Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist

Today's Mass Readings

Today, as we continue our daily walk with the Lord through this season of Ordinary Time, we pause to celebrate the feast of St. Matthew, the Apostle and Evangelist who is known as the author of the gospel of Matthew. So who was this Matthew? Was he a great man, a renowned scholar, a righteous and holy person when he encountered Jesus?

No. In fact, Matthew was a tax collector, and tax collectors were regarded very poorly at this time because they did not always conduct their business with honesty. They often profited much more from their job than was fair. In the gospel reading from Matthew we hear his own account of meeting Jesus. For whatever reason, Matthew left the customs post and followed Jesus when asked to do so. Matthew then notes the unfavorable reaction of the scribes and Pharisees, to which Jesus responds that he has not come to call the righteous but sinners (Mt 9:13). In other words, by Matthew’s own account, he was a sinner.
 
But ironically, so were the scribes and Pharisees. They may not have lived in the same sinful way as Matthew, but they nonetheless seem to suffer from pride and even vanity in regard to their religious practices and virtuous living. The beauty of Jesus’ line that he has come to call sinners is that, every person is a sinner. Despite how morally we live, we undoubtedly sin. We are all sinners, and we are all called to follow Jesus.
 
Recognizing that we are sinners is the first step to making sense of the first reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. We are called by Jesus to follow him and to live our lives accordingly. But we do not do this simply of our own accord. We do it out of the grace given us by God. This grace is what allowed the sinful tax collector Matthew to become the Apostle and the Evangelist. He did not decide to do this of his own accord, rather he responded to Jesus’ call, acknowledging (even recording in the gospel) his own sinfulness. He was open to and received the grace of God, and this allowed him to accomplish God’s work.
 
As such, Matthew presents a profound example for us. We may see our own weaknesses and failings and feel that we are unworthy or unable to do the work of God. But in fact, this recognition of our own sinfulness is what makes it possible for us to be open to God’s grace changing our lives. We may also be like the scribes and Pharisees at times, prideful of our own holiness and unaware of our underlying sinfulness. Regardless, we are called to devote our life to following Jesus. When we are defined by his mission, then we will become what we are called to be. The grace of this realization is there for us, freely given to us by God. We need only recognize where we are lacking and be willing to receive what he offers.
 
Today, let us take some time to pray to St. Matthew, asking him to intercede for us to help us recognize our own sinfulness and need of God’s grace. Let us pray that, through his intercession, we may become what God is calling us to be.
 
Maria Morrow