Apostle Luke: biography, icon and prayer

The Apostle Luke is one of the most important links of some long chain, which dates back to the time of the first coming of Jesus. Being a disciple of the Savior himself, he gave him all his love and served him with incredible devotion and dedication. He also always believed that the treatment of sick people is the greatest work of mankind, not related to enrichment and glory.

You've probably heard numerous stories that through their faces the Saints still heal many hopelessly sick people. So the Holy Apostle Luke, who to this day, according to the stories of many cured, helps the desperate people to recover, being in a dream or sending to them those doctors who can really help. It's hard to believe, is not it? But, as you know, miracles on earth, one way or another, are happening. And to believe in them or not, everyone's right. And we, in turn, will try to figure out who the Most Holy Luke was, why he chose the healer profession, what miracles he created, and what he did besides everything else.

The Apostle Luke. Biography of His Holiness

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 spread through the city that Christ was sent to earth, Luke immediately went to Palestine, where with all his heart and love he accepted the teachings of Christ the Savior. The apostle Luke was sent by God as one of the earliest of all 70 disciples. He, in fact, was the first to preach about the Kingdom of God.

From a young age, the future Apostle Luke, whose life was fully devoted to the Almighty, was engaged in science. He thoroughly studied the Jewish law, got acquainted with the philosophy of Greece, and also perfectly knew the art of healing and two languages.

During the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Holy Apostle Luke stood and, grieving, watched this terrible event for the entire Christian society, unlike many other disciples who betrayed and renounced it. For this endless faithfulness, Luke was one of the first to witness the Resurrection of the Lord, which he learned with Cleopas when he met Jesus on the road from Emmaus.

After the Lord went to His Kingdom, Luke with the other apostles continued to preach His holy name, receiving God's blessing before that.

But soon the 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. Luka decided to visit his hometown of Antioch. On the way, he decided to tell about God in the city of Sevastia, where he unexpectedly saw the imperishable relics of John the Baptist. The apostle Luke wished to take them with him to his hometown, but faithful Christians refused him, referring to the eternal devotion and reverence of St. John. Then Luke took away only the hand from the relics, which Jesus himself had prayed to after receiving baptism from him, and with this untold wealth went to his homeland.

Joint Works and Friendship with the Apostle Paul

In Antioch, Luka was greeted with joy. There he joined the number of associates of the Holy Preacher of Paul's Paul and began to help him preach the name of Christ. They told of God not only to Jews and Romans, but also to Gentiles. Paul loved Luke with all his heart. And he, in turn, considered him his father and the greatest mentor. At the time when Paul was imprisoned, Luke was with him until the last minute and eased his suffering. As the legend says, he treated headaches, poor eyesight and other diseases that Pavel had at that time overtaken.

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 took much suffering because he told people about the Lord.

Death of Luke

After Luke returned from Egypt, he began to preach in Thebes, under his command 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.

They buried the Saint in Thebes. The Lord, who valued his disciple, at the time of his funeral sent rain to his grave from the healing callrium (lotion from eye disease). Patients who have long visited the grave of St. Luke, at the same time received healing.

In the IV century, the emperor of Greece, having learned about the healing power of the deceased Luke, sent his servants to deliver the relics of the Holy to Constantinople. After a while a miracle happened. Anatoly (the king's bedchamber), who practically all his life lay in bed because of an incurable disease, having heard that the relics of the Apostle Luke are carried to the city, ordered to carry himself to them. Praying sincerely and touching the grave, the man instantly healed. After this power, Luke was 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 for glory and fame, as do many sorcerers, 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, continuing thus 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 any fame or money, he just wanted to help a man with his gift and ease his suffering. He told the people: "Have you ever thought why God sent the apostles to earth not only to preach the Gospel, but also to treat sick people? The Lord has always believed that healing and preaching are the most important things a person does. He himself healed, cast out demons and resurrected. And now it is the task of the apostles. The Lord has always believed that disease 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 the sick person. And that doctor who will be engaged in medicine from the heart 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 the Evangelist were truly Holy. He came to our world to do good and heal people. This gift was given to him by the Lord himself.

Despite the fact that the Apostle Luke, whose life was in love and compassion for the sick, has long since departed to a different world, many sources report his exploits in our time.

The first miracle of healing occurred in May 2002. A woman, a Russian emigrant living in Greece, told that St. Luke healed her. Doctors diagnosed her: diabetes and a serious disease of the spine, in which one of her arms atrophied. Despite all the doctor's prescriptions and a long, painful treatment, the woman did not help. She decided not to visit doctors any more, because of their helplessness, and preferred to turn to God. Her salvation was a prayer to the Apostle Luka and the Akathist, whom she read with faith 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 quietly raised her hand. Doctors did not believe their eyes, because this illness was actually considered incurable.

