The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: September 21st

Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

MASS READINGS

September 21, 2019 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

O God, who with untold mercy were pleased to choose as an Apostle Saint Matthew, the tax collector, grant that, sustained by his example and intercession, we may merit to hold firm in following you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

show

Recipes (4)

show

Activities (2)

show

Prayers (2)

show

Library (1)

Matthew | Pope Benedict XVI

» Enjoy our Liturgical Seasons series of e-books!

Old Calendar: St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist ; Other Titles: Levi

At the time that Jesus summoned him to follow Him, Matthew was a publican, that is, a tax-collector for the Romans. His profession was hateful to the Jews because it reminded them of their subjection; the publican, also, was regarded by the pharisees as the typical sinner. St. Matthew is known to us principally as an Evangelist. He was the first to put down in writing our Lord's teaching and the account of His life. His Gospel was written in Aramaic, the language that our Lord Himself spoke.

St. Matthew
No one was more shunned by the Jews than a publican, who was a Jew working for the Roman enemy by robbing his own people and making a large personal profit. Publicans were not allowed to trade, eat, or even pray with others Jews.

One day, while seated at his table of books and money, Jesus looked at Matthew and said two words: "Follow me." This was all that was needed to make Matthew rise, leaving his pieces of silver to follow Christ. His original name, "Levi," in Hebrew signifies "Adhesion" while his new name in Christ, Matthew, means "Gift of God." The only other outstanding mention of Matthew in the Gospels is the dinner party for Christ and His companions to which he invited his fellow tax-collectors. The Jews were surprised to see Jesus with a publican, but Jesus explained that he had come "not to call the just, but sinners."

St. Matthew is known to us principally as an Evangelist, with his Gospel being the first in the New Testament. His Gospel was written in Aramaic, the language that our Lord Himself spoke and was written to convince the Jews that their anticipated Messiah had come in the person of Jesus.

Not much else is known about Matthew. According to tradition, he preached in Egypt and Ethiopia and further places East. Some legends say he lived until his nineties, dying a peaceful death, others say he died a martyr's death.

In the traditional symbolization of the evangelists, based on Ezech. 1:5-10 and Rev. 4:6-7, the image of the winged man is accorded to Matthew because his Gospel begins with the human genealogy of Christ.

Patron: Accountants; bankers; bookkeepers; customs officers; security guards; stock brokers; tax collectors; Salerno, Italy.

Symbols: Angel holding a pen or inkwell; bag of coins; loose coins; halberd; inkwell; king; lance; man holding money; man holding money box and/or glasses; money bag; money box; purse; spear; sword; winged man; young man; book; man sitting at a desk.

Things to Do:

Do something for the needy: money for missions, donations of clothing or toys, canned goods drive, etc.
Take time to read St. Matthew's Gospel, keeping in mind that St. Matthew depicts the humanity of Christ and emphasizes His physical sufferings. He makes frequent reference to the fulfillment of prophecies because he wrote to Jews and to Jewish Christians.
Discuss St. Matthew's call from Christ "Follow me" with your children and how we are all called to belong to the family of God.
Pray for people who work for financial institutions.
Make Silver Dollar Pancakes, you can use this recipe on Catholic Cuisine's website or one of the suggestions we offer under recipes.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Matthew 9:9-13

Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist (Feast)

He got up and followed him. (Matthew 9:9)

When we read today’s Gospel passage, we might assume that after Matthew left his customs post to follow Jesus, he instantly became a saint. Of course, Matthew was one of the Twelve and spent three years with Jesus, so he did have a special advantage. But his transformation didn’t happen overnight; it was a process that unfolded over time.

In a way, we are all “Matthews.” Each of us is a recipient of the Lord’s great mercy. And having received that mercy, we’ve all made the decision to get up and follow Jesus (Matthew 9:9). We are also like Matthew in another way: we have the same potential to let God’s mercy change us so that we become saints.

Think about Matthew’s path to sainthood. He must have struggled, at least initially, to leave his comfortable life to become a disciple. Some of Jesus’ teachings must have challenged him, to say the least—especially his words about money, simplicity, and obedience to God. We do know that, along with the other disciples, Matthew abandoned Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. But Matthew came back to his senses, and over time (and through the power of the Holy Spirit), he let God mold him into the saint and evangelist we honor today.

Following Jesus will sometimes call you out of your comfort zone, as it did Matthew. You will encounter difficulties and challenges to your faith that make you feel as if you are going backward instead of forward. But that doesn’t mean you can’t become a saint! The Holy Spirit is faithful. If you stick with him, he will form you day after day. So keep spending time with the Lord in prayer and listening to his voice. Keep examining your conscience at the end of each day and asking God to forgive you for the ways you have fallen short. Imitate Matthew, and never give up!

