The Apostle Luke is one of the most important links in a long chain that dates back to the time of the first coming of Jesus. As a disciple of the Savior himself, he gave him all his love and served him with incredible devotion and selflessness. He also always believed that treating sick people is the greatest business of mankind, not related to enrichment and glory.
You must have heard numerous stories that through their faces the Saints still heal many hopelessly sick people. So is the Holy Apostle Luke, who to this day, according to the stories of many healed, helps desperate people recover by being in a dream or sending those doctors who can actually help them. It's hard to believe, isn't it? But, as you know, miracles on earth, one way or another, happen. And to believe in them or not, everyone’s right. And we, in turn, will try to figure out who Holy Luke was, why he chose the profession of a doctor, what miracles he worked, and what he did, among other things.
Apostle Luke. Biography of the Holy
The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke was born in Syrian Antioch. He was one of the 70 disciples of Jesus the Savior, was an associate of St. Paul and a true doctor with golden hands. When a rumor circulated around the city that Christ was sent to earth, Luke immediately went to Palestine, where with all his soul and love he accepted the teachings of Christ the Savior. The Apostle Luke was sent by God as one of the very first of all 70 disciples. In fact, he was the first to preach about the kingdom of the Lord.
From a young age, the future Apostle Luke, whose life was completely dedicated to the Almighty, was engaged in science. He fully studied Jewish law, got acquainted with the philosophy of Greece, and also perfectly mastered the art of medicine and two languages.
During the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Holy Apostle Luke stood and, grieving, watched this terrible event for the whole Christian society, unlike many other disciples who betrayed and renounced it. For this endless fidelity, Luke was one of the first who happened to watch the Resurrection of the Lord, which he learned about with Cleopas, having met the living Jesus on the way from Emmaus.
After the Lord went to His Kingdom, Luke and the other apostles continued to preach His Holy Name, receiving God's blessing before this.
But soon Christians and apostles began to be expelled from Jerusalem, so many left the city and went to know about God in other countries and cities. Luke decided to visit his hometown of Antioch. On the way, he decided to talk about God in the city of Sevastia, where he unexpectedly saw the imperishable relics of John the Baptist. The Apostle Luke wanted to take them with him to his hometown, but faithful Christians refused him, citing the eternal devotion and reverence of St. John. Then Luke took away from the relics only the hand over which Jesus himself once prayed, having received baptism from her, and with this untold wealth went to his homeland.
Collaboration and friendship with the Apostle Paul
In Antioch, Luke was greeted with joy. There he joined the companions of the Holy Preacher of God Paul and began to help him preach the name of Christ. They spoke about God not only to the Jews and Romans, but also to the Gentiles. Paul wholeheartedly loved Luke. And he, in turn, considered him his father and greatest mentor. At the time when Paul was imprisoned, Luke was with him until the last minute and alleviated his suffering. According to legend, he treated the headaches, poor eyesight and other diseases that overtook Paul at that time.
After much suffering, the Holy Apostle Paul died, and Luke went to Italy, and after that he visited Greece, Dalmatia, Galia, Libya to preach the word of God. He accepted a lot of suffering for telling people about the Lord.
Death Luke
After Luke returned from Egypt, he began to preach in Thebes, under his supervision a church was built in which he healed the sick from mental and bodily diseases. Here Luke - the Apostle and Evangelist - died. Fans of idols hung it on an olive tree.
The saint was buried in Thebes. The Lord, who appreciated his disciple, during his funeral sent rain from healing calluria (lotion for eye disease) to his grave. Patients who had come to the grave of St. Luke for a long time received healing right away.
In the IV century, the emperor of Greece, learning about the healing power of the deceased Luke, sent his servants to deliver the relics of the Saint to Constantinople. After a while, a miracle happened. Anatoly (the tsar’s prisoner), who had been lying in bed almost all his life due to an incurable disease, having heard that the relics of the Apostle Luke were carried to the city, ordered him to be taken to them. Having prayed from the bottom of his heart and touching the tomb, the man was instantly healed. After this, the relics of Luke were transferred to a church built in the name of the Holy Apostles of God.