The next case was recorded in the city of Livadia. Some lady told me that at the time when they were on a business trip with their husband, their son was in a terrible accident, after which the doctors stood on how to amputate the boy both legs. But after the appearance of a doctor who took full responsibility for the operation, the boy lost only his heels on one of his legs. The fate of the child, as the doctors said, was predetermined. All in one voice argued that he would soon be unable to walk and prepared his parents for the fact that they still need to give their consent to amputation of their legs. But the boy's mom and dad stood on their own, believing that the Lord would help them.

After a while the child told his parents about a certain Luka, who appeared every day in his dream and repeated the same words: "Get up and go to your mother and father!". Parents, not knowing anything about the Holy One, began to question the doctors about this man, but, as it turned out, no one under that name was working at the hospital. Then one of the doctors took out of his pocket an icon with the face of St. Luke and said: "That's who helped you all this time."

Since then, parents have read the Akathist to the Apostle Luka every day 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 decided not to contact the doctors. Instead, she went to church for help. There she was advised to pray and read the Akathist to the Apostle Luka. 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 an easy painless puncture, and the next morning found that her ear does not bother.

All the stories told above are just a small part of what St. Luke created, the icon and prayers to which are truly miraculous. But the most important thing is that they are not fiction, they are real stories of the cured patients. These stories once again demonstrate Luke's divine power and love for people.

Icons written by the Apostle Luke

Icons of the Virgin are the most important work of the Holy One. There are more than 30 of them on account of Luke. One of them is the icon of the Virgin Mary with the Infant in her arms, to which she in due time sent mercy.

The next icon, which the Apostle Luke wrote, was the "Black Madonna" Czestochowa, which is the main Polish shrine. She is worshiped by about 4.5 million worshipers every year. The icon is painted, 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 Saints, it consecrated the image of Alexander Nevsky. At one time, Mikhail Romanov himself was blessed to reign . It became a symbol of the royal family. Before this icon, all women pray for safe childbirth.

The following icons, written by the Apostle Luke, are the faces of Saints Peter and Paul. Having painted these primary Apostles, Luke initiated the writing of pictures in the Glory of God, the faces of all the Apostles, the Blessed Virgin Mary, for decorating churches and for saving sick believers who will honor icons and pray with faith in them.

What are they praying to Saint Luka?

Prayer to the Apostle Luke is read with various ailments, especially with any eye diseases. In addition, the Holy is considered the patron of all doctors, it is not for nothing that the Apostle Paul called him "beloved physician" in his 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, whose icon, as the prayer goes to him, will "awaken wisdom and fear in man."

The Gospel written by Luke

The third book of the New Testament was written by the Holy Apostle Luke, approximately, in 62-63 years during his stay in Caesarea. The book, as is known, was created under the guidance of the Apostle Paul. It is written in a beautiful Greek language, it's not for nothing 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 the Roman population census. The apostle described in detail the adolescence of Jesus, visions that seemed to the shepherds, the feelings of a robber who was crucified next to the Savior, and also told about the Emmaus travelers. The Gospel of Luke includes many different instructive parables, including "About the Prodigal Son", "About the Good Samaritan", "About the Unjust Judge", "About Lazarus and the Richer", etc. Luke also describes feats and deeds, Which Christ did, thereby proving that he is a True Man.

In his book, the Apostle Luke describes in detail the whole chronology, examines the facts, and well applies the oral tradition of the Church. The Gospel of Luke is distinguished by the doctrine of the salvation that Jesus Christ performed, as well as the universal significance of the sermon.

Also St. Luke in the 60's wrote the Book of Acts of the Holy Apostles, in which he describes in detail all the labors and exploits 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 stored in museums and temples. In each of the images there is an endless devotion to the Lord, and the icons themselves carry positive energy and love. That is why most people believe in the power of the face of Saint Luke, and, as a rule, whoever believes, he is healed.

Pskov Museum stores two icons that were written in the XVI century, one of them depicts Luka, writing the same icon of the Virgin with the Child in his 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 Solun on the iconostasis there is a miraculous icon of St. Apostle Luka.

In the temple of the Holy Prophet Elijah, the Holy Image of the Apostle is also kept, and in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin on the royal gate is the oldest icon of St. Luke in the setting.

The relics of St. Luke. Where are they stored?

One of the particles of St.'s relics is kept in the Church of St. Nicholas the Hierarch. 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 adorned with the frescoes of a famous artist. J. Storlato.

His Holiness rests in the Cathedral of St. Martyr Vita in Prague. Particles of the relics are kept in three Athonite monasteries: St. Panteleimon, Iversky, Diosiniate.

If you want to approach the Holy One and feel all the power of his appearance, visit the temple of the Apostle Luke. Addresses and routes can be easily recognized.

The apostle Luke, whose icon bears the healing power, was one of the most beloved disciples of the Lord God himself, who one of the few did not betray him, and after his ascension to heaven continued to preach his good name, for which he suffered a painful death. But his exploits do not end there, and to this day, this is proved by the real stories of the healed, who sometimes do not give in to any logic. But everywhere there is talk of strong faith and love. From this we can conclude that one should always believe, especially in desperate situations.