Part 1: Luke’s Gospel and Relationship with the Apostles
The Evangelist Luke was with Saint John in Ephesus; later, he was with the Apostle Andrew. In his hometown, he met the Apostle Paul, whom he accompanied on his journeys. He wrote the Gospel following Paul's advice and because false writings concerning the life of the Lord were circulating. He wrote his Gospel 25 years after the Ascension of the Lord, mostly based on accounts from those who had witnessed the events.
Already around the time of the resurrection of Lazarus, I saw him visiting the places where the Lord had worked miracles and taking notes. He was in close relationship with Barsabas. I also learned that Mark wrote his Gospel based on accounts from those who had witnessed the events, and I have seen that none of the Evangelists used the writings of the others when composing their own books.
I was told that if more had been written, they would have been believed even less. They did not record the miracles that were repeated multiple times so as not to be overly lengthy.
Part 2: The Paintings of the Virgin Mary
I have seen Luke paint several pictures of the Virgin Mary, some in a miraculous manner. He found one bust of Mary already painted and completed after he had tried to do the work in vain and requested it to be so. He found it finished while he was in an ecstasy.
It is preserved in Rome, in Santa Maria Maggiore, (image) over an altar in the Chapel of the Crib (capilla del Pesebre), to the right of the high altar. It is not the original, however, but a copy of it. The original is still inside a wall that was converted into a column when many sacred objects were hidden there during a time of great danger. There, I also see the bones of saints and very ancient writings. The church has seven columns. It is enclosed in the middle one on the right, so that when the priest says Dominus vobiscum at the altar of the painting of the Virgin, he points to that column with his hand.
Luke also painted a full-length image of Mary in bridal attire. I do not know where that painting is located. Another painting, where Mary appears in mourning attire and is life-sized, I believe I have seen where the Virgin's bridal ring is kept (in Perugia).
Part 3: The Miraculous Image on the Way to Calvary
Luke painted Mary while she was on her way to Calvary to take Christ down from the cross. This happened in a marvelous way. When all the apostles had fled, Mary set out at dawn toward the cross, I believe with Mary of Cleophas and Salome.
Luke was on the path and spread out a cloth with the desire that the image of Mary would be imprinted upon it. He found the image like a sketched shadow, and based on this, he created the painting. There were two figures in it: himself holding the cloth, and Mary on her way. I do not know if Luke did this solely to obtain Mary’s likeness on his cloth, or because it was customary to raise a cloth before people in mourning, or to render a service to Mary just as Veronica had wished to do for Jesus.
I see this painting by Luke as still existing among certain people between Syria and Armenia. These people are not actually Christians; they believe in John the Baptist and use a baptism of penance when they wish to purify themselves of their sins. Luke preached in this place and worked many miracles with the painting. They persecuted him and wanted to stone him. Nevertheless, they kept Luke's painting. He took with him twelve people whom he had converted. They lived near a mountain, about twelve hours from Lebanon, toward the East. In Luke's time, there were about a hundred of them. I see their church as a cave in the mountain; to enter, one must go down. On the upper part, domes can be seen, much like windows on the roof of a church.
Part 4: Later Times and Luke’s Martyrdom
I saw Luke's painting at another time—I believe it was in more modern times, because in Luke's days things were much simpler. The church seemed larger to me, and the ceremonies among the inhabitants appeared very different. The priest sat under an arch in front of the altar. The painting hung from the ceiling. There were many lamps burning before the painting, so it had already become dark and faded.
They obtained many graces through the painting and honor it because they have seen wonders caused by it. Luke was martyred while serving as a Bishop, I believe in Thebes. I saw how they tied him with ropes to an olive tree and shot him to death with arrows. One arrow struck him in the chest, and his body slumped forward. Then they tied him up again and shot arrows at him once more. He was buried secretly at night.
I saw that during his period of healings, Luke used as medicine mignonette (resedá) mixed with olive oil, which he blessed. He would anoint the sick, making a cross on their forehead and mouth, and he also used dried mignonette with water, which he poured over them.
(*) Luke was a disciple of the Lord, although he did not follow Him continuously. According to Saint Gregory the Great, Origen, Theophylact, Nicephorus, and Metaphrastes, he was, along with Cleophas, one of the disciples of Emmaus.