Saint Luke the Evangelist

The feast of St. Luke the Evangelist is a Double of the Second Class and its liturgical colour red. St. Luke was probably born in Antioch and in St. Paul's writings is described as a physician. He was a companion of St. Paul and the author of a Gospel that addressed itself to the non-Jewish world.

The feast began with the celebration of first Vespers yesterday. The antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc were sung with the psalms for first Vespers from the Common of Apostles. After the collect of the feast a commemoration was sung of the preceding Office of St. Margaret Mary. At Compline the Dominical psalms were sung.

At Mattins the invitatory is Regem Apostolorum Dominum, venite adoremus and the Office hymn Aeterna Christi munera. In the first nocturn the antiphons In omnem terram etc are sung with psalms 18, 33 & 44 and the lessons are those for Evangelists from the writings of the prophet Ezechiel. In the second nocturn the antiphons Principes populorum etc are sung with psalms 46, 60 & 63. The lessons are proper to the feast of St. Luke and from St. Jerome on Ecclesial Writers. In the third nocturn the antiphons Exaltabuntur etc are sung with psalms 74, 96 & 98. The lessons are from the Common of Evangelists with a homily by St. Gregory. The Gospel fragment is from the tenth chapter of St. Luke. The Te Deum is sung.

At Lauds the antphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc are sung with the Dominical psalms. The Office hymn is Exsultet orbis gaudiis.

At Prime and the Hours the antiphons Hoc est praeceptum meum etc are sung with the feastal psalms. At Prime Pss. 53, 118i, 118ii) the short lesson is Ibant Apostoli.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sung, the Creed is sung and the preface is that of the Apostles.

Vespers are of the feast. The antiphons Juravit Dominus etc are sung with psalms 109, 112, 115, 125 & 138. The Office hymn is again Exsultet orbis gaudiis. A commemomoration of the following feast of St. Peter of Alcantara is sung. At Compline the Sunday psalms are sung.

In the 'liturgical books of 1962' the feast loses first Vespers and does not even get a commemoration. Ferial psalmody is sung at Compline. At Prime and the Hours ferial antiphons and psalmody are sung, at Prime the short lesson is of the season. At Vespers there are no commemorations.