Luke the Evangelist (Festival)
Luke was a dear friend of the apostle Paul, and is mentioned by him three times in his Letters. Paul describes him as ‘the beloved physician’ and, in his second Letter to Timothy, as his only companion in prison. He is believed to be the author of two books of the New Testament, firstly the gospel which stands in his name and also the Acts of the Apostles. Luke’s narrative of the life of Christ has a pictorial quality and shows the sequential pattern from the nativity through to the death and resurrection. The developed sense of theology that comes over in Paul’s writings is virtually unknown in those of Luke but, as a Gentile, Luke makes clear that the good news of salvation is for all, regardless of gender, social position or nationality.
Note: the following are simply a compilation of ideas from various sources – don’t feel you need to use all of them each day! (List of sources at the bottom of the post).
Sunday Readings
- Isaiah 35.3–6
- Psalm 147.1–7
- 2 Timothy 4.5–17
- Luke 10.1–9
In our Diocese: The diocese’s Low Income Community Network Conference will be hosted by Reading Gateway this Thursday. Pray for those beautiful, life-filled communities and the churches and organisations who stand side by side with them in the face of economic hardship, social inequality and the complex challenges that our poorest areas of social housing and rented accommodation face daily. For the changes needed to allow better access to training, leadership pathways and fairer investment of resources across our diocese.
Christian Aid: Pray for families in Ethiopia rebuilding after devastating floods, and for the partners standing with them (find out more).
Anglican Communion: The Anglican Church of Canada, led by Archbishop Shane Parker.
Cycle of Intercession: Sunday (from Common Worship: Daily Prayer)
- The universal Church
- Bishops, synods and all who lead the Church
- The leaders of the nations
- The natural world and the resources of the earth
- All who are in any kind of need
Collect for St Luke:
Almighty God,
you called Luke the physician,
whose praise is in the gospel,
to be an evangelist and physician of the soul:
by the grace of the Spirit
and through the wholesome medicine of the gospel,
give your Church the same love and power to heal;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
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List of sources:
- Benefice Prayer Diary
- Oxford Diocese Prayer Diary
- Christian Aid Prayer Diary
- Calendar, Lectionary, Collects and Cycle of Intercession from Common Worship
- Biographies from Exciting Holiness