Matthew 6:33
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you"
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St. Matthew
One day, as Our Lord was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Matthew the publican, whose business it was to collect the taxes from the people for their Roman masters.
Jesus said to him, “Follow Me;” and leaving all, Matthew arose and followed Him. Since the publicans were disliked by the Jews as enemies of their country, no Pharisee would sit with one at a table. Our Savior alone had compassion for them.
So St. Matthew made a great feast, to which he invited Jesus and His disciples, with a number of these publicans, who then eagerly listened to Him. It was then, in answer to the murmurs of the Pharisees, that He said, “They that are healthy do not need a physician. I have not come to call the just, but the sinners to penance.”
After the Ascension, St. Matthew remained some years in Judaca, and there wrote his gospel. to teach his countrymen that Jesus mas their true Lord and King. foretold be the prophets. St. Matthew afterward preached the Faith far and wile. and is said to have finished his life s work in Parthia.
Feast Day: September 21
Name Meaning: “The Gift of the Lord”
Patron Saint of:Accountants, Bookkeepers, Bankers, Tax Collectors, Security Guards, Stock Brokers.
Key Facts about Saint Matthew
- The apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot was Saint Matthias. According to the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:21-26), he was selected after a period of prayer because he had followed Jesus from His baptism to His ascension. The apostles cast lots, and the choice fell on Matthias
- In New Testament writings, Matthew is known by the name “Levi” and also as the “son of Alphaeus.” Levi was probably his original name. He may have been given the name Matthew (translated from the Hebrew to mean “gift of Yahweh”) when he became a follower of Jesus
- The Author of the Gospel: Matthew is traditionally known as the writer of the Gospel of Matthew. His Gospel is heavily focused on proving Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah, emphasizing how Christ fulfills Old Testament prophecies.
- Symbol of Redemption: Before his calling, Matthew worked for the Roman government. Because tax collectors were often seen as corrupt traitors who extorted their own people, he was deeply despised by Jewish society. His transformation from a social outcast to a foundational pillar of the Church is a defining example of Jesus’s mission to call sinners rather than the righteous.
- Patron Saint of Financial Roles: Due to his previous profession, Matthew is recognized as the patron saint of tax collectors, accountants, bookkeepers, and bankers.
What Saint Matthew is Known For
- Saint Matthew is best known as one of Jesus’s Twelve Apostles, the traditional author of the first New Testament Gospel, and the patron saint of tax collectors. Originally a publican (tax collector) in Capernaum, he left his lucrative career to follow Jesus and later became a prolific missionarthe Jewish community.
- Saint Matthew was present at Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. It is one of the highest moments in the history of the Church, indeed, in some ways, it is considered its true beginning. It was thanks to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, sent by Jesus to his disciples in the form of tongues of flame, that they began to go and preach the Gospel.
Hebrew Pentecost fell on the fiftieth day from the day after the Passover Sabbath. It was a sacred, but also an agricultural feast, known as the feast of harvest and first fruits. He envisaged a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the sacrificial offering of leavened bread to the priests of the Temple.
In the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:1-11), it is stated that on the feast of Pentecost all the disciples of Jesus were gathered together in Jerusalem, united in one place. Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord in one place. Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. (Acts 2,1-4)
Death of Saint Matthew
His death occurred in Sevastopol, where he was buried at the Temple of the Sun, or according to other accounts, he suffered martyrdom in Jerusalem, where he was stoned and then beheaded with a halberd. This detail would justify why the Saint is often represented with this weapon in his hand. But there are no definite facts.
Novena
Glorious Saint Matthew, in your Gospel you portray Jesus as the longed-for Messiah who fulfilled the Prophets of the Old Covenant and as the new Lawgiver who founded a Church of the New Covenant.
Obtain for us the grace to see Jesus living in His Church and to follow His teachings
in our lives on earth so that we may live forever with Him in Heaven.
Amen.
