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Feast of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

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Feast of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

 

Born at Capernaum, St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, was working as a tax collector when he was called by Jesus. He wrote his gospel in Hebrew and is said to have preached in the East [cf the Office of Readings, for the Feast of Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist (September 21), Liturgy of the Hours].

He was the son of Alpheus and is known as Levi in the gospels of Mark and Luke. Thus, it is thought that Matthew is the name given him by Christ. He is represented with an angel as a sign of his new life as a messenger of Christ. The angel (or figure of a man) can be found in the symbolism of Revelation, Ezekiel and elsewhere in Scripture. St Matthew, himself, is only mentioned five times in the New Testament. And, in the New Testament, the phrase “The Kingdom of Heaven” is used exclusively by him. He is the patron saint of accountants and bankers, bookkeepers, financial officers and tax collectors, stock brokers, guards and security personnel, among others.

Art: St Matthew the Evangelist (shown with his traditional symbol; at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, Steinauer, Nebraska, USA), Corbert Gauthier, 2013, copyright, all rights reserved, used with permission.

About Liz Estler

Editor, Roman Catholic Spiritual Direction. Liz holds a Master of Arts in Ministry Degree (St. John’s Seminary, Brighton, Massachusetts), Liturgy Certificate (Boston Archdiocese), and a BS degree in Biology and Spanish (Nebraska Wesleyan University – Lincoln). She has served as hospital chaplain associate, sacristan, translator and in other parish ministries. She was a regular columnist for a military newspaper in Europe and has been published in a professional journal. She once waded in the Trevi Fountain!

Comments

4 responses to “Feast of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist”

  1. Maria 3 Avatar
    Maria 3

    Pope Francis recently mentioned the issue of excommunication ; it is likely that he is aware of the widely available existing privilege that most priests already have to lift excommunications in sins against life but has recognized that it is the laity who is most likely in the dark , needing to be cautioned .
    Many are possibly also struggling with receiving sacraments invalidly , since , AFIK , even for the confession to be valid, the prayers to lift excommunication , when needed , has be to said first .
    The Church applying this ‘medicinal penalty ‘ is just and right and can be a powerful prolife tool as well , since the sin of presumption of God’s mercy and the related assurance of the baby being in heaven are all lies that is possibly powerfully employed by the enemy in our times , which is likely why many even so called Catholic politicians support such .
    The more likely reality that in choosing to reject life and its author , one has asked for such a serious a state , thereby likely also putting others into jeopardy , the child itself, under such a state might be the needed truth for also many men out there to be more aware of , since the selfishness of seeing the woman as more culpable might make men to be not as supportive as they ought to be .
    The Divine Mercy Novena mentions about spewing out the lukewarm ; these matters of the serious effects of sin , ought to be known and viewed with great care and not doing so likely bringing related culpability to many ; those associated with Legionaries might be the right persons to help many out there in this area , to help In overall spiritual life .
    May the intercession of St.John Paul 11 and Mathew The Apostle be powerful aid for many .

  2. LizEst Avatar
    LizEst

    Maria–Will you please tell me what this has to do with the Feast of St. Matthew? I’m scratching my head trying to figure this out.

  3. Maria 3 Avatar
    Maria 3

    Well, St.Mathew as a tax collector , was in an ‘excommunicated ‘ state , in one sense ;
    his seemingly instant conversion and the power of God’s mercy has to appeal to our hearts , thus his intercession , in our times awash in greed in its many forms .
    The real truth though is , had thought that the comment was going to be posted under Fr.Bartulek’s article on perseverance in spiritual life ( me too surprised it ended up here -hope it is St.Mathew 🙂
    all this , in case there are persons out there who might be in the excommunicated state , efforts to have same lifted would help in a more positive manner may be ; the Legionare’ s old leader , unsure if he had met more serious criteria for excommunication ( that could only be lifted by Rome ) and thus their involvement might be more apt .
    Thank you for caring enough to ask ;
    there is Feast of another GIant in Spiritual direction for tomorrow –
    St Padre Pio , who cautions about the demon that can hide in the heart of the ungodly ; may his intercession for us and our families help us all along , to be rid off all that we need to , to be in touch with the Father’s love for us all .

  4. Maria 3 Avatar
    Maria 3

    P.S – also thanks for mentioning how he wrote the gospel in Hebrew , which would have been the Liturgical language of The Lord .
    Hoping that there would be a rebirth of same for use in Liturgy , both in the East and the West , which , in turn could have its own many beneficial effects .
    St.Mathew pray for us !

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