The Feast of St. Luke, the Evangelist

Of the four Evangelists, Luke is unique -- the only one to be a Gentile. Born in Antioch, Luke was a physician by profession. He became Paul's disciple and traveled the coast of Asia Minor with him.

Luke wrote his Gospel for Christians of a Gentile background. Luke's Gospel emphasizes that Jesus is the Universal Savior -- the Savior of all peoples -- men and women, Jew and Greek, rich and poor. In Luke's Gospel, Jesus is the personification of Mercy.

Luke is also the author of the Acts of the Apostles, which recounts the spread of the Good News by the Apostles from Jerusalem to Samaria, Syria, Cyprus, Asia Minor, Greece and Rome.