St. Matthew, Collector of Taxes to Collector of Men – Sep 21 – Homily – Fr John Lawrence

 

Fr John Lawrence gives the homily at Bloomington, IN, on Sep 21, 2023, the feast of St. Matthew the Evangelist, he gives an account of the life of this saint, focusing on the conversion of this sinner to become an apostle of Christ, answering the call of Christ.

St. Matthew, once a tax collector, was among the Apostles. His occupation as a despised tax collector echoed the disdain for such individuals in the Bible (Luke 5:27-32 - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/5?30). Despite this, the love of God, as emphasized in "1 John 4:16," gave hope even to the gravest sinners (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1john/4?16).

Matthew's name meant "gift of the Lord," suggesting his parents' faith. Likely well-educated, he might have studied the Jewish scriptures, implied in a unique passage in the Gospel of Matthew (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/13?52).

When Jesus called Matthew, he humbly followed, just as "Acts 6:6" mentions the apostles obeying their divine calling (Acts 6:6 - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/6?6). Jesus' command held divine authority, as seen in "John 1:3" (John 1:3 - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1?3).

St. Jerome highlighted Christ's divinity shining through his human face, drawing Matthew near, akin to how Christ's authority compelled people to follow him (Matthew 9:9 - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/9?9).

Matthew became an apostle, showing sinners the path to redemption through Christ. After Pentecost, he spread the gospel, ultimately writing the first gospel in Hebrew or Aramaic, fostering Christianity's early growth.

As Catholics, we can seek St. Matthew's intercession, as his journey exemplifies God's transformative love and mercy, just as "1 Corinthians 13:5" reminds us that "Love does not seek its own interests" (1 Corinthians 13:5 - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/13?5).

00:00 - Introduction
00:16 - Matthew, as a Tax Collector
01:01 - Matthew's Corruption and Greed
02:02 - Matthew's Parents and Background
03:08 - Matthew's Literacy and Education
04:03 - Jesus Preaching and Working in Capernaum
04:59 - Jesus' Invitation to Matthew
05:56 - Matthew's Immediate Response
06:21 - Matthew Hosts Jesus for Dinner
06:39 - Matthew Writes His Gospel
07:14 - Matthew's Missionary Travels
07:47 - Conflicting Accounts of Matthew's Martyrdom
08:29 - Importance of Matthew's Gospel

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. Matthew the Evangelist - Feast - http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=84
Readings:  - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/092123.cfm
1st: eph 4:1-7, 11-13
Resp: psa 19:2-5
Gsp: mat 9:9-13

More on the Readings: https://airmaria.com/r?m=1159

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