ST. MATTHEW THE APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST (SEPT. 21ST)

St. Matthew the Evangelist, Celtic Illumination from the Lindisfarne Gospel, c. 700 

Edited by Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West) 

St. Matthew, once a tax collector known as Levi, was called by Christ to leave behind his occupation and follow Him as a disciple (Matthew 9:9). His conversion represents a profound act of divine mercy, transforming a man associated with corruption into an Apostle and Evangelist. St. Matthew is best known as the author of the first Gospel, a work that uniquely bridges the Jewish and Gentile worlds, setting the stage for the Church’s expansion.

His Gospel, written primarily for a Jewish-Christian audience, carefully employs Hebrew and Aramaic idioms, liturgical structures, and scriptural references to convince his fellow Jews that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. St. Matthew's use of phrases like "Son of David" and "Kingdom of Heaven" underscores his desire to show how Jesus fulfills the prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures. Unlike St. Mark's more succinct and immediate style or St. Luke's focus on the universal compassion of Christ, St. Matthew emphasizes Jesus’ role as the new Moses, the Lawgiver, and the one who brings the Covenant to fulfillment. He presents Christ as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, seen through the many direct quotations from the Old Testament, particularly from Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the Psalms.

The theological structure of Matthew’s Gospel is distinct from the other Synoptic Gospels. It is arranged in five major discourses, mirroring the five books of the Torah, thus reinforcing Jesus as the fulfillment of the Jewish Law. Just as Moses went up into Mount Sinai to receive God’s Law, the Old Covenant, Jesus Christ goes up into the Mountain to deliver the completion of God’s Law, the New Covenant (Matthew 5). This reflects St. Matthew’s deep concern for proving to the Jewish people that the story of Christ is the continuation—and completion—of the story of Israel. At the same time, St. Matthew introduces his Gentile readers to the faith, by including the visit of the Magi, who symbolize the first recognition of Christ's kingship by non-Jews. His closing words, the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19), confirm that this message was not just for the Jews but for all nations.

According to Church Tradition, St. Matthew met his martyrdom while spreading the Gospel in Ethiopia. The narrative recounts that after converting the local ruler’s family to Christianity, the king grew enraged at his loss of influence and ordered St. Matthew's death. The holy evangelist was said to have been killed while celebrating the Divine Liturgy, a poignant symbol of his unyielding commitment to Christ and his mission to bring the Eucharist and the Gospel to the ends of the earth. His martyrdom, while tragic, became a witness to the power of the Gospel, as the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.

St. Matthew’s Gospel remains a theological treasure for the Church, reminding us of the profound continuity between the Old Covenant and the New, and the all-encompassing nature of Christ’s message, which calls the whole world to repentance and new life. His writings reveal a heart profoundly concerned with the salvation of the Jewish people, and a mind deeply rooted in the ancient Scriptures, yet equally attuned to the emerging mission of the Church to all nations.

COLLECT 

O Almighty God, who didst inspire thy holy Evangelist St. Matthew to write of the Incarnation of thy Son and to proclaim Him as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets; Grant us grace to heed his witness, and through the same Spirit that moved him to write, may we ever proclaim the Gospel in word and deed, that all the nations may come to the knowledge of thy saving love; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.