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Also known as: Levi;
Apostle of Ethiopia
Profile
Son of Alphaeus, he lived at Capenaum on Lake Genesareth. He was a Roman
tax collector, a position equated with collaboration with the enemy by
those from whom he collected taxes. Jesus' contemporaries were surprised
to see the Christ with a traitor, but Jesus explained that he had come
"not to call the just, but sinners."
Matthew's Gospel is given pride of place in the canon of the New
Testament, and was written to convince Jewish readers that their
anticipated Messiah had come in the person of Jesus. He preached among the
Jews for 15 years; his audiences may have included the Jewish enclave in
Ethiopia, and places in the East.
Name Meaning: gift of God
Patronage
accountants, bankers, bookkeepers, customs officers, financial officers,
guards, money managers, Salerno, Italy, security forces, security guards,
stock brokers, tax
Representation
angel holding a pen or inkwell; bag of coins; halberd; inkwell; king;
lance; man holding money; money bag; money box; purse; spear; sword;
winged man; young man
Readings
"Jesus saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to
him: Follow me." Jesus saw Matthew, not merely in the usual sense, but
more significantly with his merciful understanding of men."
He saw the tax collector and, because he saw him through the eyes of mercy
and chose him, he said to him: "Follow me." This following meant imitating
the pattern of his life - not just walking after him. Saint John tells us:
"Whoever says he abides in Christ ought to walk in the same way in which
he walked."
"And he rose and followed him." There is no reason for surprise that the
tax collector abandoned earthly wealth as soon as the Lord commanded him.
Nor should one be amazed that neglecting his wealth, he joined a band of
men whose leader had, on Matthew's assessment, no riches at all. Our Lord
summoned Matthew by speaking to him in words. By an invisible, interior
impulse flooding his mind with the light of grace, he instructed him to
walk in his footsteps. In this way Matthew could understand that Christ,
who was summoning him away from earthly possessions, had incorruptible
treasures of heaven in his gift.
from a homily by Saint Bede the Venerable
Source:
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintm13.htm |