Why did St. Luke become a doctor?
All the disciples of God did good not to gain glory and fame, as many sorcerers do, but in the name of the Lord and the salvation of people. Moreover, the Saints continue to work miracles to this day through the Church and their faces, thereby continuing the good work of Jesus Christ.
In his sermons, the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke always explained why he decided to become a doctor. He did not need neither fame nor money, he just wanted to help a man with his gift and ease his suffering. He told people: “Have you ever thought why God sent the apostles to the earth not only to preach the gospel, but also to heal sick people? The Lord has always believed that healing and preaching are the most important things a person does. He healed, cast out demons and resurrected. And now this is the task of the apostles. The Lord always believed that illness is the most serious problem of mankind, which leads to despair, the most terrible pain, thereby destroying life. In return, the Savior requested only love and mercy, as well as compassion for a sick person. And the doctor who will practice medicine wholeheartedly and with love will be blessed by the Lord himself, for he will continue the work of all the Holy Apostles. ”
Acts of St. Luke in our time. The power of prayer
Luke the Apostle and Evangelist was truly Holy. He came to our world to do good and to heal people. This gift was granted to him by the Lord Himself.
Despite the fact that the Apostle Luke, whose life was carried out in love and compassion for the sick, has long gone to another world, many sources report his exploits in our time.
The first miracle of healing occurred in May 2002. A woman, a Russian immigrant living in Greece, said that St. Luke healed her. Doctors diagnosed her with diabetes mellitus and a serious disease of the spine, in which one of her hands atrophied. Despite all the doctor’s prescriptions and a long, painful treatment, nothing helped the woman. She decided not to visit the doctors anymore, because of their helplessness, and chose to turn to God. Her salvation was a prayer to the Apostle Luke and akathist, which she faithfully read every evening. After a while, the Saint appeared to her in a dream and said that he would heal her. The next morning the woman went to the mirror and calmly raised her hand. Doctors did not believe their eyes, because this disease was actually considered incurable.
The following case was recorded in the city of Livadia. A certain lady said that while she and her husband were on a business trip, their son had a terrible accident, after which the doctors stood to amputate the boy both legs. But after the appearance of one doctor who took full responsibility for the operation, the boy lost only a heel on one of his legs. The fate of the child, as the doctors said, was a foregone conclusion. All unanimously claimed that he would soon be unable to walk and prepared his parents for the fact that he still needed to give consent to amputation of the legs. But the boy’s mom and dad stood their ground, believing that the Lord would help them.
After some time, the child told his parents about a certain Luke, who appeared in his sleep every day and repeated the same words: "Get up and go to mom and dad!" Parents, not knowing anything about the Saint, began to question doctors about this man, but, as it turned out, no one under that name worked in the hospital. Then one of the doctors took out from his pocket an icon with the face of St. Luke and said: "That's who has been helping you all this time."
Since then, parents every day read the akathist to Apostle Luke and prayed to him without interruption. And the boy, on whose account there were already more than 30 operations, finally began to walk.
The next healing occurred in 2006. One woman complained of pain in her ear, but she decided not to contact the doctors. Instead, she went to church for help. There she was advised to pray and read to the apostle Luke. The woman prayed constantly, and finally the Holy One appeared to her in a dream and said: "Now I will operate on you." After that, the woman felt a slight painless puncture, and the next morning she discovered that her ear did not bother her at all.
All the above stories are just a small part of what the Holy Luke created, the icon and prayers of which are truly miraculous. But the most important thing is not fiction, these are real stories of cured patients. These stories once again demonstrate Luke's divine power and love for people.
Icons written by the Apostle Luke
The icons of the Virgin is the most important work of the Saint. Luke has more than 30 of them. One of these is the icon of the Virgin Mary with the Baby in her arms, to which she once sent mercy.
The next icon painted by the Apostle Luke was the “Black Madonna” of Częstochowa, which is the main Polish shrine. She is worshiped annually by about 4.5 million believers. An icon is written, according to legend, in Jerusalem on the top board of a dining table made of cypress. It is revered by both Catholics and Orthodox.
