In Christian art, Matthew is designated as the winged man (he stressed the humanity of Jesus), and Mark as the winged lion because of his emphasis on Jesus’ power and deity.

Why Luke as the winged ox? Oxen were sacrificial animals in Old Testament times. Luke, although of Gentile origin, was aware of the place of sacrifices among the Israelites. He opens his gospel with the story of Zechariah, a priest, performing a sacrifice at the time he was told that he would be the father of John the Baptist. He duly reports how Mary and Joseph brought a sacrifice after Jesus’ birth, in keeping with the law of Moses. He pictures Jesus as the compassionate Servant of the Lord, as prophesied by Isaiah. Above all, Luke repeatedly emphasizes God’s free forgiveness-a forgiveness made possible through Christ’s sacrifice of Himself on the cross.
All of Scripture, of course, teaches Christ’s atonement. The Epistle to the Hebrews brings out that the sacrifice brought by Jesus when He shed His blood was far superior to shedding “the blood of goats and bulls.” Christ alone saves.

PRAYER

Almighty God, whose blessed Son called Saint Luke the physician to be an evangelist and physician of the soul, grant that the healing medicine of your Word and the sacraments may put to flight the diseases of our souls that with willing hearts we may ever love and serve you; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever Amen.