Celebrating the Feast of St. Luke

ashleytumlinwallac
Oct 15
5 min read

The Feast of St. Luke on October 18th invites Christians around the world to pause and honor one of the most beloved figures in the early Church, Luke the Evangelist, the Gospel writer, the faithful companion of Paul, and the writer who gifted us both the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles.

His legacy isn’t just written into the Christian calendar, it’s etched into the lives of those who love and treasure the Scriptures.

Who Was St. Luke?

Luke was a physician from Antioch in Syria, highly educated, possibly a Greek convert, and, according to tradition, also an artist and man of letters. He wasn’t one of the original twelve disciples, but he was a close companion of St. Paul, traveling with him on missionary journeys and staying with him in prison. Near the end of Paul’s life, he writes with deep tenderness:

“Only Luke is with me.” — 2 Timothy 4:11

Luke is one of the Four Evangelists, credited with writing both the Gospel that bears his name and the Book of Acts. He opens his Gospel by saying that he “carefully investigated everything from the beginning,” gathering eyewitness accounts to write “an orderly account” (Luke 1:1–4).

Was St. Luke the First Iconographer?

Church tradition holds that St. Luke was the first iconographer. He’s said to have painted several images of the Virgin Mary and Christ Child, and possibly even icons of St. Peter and St. Paul. Some churches around the world claim to house one of his original icons.

The St. Thomas Christians in India preserve a tradition that one of the icons of the Theotokos, brought by St. Thomas, was originally painted by St. Luke.

Because of this association with sacred art, medieval painters’ guilds across Europe were known as the Guilds of St. Luke.

Why Is He Symbolized by an Ox?

In Christian iconography, Luke is traditionally represented by a winged ox, one of the four living creatures described in Ezekiel 1 and Revelation. Each Gospel writer is associated with one of these figures.

The ox, a sacrificial animal, fits Luke’s Gospel beautifully. His Gospel begins with the priest Zechariah and is filled with themes of sacrifice, mercy, and Christ’s compassion for the lowly and outcast.

Unique Aspects of the Gospel of Luke

Luke’s Gospel is often described as the most compassionate and universal. While sharing many stories found in Matthew and Mark, it also includes:

The most detailed account of Jesus’ early life: Zechariah and Elizabeth, the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, Simeon and Anna, and Jesus as a boy in the temple.
The Song of Mary (Magnificat), the Song of Zechariah (Benedictus), and the Song of Simeon (Nunc dimittis), all woven into our Anglican liturgies at Morning and Evening Prayer.
18 parables and 6 miracles unique to Luke, including the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son.
A strong focus on women, the poor, the sick, and social outcasts, making it deeply pastoral and inclusive.

Luke wasn’t just recording events, he was faithfully preserving the story of Jesus for the Church, showing us again and again that Christ came to seek and save the lost, to welcome the outsider, and to heal the brokenhearted.

Acts: The Sequel

Luke’s writing continues in the Acts of the Apostles, tracing the birth of the Church, the coming of the Holy Spirit, and the spread of the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire. His careful attention to detail gives us vivid accounts of Pentecost, early Christian community life, and the missionary journeys of Paul.

Throughout Acts, Luke shows us that the same Spirit who descended on Jesus now empowers His followers to carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

Ways to Celebrate the Feast of St. Luke

If you’d like to mark the Feast of St. Luke at home, here are a few simple, creative, and meaningful ways to enter into the day:

Read Scripture and Sing the Songs

Read or pray the Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55) or Nunc dimittis (Luke 2:29–32).
These songs are part of our Morning and Evening Prayer, and they first appear in Luke’s Gospel.

Paint or Create

Since Luke is said to have been a painter, make or color an image of Mary and Jesus.
Kids can paint with icons in mind, or just create art inspired by the day.

Watch and Learn

Watch the Luke/Acts video series by The Bible Project (free and accessible for all ages).
A great way to get an overview of the big picture Luke was telling.

Eat Something Pumpkin!

In Venice, Italy, they say pumpkins go stale after St. Luke’s Day.So today’s the day to eat your pumpkin pie, soup, bread, or muffins!

Try Something with Sour Cream

In Scotland, St. Luke’s Day was marked by eating sour cakes—fermented oatcakes traditionally served with sour cream.

Enjoy St. Luke’s Little Summer

St. Luke is said to have gifted us a few final golden days before winter—a short stretch of warm weather in mid-October known as “St. Luke’s Little Summer.”
Step outside. Soak it in.

Serve Beef for Dinner

Since Luke’s symbol is the ox, many families serve beef dishes in his honor.
We’re making my grandmother’s pot roast for dinner tonight—it’s a family favorite and a lovely nod to tradition.

Learn About the Fiera di San Luca

In Impruneta, Italy, St. Luke is honored with a thousand-year-old livestock fair, the Fiera di San Luca.
It originally marked the end of mountain pasturing and the return of shepherds to the valley for the winter, an echo of seasonal change and provision.

A Final Word

St. Luke gives us so much: not just a Gospel and a sequel, but a lens of compassion, an emphasis on God’s universal mercy, and a love for those often overlooked.

This feast is a beautiful moment to pause, remember his gifts, and live into his legacy with joy and gratitude.

the recipe -

Pumpkin Muffins for the Feast of St. Luke

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Grease the muffin pans.
Whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil in a large bowl until well combined.
Add the canned pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla extract, and mix until fully incorporated.
In a separate medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredient mixture.
Mix gently until just combined, avoiding over-mixing.
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pans.