What may I name you, Apostle? Heaven, for you declared the glory of God. Lightning, for you irradiate the world by your illumination. Cloud, that rains down divine streams. Mixing-bowl overflowing with the inspired wine of wisdom, wine that makes hearts glad. Intercede that our souls may be saved.

How may I now address you, O inspired by God? River, coming forth from Paradise for us. Ark of the covenant which Christ laid down. Beacon, blazing with spiritual light. Lamp, that irradiates the Church. Bread of life, divine table, cup of divine drink. Intercede that our souls may be saved.

What may we now call you, who saw God? Most active minister of the mysteries of Christ. Wise architect of the spiritual tabernacle, who carve out the tables of grace, having written down the new law which comes forth from Sion and is proclaimed through you. Intercede that our souls may be saved.

What may we now call you, glorious Saint? Safe treasury of the gifts of heaven’s grace. Skilled physician of both souls and bodies. Paul’s co-worker and companion of his journeys, who set down the Acts of the Apostles. Virtue, Luke, has made for you many names. Intercede that our souls may be saved.

What titles may I address you by, Inspired of God? Disciple, for you to us you proclaimed the good tidings: Christ. Physician, for you heal the passions of our souls. Lamp, blazing with spiritual light. Base and foundation of the faith, for it was you who traced out for us the all-revered Gospel. Intercede that our souls may be saved.

How may I now address you, wondrous Saint? Unerring contemplator of wisdom’s teachings. Active writer of the teaching of the Apostles and unshakeable pillar of true religion, or indestructible tower of the Church. Many are you achievements and greater your graces. Intercede that our souls may be saved.

Apostle of Christ, Writer of the doctrines of God and foundation of the Church. It was you who with divine words truly drew out and saved as from the rolling swell hearts in the gloom of ignorance sunk in the deep of destruction. You became the companion of Paul, the vessel of election, but also his imitator. Therefore we entreat you, most noble Luke, adornment of the people of Antioch. Intercede with the Saviour and God, for those who with faith celebrate your ever-revered memory.

Then the following Idiomel.

As you searched the depth of the spiritual sea with the fishing rod of Wisdom, all-blessed Luke, you caught from the death-bearing deep the souls of the faithful. Therefore, having become Paul’s disciple, you cleansed your whole heart by the radiance of the Spirit; and having enlightened the nations by your doctrines and healed by your wonders all the diseases of the passions, you ever implore Christ God for us that our souls may be saved.

All-wise Fisherman, holy Disciple, workman of the Saviour and proclaimer of his sufferings, when you had sped through creation by faith, gathered all the nations from error and offered them as incense to God you took the fair way to heaven. And so as you stand before the Judge intercede that we may be delivered from our iniquities and rescued from eternal punishment on the day of judgement.

Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke, intercede with the merciful God to grant our souls forgiveness of sins.

After the usual Reading from the Psalter the Canons from the Oktoichos are sung and the following of the Apostle to 6.

A Composition by Theophanes.

Knowing your mouth, O wise Apostle Luke, to be a divine mixing bowl of the wisdom from in high and enriched with the great and ineffable treasure of grace we draw from it eagerly, as we chant to the Lord; for he has been greatly glorified.

By leading you into the mysteries of heaven and opening to you at once the scriptures inspired by God, Apostle Luke, Christ shows you to be an initiate and wise herald of things beyond understanding, as you vigorously cry out, ‘Let us sing to the Lord; for he has been greatly glorified.’

Your Gospel, inspired Luke, makes present the Dayspring from on high that has overshadowed mankind.

Devoutly performing acts with noble inspiration, you recounted in writing those of the Apostles.

Revealed as the companion of Paul’s journeys, you bravely endured dangers of many kinds, all-praised Apostle of the Lord; and having completed the course of the faith by contest, blessed Saint, you rejoice with him in the highest. Therefore, having proclaimed to the world the Gospel of Christ, you enlightened the whole earth under heaven. All-honoured Luke, intercede with Christ God to grant forgiveness of faults to those who celebrate with love your holy memory.

As you were seen to be enlightened by the radiance of the Spirit, you were counted worthy to depict by your hands his laws for those who love God, those who sing with faith, ‘Glory to your power, O Lord!’

The grace of the Paraclete, having found you as his dwelling, was poured out richly on your lips, and revealed you as a herald of his peace to all those who sing with faith, ‘Glory to your power, O Lord!’

You appeared as companion to Paul in struggles, glorious Saint, and rightly were found worthy of the crowns of the kingdom. There you now rejoice together and cry with one accord: Glory to your power, O Lord.

Purified by the law of love from former stains, you received in your heart, Luke, the spiritual light and shared it with all.

You were clearly revealed as ablaze with the lightning rays of grace, All-blessed Luke, aflame with fiery tongue inspired.

Having ascended to the mountain of the virtues, O Apostle, you conversed with the beloved, and like Moses you received the twin tables written by God inscribed by the finger of the Spirit, blessed Luke, teacher of the inhabited world.

You enlightened the world by your teachings, as preacher of the revered Church; for you were seen aflame with the beams of the uncreated Trinity, O God-inspired, and you became as a star, shining as a torch on the ends of the inhabited world.

