(Also called Levi, Publican, Martyr, Evangelist)
Feast Day: September 21
Patron of: Tax collectors, accountants, bankers, financial workers, converts
Symbol: A winged man (or angel), money bag, pen and book
I. His Call: From Publican to Apostle
Saint Matthew, before his conversion, was known as Levi, the son of Alpheus (cf. Mark 2:14). He was a publican, a tax collector for the Romans in Capharnaum. Among the Jews, publicans were despised as collaborators and frequently associated with injustice and extortion.
Yet it was to this man that Our Lord spoke the simple but divine command:
“Follow Me.” (Matt. 9:9)
At once, without hesitation, Matthew rose and followed Christ.
Such immediacy reveals the power of grace. The Fathers often remark that the same divine voice that said, “Let there be light,” spoke to Matthew’s heart.
Saint Bede writes:
“The Lord, who by an outward call moved him by His word, enlightened him inwardly by the invisible grace of His Spirit.”
Matthew then gave a great banquet in his house, inviting many publicans and sinners. When the Pharisees murmured, Our Lord replied:
“I came not to call the just, but sinners.” (Matt. 9:13)
Matthew’s conversion stands as a perpetual sign of hope: no past sin places a soul beyond divine mercy.
II. His Apostolic Mission
After Pentecost, according to ancient tradition, Saint Matthew preached first among the Jews in Palestine. Later traditions place his missionary labors in Ethiopia, Persia, or Parthia, though accounts vary.
The early Church Fathers—including St. Irenaeus, Origen, and Eusebius—attest that Matthew composed a Gospel before departing for distant lands.
He is believed to have suffered martyrdom, though the manner differs in various traditions—some say by the sword, others by spear or fire. The Roman Martyrology venerates him as a martyr.
III. The Gospel According to Saint Matthew
Saint Matthew’s Gospel was written primarily for Jewish converts. Its purpose is clear: to prove that Jesus is the promised Messiah, the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.
Distinctive features include:
- The genealogy tracing Christ to Abraham and David
- Frequent citation of prophecy: “That it might be fulfilled…”
- The Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7)
- The full account of the Passion
- The institution of the Church (Matt. 16:18)
- The Great Commission (Matt. 28:19–20)
His symbol, the winged man, represents Christ’s human genealogy and Incarnation, with which his Gospel begins.
IV. Spiritual Lessons from Saint Matthew
1. Immediate Obedience
Matthew did not delay. Grace requires response. The soul that hesitates risks losing the moment of visitation.
2. Detachment from Wealth
As a tax collector, Matthew likely possessed considerable means. Yet he abandoned it all. His life reminds us that riches can bind the heart unless surrendered to God.
3. Evangelization After Conversion
Matthew did not hide his conversion—he proclaimed it. His banquet became an occasion of grace for others.
4. Divine Mercy
If a publican becomes an Apostle, no sinner should despair.
V. A Meditation
Consider Christ passing by the “custom house” of your own heart.
Where are you still seated at the table of worldly gain, comfort, or reputation?
What would it mean for you today to rise and follow Him?
Hear the words spoken not only to Levi but to you:
“Follow Me.”
Pause.
Imagine standing up.
Leaving.
Walking after Him.
VI. Prayer to Saint Matthew
O glorious Saint Matthew,
who, moved by the mercy of Christ,
didst leave all to follow Him,
obtain for us the grace of prompt obedience
and detachment from earthly goods.Inspire in us love for the Holy Gospel
and zeal for the salvation of souls.Pray that we, once sinners,
may become faithful disciples
and at last be numbered among the saints in glory.Through Christ our Lord. Amen.