“Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.”(Mathew 9:9)
Mathew was the son of Alpheus, probably born in Galilee sometime in the 1st century. St. Mathew was one of Jesus’s 12 apostles and also one of the four Evangelists, according to the Bible.
Mathew authored the first Gospel of the Bible’s New Testament, between 60 and 90, now known as the Gospel of Mathew.
He was a tax collector before he met Jesus and was known as Levi. After his conversion, Mathew became a faithful disciple of Jesus, traveling with Him and learning from Him.
When he invited Jesus home for a feast, the Scribes and Pharisees were upset and criticized Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus answered them by saying, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. (Mark 2:17)
He was present with Jesus at the Last Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, and the Ascension.
After the Resurrection, he continued to spread the Gospel and was instrumental, in establishing the Church. He proclaimed that Jesus was the promised Messiah.
The story of his conversion is an inspiring one and serves as an example of the transforming power of God’s grace.
St. Mathew is represented in liturgical art by an angel holding a lance, a coin, a pen or a money box. He is the patron saint of accountants, bankers, bookkeepers, security guards, and stockbrokers.
Mathew is recognized as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. He was martyred for his faith. His feast day is celebrated on 21st September.
A winged man or angel came to represent St. Mathew, because his book opens with the human descendants of Jesus. [Folio 16v]
His relics are preserved in the Salerno Cathedral in Italy. He is depicted in art with one of the four living creatures of Revelation.
St. Mathew the Apostle is an example of how God can transform the life of the most depraved sinner to become a saint for his glory.
Sherida D’Souza