Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, Sept. 21, 2006

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-7. Psalm 19. Matthew 9:9-13

Jesus tells us he has come to call not the self-righteous but sinners! We have a chance! Matthew himself would have been considered non-righteous for he was tax-collecting for the oppressors the Romans. They had occupied Israel after the Greeks and exacted taxes from everyone in the Province of Judea. However, this tax-collector listened to Jesus, followed him and then invited him to his home for a dinner. This sets Matthew free and open to his new vocation which would lead him to be an evangelist and an apostle. His name is significant for it means the "Gift of God." That he was in serving both Jewish Christians and Gentiles in a Church that had tensions with such a make-up of peoples; some call it a Church divided against itself. Matthew's Gospel reflects such a social and religious atmosphere for his is the Gospel that is most Jewish and yet reaches out to the Genitles. It is sort of a "both...and" type of Gospel. Matthew was faithful to the Torah---Jesus tells us in it that he has come to fulfill it not to take away one dotted i (jota) or even a pen's sweep from the letters of the Law. And at the end of this great Gospel, Matthew tells us that Jesus sends his apostles out into the whole known world of his time, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations." It is a good synopsis of the entire Gospel, namely, Matthew 28: 16-20.

The accompanying readings are perfect for the call of Matthew as an Apostle. Ephesians shows us the characteristics necessary for Matthew: perfect humility, meekness, and patience, and bearing with one another lovingly. Matthew certainly had the gifts for doing this in his "divided community." His Gospel reflects these characteristics and are part of the personality of Matthew as an evangelist and apostle.

Finally, our Psalm 19:1-5 is clearly applicable to an apostle. The response reads, "Their message goes out through all the world."

Fr. Raymond E. Brown in his book, "The Churches the Apostles Left Behind" states, "Of all the Gospels it was best suited to the manifold needs of the later church, the most cited by the church fathers, the most used in the liturgy, and the most suited for catechetical purposes. It is the only Gospel that uses the word "church." (Churches, p.124).