St. Luke, the inspired author of the Gospel and Acts of Apostles has been identified with St. Paul “Luke, the beloved Physician” (Colossians 4:14). Luke’s Gospel is known as the Gospel of the Merciful Heart of Jesus. It emphasizes the fact that Christ is the Salvation of all men, especially of the repentant sinner and of the lowly.
Luke’s unique perspective on Jesus can be seen in the six miracles and 18 parables not found in the other gospels. Luke’s is the gospel of the poor and social justice. He is the one who tells the story of Lazarus and the rich man who ignored him. Luke is the one who uses “Blessed are the poor” instead of “Blessed are the poor in the spirit” in the beatitudes. Only in Luke’s gospel do we hear Mary’s Magnificent where she proclaims that God has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly, he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty (Luke 1:52-53).
Reading Luke’s gospel gives a good idea of his character as one who loved the poor, who wanted the door to God’s kingdom to be opened for all, who respected women and who saw hope in God’s mercy for everyone.
He is considered as a patron of painters of pictures. He is often shown with an ox or a calf because these are symbols of sacrifice- The sacrifice Jesus made for all in the world. We should also look for ways to imitate Jesus by reaching out to help our brothers and sisters in need.
