Luke wrote one of the major portions of the New Testament, a two-volume work comprising the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. In the two books he shows the parallel between the life of Christ and that of the Church. He is the only Gentile Christian among the Gospel writers. Luke wrote as a Gentile for Gentile Christians. The character of Luke may best be seen by the emphases of his Gospel, which has been given a number of subtitles:
(1) The Gospel of Mercy: Luke emphasizes Jesus’ compassion and patience with the sinners and the suffering. He has a broadminded openness to all, showing concern for Samaritans, lepers, publicans, soldiers, public sinners, unlettered shepherds, the poor. Luke alone records the stories of the sinful woman, the lost sheep and coin, the prodigal son, the good thief.
(2) The Gospel of Universal Salvation: Jesus died for all. He is the son of Adam, not just of David, and Gentiles are his friends too.
(3) The Gospel of the Poor: “Little people” are prominent—Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, shepherds, Simeon and the elderly widow, Anna. He is also concerned with what we now call “evangelical poverty.”
(4) The Gospel of Absolute Renunciation: He stresses the need for total dedication to Christ.
(5) The Gospel of Prayer and the Holy Spirit: He shows Jesus at prayer before every important step of his ministry. The Spirit is bringing the Church to its final perfection.
(6) The Gospel of Joy: Luke succeeds in portraying the joy of salvation that permeated the primitive Church.
Patron Saint of:
Artists
Brewers
Butchers
Doctors
Notaries
Painters
Physicians
Surgeons
And to baby born in our family today….Susanna Marie! Welcome dear soul, its so great to have you join us!