Luke, the great Evangelist, was from Antioch the Great in Syria, a doctor by profession and outstandingly skilled in the art of painting. While living and practising medicine at Thebes in Boeotia, he encountered the holy Apostle Paul; and having come to believe in Christ he abandoned his ancestral error. He then gave up the cure of bodies and took up that of souls. At the suggestion of the holy Apostle Paul he composed the Gospel according to him for one Theophilos, a Governor, who had come to believe in Christ. After Paul had departed he taught all Greece and, so they say, when he was eighty years old he went to his rest in peace at Thebes in Boeotia. His body was laid to rest there, God glorifying his own servant and worker by raining down little round loaves or capsules upon his grave as a symbol of his skill. And therefore his tomb became well known to all.

Constantius, the son of Constantine the Great, translated his remains from Thebes through the grand Duke and martyr Artemios and enshrined them in the church of the Holy Apostles under the holy table with Andrew and Timothy.

Our father among the Saints Julian abandoned the world and went away to the banks of the river Euphrates. There he found a cave in which he lived the solitary life. Many enthusiasts flocked to his tiny cave and setting up huts round about to the number of a hundred, nourished by their proximity to the teacher. This wondrous man slew a dragon and made water gush up in waterless land. He also went to mount Sinai and built a church on the rock on which Moses the lawgiver had seen God, as far it was possible to see him. This church is still standing today. But when many people were fearing the return of the impious and apostate Julian from the Persians, they asked his help, knowing him to be a true servant of God. He prolonged his holy prayer until the tenth day and then heard the words: ‘Not only for your sake, but because of the night-long entreaties and supplications of many others, the foul and impious Julian is being slain’.

After some years, when Meletios had been driven from Antioch, a number of people appealed to this blessed man for the sake of his many prayers and intercessions and entreaties. He agreed and set out, and on the way he was received by a God-loving woman. When the Saint had sat down for supper the woman’s only child, who was occupied at table, shortly disappeared from sight and as it happened fell into the well. The noble woman, though she knew this, remained absolutely unchanged, but rather covered the well over and bravely continued serving. She deceived the Saint when he asked where the child was by saying he had fallen ill. When the Saint anxiously asked that the child come to the table and enjoy a blessing, what had happened became known. He at once rose from table and tearing the cover off the well saw the child jumping in the water safe and sound, and as though in a game he ordered him to be brought up by means of something that was to hand. When this had been done the child was questioned and said he had come to no harm because he had been buoyed up and supported by the old man who had spoken with him and played with him in the waters.

When he reached Antioch he dwelt in the cave in which the holy Apostle Paul had once hidden. Once when a large crowd had flocked to the cave for the sake of the succour and blessing of the Saint, he was in the grip of a violent fever, and was lying breathing weakly and almost at his last breath. As they crowded round him, saying that there were many people waiting outside and in need of blessing, he answered ‘If health were good for us the Lord of all things would give it’; and after he had prayed he raised himself from the raging fever for the sake of helping the crowd.

Saint Mnason, bishop of Cyprus, and forty holy children met their end by the sword.

Commemoration of the newly-revealed holy Martyrs Gabriel and Kyrmidoli who contested in Egypt in 1522.

Ah, how the Master is made manifest from the tomb to Luke and Cleopas! For having risen he taught them to cry, ‘Blessed are you, Lord God to the ages!’

As you hastened on the path of life, blessed saint, you found the Word journeying with you, opening the gates of heavenly tabernacles to you, as you cry, ‘Blessed are you, O God, to the ages!’

Having received your books as tables written by God, let us faithfully delight in the illumination of grace, O all-blessed, as we praise the Lord and highly exalt him to all the ages.

The Spirit having used your tongue as an instrument, enlightens mortals, initiating them into the doctrines of grace as they praise the Lord and highly exalt him to all the ages.

You were bound unshakeably with Paul, inspired Luke, and with the one inspired by God you were shown revealed as an all-honoured pair, as you both praise the Lord and highly exalt him to all the ages.

You took your stand, Luke, as having reached the final goal of the yearning for things desired, and you clearly met a blessed end, the mirrors having being removed at the manifestations of the truth.

Having shone on the world like a sun, you stand inspired, all-praised Luke, before the Trinity with Paul who saw God. With him, O revealer of God, we unceasingly magnify you.

With your light-bearing radiance, Luke, entreat that those who sing your praise may be made bright, and bestow peace on the world, all-blessed Apostle who speak of God, that we may unceasingly magnify you.

At Lauds we insert 4 Stichera and sing the following Prosomia.

Believers, in hymns let us honour Christ’s Disciple, wise writer of the Gospel, fair living imprint of the vessel of election, whose praise is in all the Churches, Luke the Apostle. For he proclaimed the marvellous wonders of God, enlightening those on earth with beams of theology through grace.

Wise Apostle, having learnt the skill of healing souls above that of bodies, infused with the wisdom of God you were revealed as outstanding in both. By it you heal both souls and bodies, all-blessed Luke. Each day you summon mortals to knowledge and give them wings towards the love of God; you lead them up to heaven and you intercede for those who sing your praise.

Come all creation, let us praise in songs the true spiritual physician and Disciple of the Saviour, Luke the revered. For he healed the disease of godlessness with the ointment of the baptismal font of Christ; and from his mouth he has poured on living lands rivers of waters welling up from God, the Gospel. Therefore his sound has out prophetically into the inhabited world, and he intercedes that our souls may be saved.

Like David let us the faithful, gathered together, cry out in songs to Luke the mystical orator of the Word: Your tongue has been revealed as a pen of Christ the swiftly writing scribe, making fair the eyes of the nations for the knowledge of divine understanding, by which you proclaimed the Gospel and composed the Acts of your fellow Apostles. And so, as you stand before God, the Trinity, intercede for our souls.

Typika, and from the 3rd and 6th Odes of the Apostle.