmaus. (Lk 24 v 13-35).

In the Second Letter of Paul to Timothy, Paul is nearing the end of his life and he is missing his friends greatly. He then says - “Only Luke is with me.”

Luke seems to have that priceless quality in his character that we call loyalty. Jesus speaks of this when saying, “putting one’s hands to the plough and not looking back.” (Lk 9 v 62) It takes courage, devotion and loyalty to see things through to the end.

Not only is Luke the author of the Gospel of Luke but also of the Acts, where he recounts the activities and beliefs of the early Church.

He especially shows that the good news of Jesus Christ was not only for the Jews but for all human kind.

Luke pays more attention to women than the other Gospel writers. As a doctor, he is able to put their point of view in a male dominated society.

He wanted his readers to become Christians. He wanted to paint a picture of Jesus and encourage people to meet Jesus for themselves. One of my favourite passages is in Luke chapter 15 where we have the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Lost Son.

The Welsh hymn by W Rhys Nickolas (1914-96) makes me think of St Luke, the physician.

Am iddo gynnig ei iachâd

balm i glwyfau’r byd,

a throi’r tywyllwch dilesâd

yn fore gwyn o hyd,

moliannwn ef, moliannwn ef

sy’n rhoi i’r ddaear harddwch nef.

I love H D Rawnsley’s hymn. (1851-1920)

Loved physician! for his word

Lo, the gospel page burns brighter,

Mission servant of the Lord,

Painter true and perfect writer;

Saviour, of thy bounty send

Such as Luke of gospel story

Friends to all in body’s prison

Till the sufferers see thy glory.

Prayers:

Almighty God, by whose grace your servant Luke, the beloved physician, was enabled to write in the Gospel of the love and healing power of your Son: may your Church today show the same love and power to a world in need by proclaiming the good news of your salvation, both in word and deed, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hollalluog a chariadus Dad, a ysbrydolaist Luc y Ffisigwr, sydd a’i glod yn yr Evengyl, i gyhoeddi cariad a gallu iachaol dy Fab: dyro i’th Eglwys trwy feddyginiaeth iachasol ei ddysgeidiaeth ef, yn un cariad a gallu i iachau; trwy’r un Iesu Grist ein Harglwydd. Amen.

Rev John Powell

Retired vicar of Cardigan