My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST1 HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
On the 18th of October, Our Holy Orthodox Church Commemorates
the Holy Apostle LUKE the Evangelist.
Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hymn. Third Tone
O HOLY Apostle and Evangelist Luke, intercede with the Merciful
God that He grant unto our souls forgiveness of offenses.
Kontakion hymn. Fourth Tone
Thou with Paul didst shine thy light upon the whole world, since
thou wast a genuine Disciple of the Logos/Word of God. And thou
didst drive out the gloom far hence when thou didst write the divine
Gospel of Christ God.
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The Holy Apostle Luke was born in the Syrian city of Antioch, situated between the Orontes River and Mount Silpius. The name "Luke" is an abbreviated form of the Latin name "Lucanus." His parents were not members of the Hebrew race. In one passage in his Epistle to the Colossians, the Holy Apostle Paul makes a clear distinction between Luke and those "who are of the circumcision," that is, the Jews [Colossians 4:10-15]. In his own writings, however, Luke shows a thorough knowledge of the law of Moses and the customs of the Jewish people. He was instructed in both the Hebrew and Syriac tongues, and was even as David pronounced: "He shall be like the tree which is planted by the streams of hte waters, which shall bring forth its fruit in its season; and its leaf shall not fall, and all things whatsoever he may do shall propers" [Psalm 1:3]. Thus, from his youth, he advanced in wisdom and knowledge. In his native land, which was renowned for the flourishing state of the arts and sciences, Luke had developed his intellect with various scholarly studies. He was a man of noble character and talents, having become skilled in many arts. From the Apostle Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians, we learn also that Luke had studied medicine [Colossians 4:14].
Now when he came of age, he went to Greece and to Egypt where he learned all the wisdom of the Greeks. At school, no one excelled him in grammar and rhetoric–not even the rhetors of old. He surpassed all in philosophy, so that none other arrived at his level of understanding. By contemplation he came to the knowledge of things, and this manifested itself on a practical level as he governed himself toward virtue. Thus, evn before he came to know Christ he was a good example to all who observed him. As a university man, he came to study all the sciences. He, however, specialized in MEDICINEs and earned an esteemed name in his chosen profession. He was a man of culture, broad sympathies, and great personal charm. His fame was so great that he came to be universally known as "PHYSICIAN LUKE." As a Greek, and son of Greek parents, he too was a product of his culture steeped in idolatry. Hear however, how Luke came to the True Faith.
With the INCARNATION OF THE LOGOS/WORD, not only the Jews, but those of the nations also came to believe in the Christ from Jesus’ teachings during His earthly sojourn. The Galilee region was inhabited by many Greeks, even as mentioned by the Prophet Isaiah. When rumor of the miracles and teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ spread from Galilee throughout Syria and hte entire surrounding region, Luke journeyed from Antioch to Galilee, where the Lord Jesus Christ had begun to sow the seeds of His saving teaching. Luke heard the preaching of the Lord and immediately came to believe in Him. His spiritual eyes were quickly opened to the light of the knowledge of the Truth and the Kingdom of Heaven. He had long been struggling in virtue to purge and purify himself OF THE PASSIONS OF THE WORLD. Thus, he readily received the see of teaching as good earth that had been cleaned and prepared. He utterly left off the religion of the idolaters and followed the Master Christ with all his soul.
Luke hte physician had been present at the many miracles of healing bestowed by Jesus, which further helped in making him steadfast in the knowledge of God and Divine mysteries. Even as he surpassed his peers in understanding the Truth. Thus, the Holy Luke became a genuine Disciple of the Christ and never left His side. Although he was not one of the Twelve, he was numbered among the SEVENTY [Luke 10:1], whom the Lord appointed and sent forth, two by two, before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.
During the final days of the Savior’s earthly life, when, with the striking down of the Shepherd, the sheep of His flock also were scattered, the Holy Luke abod in Jerusalem, lamenting and weeping for his Lord Who has accepted suffering voluntarily. IN all probability, Luke also stood "afar off" among the others who knew Jesus, and looked upon the Crucified One. But soon his sorrow was transformed into joy, for the Resurrected Lord consoled Luke on the very day of His Resurrection, counting him worthy to see and converse with Him, as Luke himself informs us in his Gospel in detail and with animation [Luke 24:13-32]. Grieving over the death of his Master and in doubt concerning His Resurrection, of which the myrrh-bearing women had informed him. Luke setout for the village of Emmaus, being sixty stadia away from Jerusalem, in the company of Cleopas, another Disciple of hte Lord; and along the road to that town, he was accounted worthy to become the travelling companion of Him Who is "THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE." Both Disciples were walking and conversing with one another when Jesus Himself overtook them and walked with them. The Lord appeared to them, as the Evangelist Mark related, "IN A DIFFERENT FORM" [Mark 16:12], and NOT IN THE FORM IN WHICH THEY KNEW HIM BEFORE. Moreover, by the SPECIAL PROVIDENCE of God, "THEIR EYES WERE HELD" [Luke 24:16], that they might NOT recognize the Lord Who had appeared to them. They supposed that their Companion was one of hte pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover.
