ST. MATTHEW THE EVANGELIST (NOV. 16TH)
A Contemporary Russian Icon of St. Mathew the Evangelist Edited by Bp. Joseph ( Archeparchate ) Introduction St. Matthew, also known as Levi, was one of the twelve apostles and the author of the first Gospel. Born in the 1st century AD in Capernaum, a town on the Sea of Galilee, he was a tax collector by profession, a role often despised by his fellow Jews for its association with Roman oppression and corruption. Yet, it was from this very station in life that Christ called him, transforming a sinner into a saint and a betrayer into a herald of the Kingdom. A Call from the Master As Matthew sat at the tax booth, Jesus passed by and said to him, “Follow Me.” Without hesitation, Matthew rose, leaving behind his livelihood and all its worldly enticements, to become a disciple of Christ (Matthew 9:9). In an act of profound gratitude and repentance, Matthew hosted a banquet in honor of his new Master, inviting fellow tax collectors and sinners. When the Pharisees criticized Jesus...