The Fedorov icon was also painted by the Saint, she consecrated the image of Alexander Nevsky. At one time, Mikhail Romanov himself was blessed with her reign . She became a symbol of the royal family. In front of this icon, all women pray for a safe birth.
The following icons painted by the Apostle Luke are the faces of Saints Peter and Paul. Having depicted these paramount Apostles, Luke laid the foundation for the painting of the Glory of God, the faces of all the Apostles, the Blessed Virgin Mary, to decorate churches and to save sick believers who will honor the icons and pray with faith before them.
What are they praying to St. Luke?
Prayer to the Apostle Luke is read in various ailments, especially with any eye diseases. In addition, the Saint is considered the patron saint of all doctors, because it was not for nothing that the Apostle Paul called him “the beloved doctor” at one time.
In matters of spiritual education, before reading the Bible or any other literature related to the enlightenment of the mind and spirit, the Apostle Luke will help, whose icon, as they say in his prayer, “will arouse wisdom and fear in a person”.
Gospel by Luke
The third book of the New Testament was written by the Holy Apostle Luke around the years 62-63 during his time in Caesarea. The book, as you know, was created under the direction of the Apostle Paul. It was written in beautiful Greek, because it is not in vain that it is considered the best book of all time. Unlike the two previous Gospels, Luke narrated in his book about the birth of John the Baptist, about some unknown details of the birth of the Savior, and even touched on the Roman census. The apostle described in detail the adolescence of Jesus, the visions that were presented to the shepherds, the feelings of the robber crucified next to the Savior, and also told about the travelers of Emmau. The Gospel of Luke includes many different instructive parables, including “On the Prodigal Son,” “On the Good Samaritan,” “On the Unjust Judge,” “On Lazarus and the Wealthier,” etc. Also, Luke describes the deeds and deeds, which Christ performed, thereby proving that he is the True Man.
In his book, the Apostle Luke describes in detail the entire chronology, explores the facts, and also makes good use of the oral tradition of the Church. The Gospel of Luke is distinguished by the doctrine of salvation that Jesus Christ performed, as well as the universal meaning of the sermon.
Also, in 60 years, Saint Luke wrote the Book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles, in which he describes in detail all the works and deeds performed by the disciples of God after the Ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven.
Icons of the Apostle Luke
Among the icons depicting the Apostle Luke, many have survived to this day. They were written from the XV-XVIII century, and are stored in museums and temples. In each of the images, infinite devotion to the Lord is noted, and the icons themselves carry positive energy and love. That is why most people believe in the power of the face of St. Luke, and, as a rule, whoever believes is healed.
The Pskov Museum stores two icons that were painted in the XVI century, one of them depicts Luke, who writes the very icon of the Virgin with the Baby in her arms.
In the Cyril-Belozersky Museum there is an image of Luke of the 16th century, which is called "Luke the Apostle and the Evangelist."
In the Church of the Holy Great Martyr of Solunsky, the miraculous icon of the Holy Apostle Luke is located on the iconostasis.
The Church of the Holy Prophet Elijah also houses the Holy Image of the Apostle, and in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the royal gate is the oldest icon of St. Luke in the oklad.
The relics of St. Luke. Where are they stored?
One of the particles of the relics of the Saint is stored in the Church of St. Nicholas. Every day thousands of believers come to pray there.
The chapel of the Apostle Luke is kept in the Temple of the Holy Truth in the city of Padua, which is decorated with frescoes of the famous artist. J. Storlato.
The head of His Holiness rests in the Cathedral of St. Martyr Vit in Prague. Particles of the relics are stored in three Athos monasteries: St. Panteleimon, Iversky, Diosiniat.
If you want to approach the Saint and feel the full power of his appearance, visit the temple of the Apostle Luke. Addresses and routes can be easily found.
The Apostle Luke, whose icon bears healing power, was one of the most beloved disciples of the Lord God himself, one of the few who did not betray Him, and after His ascension to heaven continued to preach His good name, for which he received a painful death. But his exploits do not end there to this day, this is proved by real stories of healers, who sometimes defy any logic. But everywhere it says strong faith and love. From this we can conclude that one must always believe, especially in hopeless situations.