Saint Luke

Today is the feast day of Saint Luke the Evangelist. Though not one of the twelve disciples, Luke is believed to be the author of two books of the New Testament: his own Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. He was a follower of Paul; he uses the word "we" in those parts of Acts that describe Paul's journeys.

Luke's writings are respected for their accuracy by many. As archaeologists and historians have discovered more about New Testament geography and custom, Luke's books have been proven correct, providing many details that would only have been noticed and recounted by someone genuinely living at that time.

Luke was a physician himself, and thus made the patron saint of physicians in some traditions. Many towns and cities across the country have a hospital or other medical facility named for St. Luke. The Order of Saint Luke the Physician, established in 1932, is an international, nondenominational Christian healing ministry.

Hymns about Luke generally describe him as a physician, and evoke a healing theme. This year we are continuing with Come sing, ye choirs exultant as we have previously used for St. Mark and St. Matthew, with a new tune.

Come sing, ye choirs exultant,
Those messengers of God,
Through whom the living Gospels
Came sounding all abroad!
In one harmonious witness
The chosen four combine,
While each his own commission
Fulfills in ev'ry line.

As, in the prophet's vision,
From out the amber flame
In form of visage diverse
Four living creatures came;
Lo, these the fourfold river
Of paradise above,
Whence flow for all earth's people
New mysteries of love.

For Luke, beloved physician,
All praise, whose Gospel shows
The healer of the nations,
And sharer of our woes.
Thy wine and oil, O Savior,
On bruised hearts come to pour,
And with thy Spirit's unction
Anoint us evermore.

Adam of St. Victor, c.1170;
tr. Jackson Mason, 1889; alt. (v 1 & 2)
Horatio Bolton Nelson, 1864; alt. (v.3)
Tune: LAUFER (7.6.7.6.D.)
Emily S. Perkins, 1924


For more about composer Emily Perkins, tune in tomorrow (which happens to be her birthday).

Saint Matthew

Today many churches observe the feast day of Saint Matthew, another of the twelve apostles and author of the Gospel that appears first in the New Testament. Modern scholarship now holds that the Gospel writer might possibly be some other Matthew instead (the things I find in doing a little research!) but since I already had this hymn picked out I am going to go with the tradition that there is only one.

In that first Gospel, Matthew is described as a tax collector who left his position to follow Jesus. His profession would have made him an outcast at the time, like many others who joined Jesus and his followers. He is traditionally depicted, as in this window, with a winged man, the third of the four living creatures named in Revelation 4 (the other three Evangelists have creatures of their own).

We've seen part of the following hymn before, on the feast day of Saint Mark. The first two verses speak of the four Gospel writers (and the four living creatures); the third verse is unique to each. Today we have a different, but familiar, tune.

Come sing, ye choirs exultant,
Those messengers of God,
Through whom the living Gospels
Came sounding all abroad!
In one harmonious witness
The chosen four combine,
While each his own commission
Fulfills in ev'ry line.

As, in the prophet's vision,
From out the amber flame
In form of visage diverse
Four living creatures came;
Lo, these the fourfold river
Of paradise above,
Whence flow for all earth's people
New mysteries of love.

O Christ, in Matthew's Gospel
Thy godhood was declared,
He, worldly gains forsaking,
Thy path of suff'ring shared.
From all unrighteous mammon,
O give us hearts set free,
That we, whate'er our calling,
May rise and follow thee.

Adam of St. Victor, c.1170;
tr. Jackson Mason, 1889; alt. (v 1 & 2)
Horatio Bolton Nelson, 1864; alt. (v.3)
Tune: AURELIA (7.6.7.6.D.)
Samuel Sebastian Wesley, 1864

"Mammon" is a rather archaic word, and I considered changing it to something like "riches." But it is biblical, and it calls attention to itself because it's unique. It speaks of greed and unethical passion for wealth. In light of the economic news that has everyone a bit on edge this week, how appropriate that the saint of the day is a man who left behind his position in the financial system of his time to follow a different path.