18th of October - St. Lukes Day
18th of October is the 291st day of the year
St. Lukes Day:
Luke, writer of the third gospel, was born in Antioch of Greek extraction. There is some debate about whether he was Jewish or a Gentile, but none about the fact that he was a physician, and for that reason is their patron saint (along with somewhat unsettlingly the patron of butchers), his patronage of artists being derived from the since shelved idea that he had painted the Virgin Mary, and of bachelors from him being unmarried. Although he did not shy away from risk – twice incarcerated with Paul in Rome – he is one of the rare early Christian figures who it seems died of old age (he is thought to have been in his eighties) rather than being martyred. There is no apparent logic to October 18th being his feast day, but it is interesting to note that in the past the period around his saint’s day was called St Luke’s Little Summer, because of the good weather that frequently graced this time.
Choose another day:
Brit Quote: |
|
On this day: |