Saint Matthew was formerly a tax collector but was transformed into one of the Twelve Apostles. Saint Matthew is the author of the Gospel of Matthew, one of the synoptic Gospels, which means he was an eyewitness to Jesus’s life on earth. His Gospel emphasizes Jesus as the Messiah and the fulfillment of the Old Testament.
His relics are believed to be in Salerno, Italy, and were discovered in 1080. His symbol is an angel because his Gospel begins with the genealogy of Jesus, emphasizing Christ’s humanity and Incarnation. He is the patron saint of tax collectors, accountants, and financial professionals.
Today, we pray for writers, teachers, and storytellers who carry the Gospel forward, that they might find courage in sharing their faith through words and actions. We pray for those discerning how to use their gifts to serve the Kingdom, that they might have openness to God’s will.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
A reading from the Gospel of Matthew (Mt. 9:9)
As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Saint Matthew the Evangelist, pray for us.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Tomorrow’s saint of the day is Saint Maurice.
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