It’s not easy, but it is possible to become a saint. You’ve already said yes to Jesus’ call to follow him. Now trust that he will complete the work he has already begun in you.

“St. Matthew, pray for me as I walk the path toward sainthood.”

Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13
Psalm 19:2-5

Regnum Christi

September 21, 2019 – With the Eyeglasses of Faith

21 Sep 2019

Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist

Father Barry O’Toole, LC

Matthew 9:9-13

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 he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” He heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

Introductory Prayer: You are true goodness and life, Lord. Closeness to you brings peace and joy. You deserve all of my trust and my love. Thank you for the gift of life, my family and above all of my faith. I’m grateful too, for the gift of the Church which you founded on the Apostles.

Petition: Lord, help me to be simple and straightforward in my faith.

Simplicity Is Bliss: The tax collectors were considered traitors of the Jewish people since they were working for the Romans, the “oppressors” of God’s chosen people. The ordinary Jew would not even converse with one such as this. But Jesus says to him, “Follow me.” Matthew got up and followed him immediately, no questions asked, no conditions. What beautiful simplicity! He didn’t know that Christ was going to make him one of the Twelve. In a certain sense, we might say that he signed a blank check and gave it to Jesus. Matthew doesn’t sit down to calculate, he only accepts. He then goes a step further: He invites Jesus to his house for dinner. A Jew generally invited only his true and closest friends and relatives to dinner. It was a sign of intimacy, friendship and love. Matthew goes overboard and lays out the red carpet for Christ in his life.

Complicated Calculations: In contrast to Matthew’s straightforwardness, we see the Pharisees’ “righteousness.” Jesus’ dining with a sinner like Matthew is a scandal for them. They really have to confront this Rabbi about his “shameful conduct.” The problem is that they haven’t understood the first thing about the Messiah. Their very point of departure is flawed. They are looking at Christ (and God) from a very rational perspective when the only valid outlook is faith and love. This happens frequently in our lives as we begin to judge events, circumstances and others without faith and charity. Before we realize it, we may have rejected and possibly even defamed our neighbor, a civil authority, or a priest or bishop. We are not looking at things from a supernatural vantage point but rather from our merely human standards.

Back to the Basics: Christ puts everything back into perspective. “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Once again Jesus invites us to elevate our thoughts to a supernatural plain. Why did God become man? We repeat it frequently, at least every Sunday in the Creed: “For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven.…” It is important to examine the degree to which I see and judge everything in my life through the prism of faith. A true believer, a real apostle, must form this “sixth sense” in all of his daily dealings. We form this habit through prayer, our frequent and intimate contact with God. We need to ask God for the gift of faith, which gives us a new perspective on life.

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, I want to be a simple person, one who accepts you and your demands without calculations and complications. Free me from all impediments and grant me your grace so that I might become a convinced, faithful and intrepid apostle of your kingdom, as was St Matthew.

Resolution: In prayerful dialogue with God, I will examine at least three moments or events of my day. (This I can do even at home, in the car or waiting in line, etc.)

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Espanol

All Issues > Volume 35, Issue 5

<< Saturday, September 21, 2019 >>

St. Matthew

Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13
View Readings

Psalm 19:2-5

Matthew 9:9-13
Similar Reflections

ONE BODY IN CHRIST

"There is but one body and one spirit." �Ephesians 4:4

St. Matthew left his old life completely behind and began a new, totally different, life in Jesus. He died to his old life, and in his new life, Matthew lived, not for himself, but for Christ, Who died for him and loved him (see Gal 2:19-20).

Christian marriage is to be like this. A man and woman leave their old life completely behind. In their new, married life, the husband and wife live not for themselves, but for their spouse (see 1 Cor 7:4). In effect, each spouse says to the other, "This is my body, to be given up for you." Likewise, as "one body" and "one spirit" (Eph 4:2-4; Gn 2:24; Phil 2:2-4), the married couple says to the Lord, "This is our body, to be given up for You" (cf 1 Cor 11:24). They are no longer two but one (Mt 19:6).

Whatever your vocation, Jesus says to you, "Follow Me" (Mt 9:9). Like St. Matthew, get up and follow Jesus (Mt 9:9). "Get up" by rising to new life just as you rose from the waters of Baptism to live a risen life. We can only "get up and follow Jesus" if we leave behind our old life, dead and drowned in the waters of Baptism. Then we are free to follow Jesus and be one body with Him.

Prayer: Father, may all married couples be one in You and bear enduring fruit for Your kingdom.

Promise: "It is mercy I desire and not sacrifice." —Mt 9:13

Praise: "Matthew got up and followed" Jesus (Mt 9:9).

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.