Saint
Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist
Patron of Accountants
& Bankers
Feast day – September 21
Among the early followers and apostles of Jesus, Matthew is mentioned in
Mt 9:9 and Mt 10:3 as a former tax collector from Capernaum who was called into
the circle of the Twelve by Jesus. He is also named among the number of the
Twelve, but without identification of his background, in Mk 3:18, Lk 6:15 and
Acts 1:13. He is called Levi, son of Alpheus, in Mk 2:14 and Lk 5:27. He may
have collected taxes from the Hebrew people for Herod Antipas. Matthew was
"called" by Jesus of Nazareth to be one of the Twelve Disciples.
According to the New Testament he was one of the witnesses of the Resurrection
and the Ascension.
Matthew was a first century Galilean (presumably born in
Galilee, which was not part of Judea or the Roman Iudaea province) and the son
of Alpheus. During the Roman occupation (which began in 63 BC with the conquest
of Pompey), Matthew collected taxes from the Hebrew people for Herod Antipas,
the tetrarch of Galilee. His tax office was located in Capernaum. Jews who
became rich in such a fashion were despised and considered outcasts. However,
as a tax collector he would have been literate in Aramaic and Greek.
It was in this setting, near what is today Almagor, that
Jesus called Matthew to be one of the Twelve Disciples. After his call, Matthew
invited Jesus home for a feast. On seeing this, the Scribes and the Pharisees
criticized Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners. This prompted
Jesus to answer, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17)
When Matthew is mentioned in the New Testament, he is
sometimes found paired with Thomas. The New Testament records that as a
disciple; he followed Jesus, and was one of the witnesses of the Resurrection
and the Ascension. Afterwards, the disciples withdrew to an upper room (Acts 1:10-14)
(traditionally the Cenacle) in Jerusalem. The disciples remained in and about
Jerusalem and proclaimed that Jesus was the promised Messiah.
Matthew may also be mentioned in the Talmud.
Later Church fathers such as Ireneaus and Clement of
Alexandria claim that Matthew, for 15 years, preached the Gospel in Hebrew to
the Jewish community in Judea, before going to other countries. Ancient writers
are not agreed as to what these other countries are. The Roman Catholic Church
and the Orthodox Church each hold the tradition that Matthew died as a martyr.
Prayer
God, You chose St. Matthew the
Publican to become an Apostle. By following his example and benefiting by his
prayers, may we always follow and abide by Your will.
Amen.
God of mercy, You chose a tax
collector, St. Matthew, to share the dignity of the apostles. By his example
and prayers, help us to follow Christ and remain faithful in Your service. We
ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
St. Matthew – Pray for us
