St. Matthew, Apostle
by VP
Posted on Saturday September 21, 2024 at 12:00AM in Saints
Carravagio, St. Matthew's Martyrdom
- Saint Matthew was killed at the altar by the Ethiopian King Hirtacus, while offering the sacrifice of the Mass, for refusing consent to the king's marriage to the virgin Eugenia who was dedicated to God. Source: Explanation of the Epistles and Gospels for the Sundays and Holy days by Rev. Leonard Goffine 1880, Vol. 25, St. Matthew page 870
- A Galilean by birth, his name before his conversion was Levi; he was a publican. This profession which consisted in collecting the Roman taxes was very odious to the Jews, who were thus reminded of their dependence. Generally harsh and greedy, the publican was considered by the Pharisees the type of the sinner. Wherefore the Church shows us Jesus as the healer of souls which He calls to penance.
- We read in the Gospel, St. Matthew's own account of his conversion. The Epistle describes the famous vision where Ezekiel saw four symbolical animals in which the four Evangelists were recognized from the earliest centuries. St. Matthew is represented by the animal with a human face, because he commences his Gospel by the line of ancestors from whom Jesus descended as man. His object in writing this book, which is stamped by truly divine wisdom (Introit) was to prove that Jesus realized the prophecies relating to the deliverer of Israel and that He is therefore the Messiah.
After Pentecost, the Apostle preached the good news in Palestine and in Ethiopia, where he was martyred. The name of St. Matthew is in the Canon of the Mass in the group of the Apostles. Every Parish Priest celebrates Mass for the welfare spiritual and temporal of his parishioners.
Daily Missal with Vespers for Sundays & Feasts by Dom Gaspar Lefebvre
- He was called from the receipt of custom, to be an apostle. Beseech God to call you from all your evil ways, and to have mercy on all sinners.
He was the first who wrote the gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray that this may be written in your heart, to be the rule of your life. Pray for all who read it, that it may lead them into all truth.
Having preached the gospel in Ethiopia with great fruit, he was at length put to death by the enemies of his faith. Pray for all who succeed in his function, that they may be accompanied with the same spirit, and blessed with success in the good of souls.
On this day of a publican and oppressor of the poor becoming an apostle, all sinners have reason to hold up their heads, and hope for mercy from him, who publicly declares that he comes to call sinners to repentance. If you are but ready to obey his call, you have no reason to doubt of his part: for if he had no desire to receive you, he would never call upon you to return. But see that your return be like that of St. Matthew, by forsaking whatever evil you have been engaged in. Matthew, an apostle, is no more a publican; because that profession was unlawful, and not consistent with the spirit of Christ. Thus it ought to be with every sinner who thinks in earnest of following Christ. He is to examine into his profession, and the practice of his life; he is obliged to be sorry for whatever he observes contrary to the law of God, and humbly acknowledge it before a minister of Christ. And thus far common practice carries the Christian on without much difficulty; for he easily calls his sins to remembrance; he conceives some trouble upon this review, and though nature be something averse to Confession, yet it generally costs not much to overcome. But the principal point is yet to come; and that is, whether that sorrow and repentance, with which he has proceeded, has been so sincere, as to work a change in his heart, and separate him from that, which his conscience tells him, has before separated him from God. For if this be not the effect of his repentance and Confession, he has too just reason to fear that there was no sincerity in what he did.
Now though we may hope that the repentance is not always insincere, which is followed by a relapse; yet there is reason enough to fear it; and there more especially, where, after Confession, there is little or no care taken to prevent it. For how can he be supposed to be heartily sorry for having offended God, who uses no means to prevent his offending him again? Is any one heartily troubled for being sick, who will do nothing for his cure? Since therefore, the motions of the soul are so uncertain, and we may be easily mistaken in the judgment which we form of them, we cannot do better than to examine into the effects, and guess of the tree by the fruit. Therefore it is the business of a penitent to consider how solicitous he is, and what pains he takes, that he may not fall again into those disorders, which he has acknowledged to be displeasing to God. He must examine whether he uses due endeavors for overcoming those passions of ill habits, to which he is subject, and to separate himself from those occasions which led him into sin. This is the work, in which his sorrow for past offenses necessarily engages him; and if it was sincere before Confession, he will undertake it after Confession. But if his Confession be followed with little diligence and endeavors, or even none, he has more reason to suspect all that is past of being counterfeit and insincere, than to judge favorably of it; and must not be surprised, if absolution be afterwards for some time denied him, till he can give better proof of his being truly in earnest in a matter of this concern. This is the rule, by which all habitual sinners are to judge of their repentance, as to all the sins of drunkenness, uncleanness, injustice, passion, cursing and swearing, neglect of family, or other duties, and the rest. For if after Confession they go on without endeavors for amendment, what hopes are there of their having any part in the mercy of this day, whilst being publicans before, they are publicans still, and quit not their injustice to follow Christ?" The Catholic Year; Or Daily Lessons on the Feasts of the Church by Rev. Fr. John GOTHER 1861