Jesus then said to them, "What words are these which ye exchange with one another, as ye walk and are sad in countenance?" And the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him. "Art thou sojourning alone as a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which came to pass in it in these days?" And He said to them, "What kind of things?" And they said to Him, "The things concerning Jesus the Nazaraean, Who was a man, a Prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how both the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him up to a judgment of death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that He was the One Who was about to REDEEM ISRAEL; but, beside all these things, this passeth as the third day today since these things took place. Yes, and certain women from among us astonished us, who were early at the Sepulcher. And not having found His body, they came, DECLARING ALSO TO HAVE SEEN A 33].VISION OF ANGELS WHO SAY, ‘HE IS LIVING.’ And certain of those with us went away to the Sepulchre, and found it thus, even as also the women said, but Him they did not see" [Luke 24:17-24].
And He said to them, "O YE WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING AND SLOW IN HEART TO BELIEVE IN ALL THINGS WHICH THE PROPHETS SPOKE! IT WAS NEEDFUL FOR THE CHRIST TO HAVE SUFFERED THESE THINGS AND TO HAVE ENTERED INTO HIS GLORY, WAS IT NOT?" And beginning from Moses and from all of the Prophets, He went on INTERPRETING TO THEM IN ALL THE SCRIPTURES THE THINGS CONCERNING HIMSELF. And they drew near to the village where they were going, and He was making as if to be going further. And they constrained Him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening, and the day hath waned." And He went in to stay with them. And it came to pass, as He RECLINED AT TABLE WITH THEM, HE TOOK BREAD, AND BLESSED IT, AND BROKE IT, AND WAS GIVING IT TO THEM. AND THEIR EYES WERE OPENED, AND THEY RECOGNIZED HIM, AND HE DISAPPEARED FROM THEM. And they said to one another, "Our heart was burning in us as He was speaking to us in the way and as He was opening to us the Scriptures, was it not?" And they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem" [Luke 24:25-33].
Desiring to share their joy with the other Disciples of the Lord, Luke and Cleopas rose immediately from their meal and set out for Jerusalem. There they found the Apostles and the other Disciples assembled in one house, and, of course, they announced to them straightway that Christ HAD RISEN FROM THE DEAD, AND THAT THEY HAD SEEN HIM AND CONVERSED WITH HIM.
After the ASCENSION of the Lord, the Holy Luke remained in Jerusalem for a time, with the other Apostles, but later, as tradition bears witness, he went to Antioch, his native city, where there were already many Christians. Along the road to Antioch, he passed through the city of Sevaste, the principal city of Samaria. There he proclaimed the glad tidings of the Coming of the Messiah. There also he found the INCORRUPT HOLY RELICS OF SAINT JOHN THE FORERUNNER AND BAPTISM. When it came time for him to leave Sevaste, the Holy Luke wished to take them with him to his native land, but the Christians there, fervently honoring the Baptizer of the Lord, would NOT permit Luke to remove his holy relics. The Saint Luke detached from them the right arm, under which Christ had bowed His head when He received BAPTISM from Saint John. With this priceless treasure the Holy Luke arrived in his homeland, to the great joy of the Christians of Antioch. And he left that city only when he became the travelling companion and fellow laborer of the Holy Apostle Paul, who, in the words of several ancient writers, was one of his kinsmen. This took place during the Apostle’s Paul Second Missionary Journey. At that time, Saint Luke and the Apostle Paul traveled to Greece, to preach the Holy Gospel, and the Holy Evangelist was left behind by the "Apostle of the Gentiles" to establish and organize the Church in the Macedonian city of Philippi; therefore, for a period of several years, the Holy Luke labored to spread Christianity throughout those parts. [Resource: The Great Synazsristes of the Orthodox Church]
(To be continued)
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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 