Topical Tens: September 21: St Matthew

Friday 21 September 2018

September 21: St Matthew

September 21 is the feast day of the apostle St Matthew. Here are 10 facts about him:

The name Matthew means "gift of Yahweh." It wasn't, however, his original name. Before meeting Jesus, he was known as Levi, son of Alphaeus. Jesus gave him the name Matthew.
Matthew was a tax collector by profession. He was at work, at his desk when Jesus came along and asked him to follow Him. Matthew didn't take much convincing. Of course, Jesus would have made a compelling case for him to do so, and perhaps he hated his job anyway!
As a tax collector, Matthew wouldn't have been very popular. We don't like them much now, but back then, they were even more despised because they were seen as collaborating with the occupying Roman forces. When Matthew invited Jesus back to his home for a feast, the Scribes and Pharisees were very critical of Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners. "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance," Jesus replied.
St Matthew is the patron saint of accountants, bankers, tax collectors and civil servants. Also of perfumers and Salerno, Italy.
In art, Matthew usually appears with a winged man.
He is credited with writing the first gospel, although in truth, it's not clear who actually wrote it, as the author does not identify himself. A second century bishop called Papias of Hierapolis decided that this gospel must have been written by Matthew. As a tax collector Matthew would certainly have been literate in Aramaic and Greek, and there are apocryphal writings which say Matthew was in the habit of writing things down, and collecting the sayings of Jesus, so it's possible he did write it, but nobody really knows. It is accepted that the Gospel of Matthew was written in Greek by a Jewish male, who was writing for fellow Jews (as he didn't explain the Jewish customs as other writers did).
We don't know much about what Matthew did later on, either. After his calling, he's not mentioned much in the Bible. He is included in lists of the apostles and is mentioned as working closely with St Thomas in spreading the gospel. Other writers say Matthew preached the Gospel to the Jewish community in Judea, before going to other countries, although there's no agreement as to which countries he went to. There is a Muslim tradition which says he went to Ethiopia (not the African country, but a region called 'Ethiopia' south of the Caspian Sea) with St Andrew.
It's not known how Matthew died, either. There are traditions suggesting he died a martyr by the sword, after unsuccessful attempts to burn or drown him. However, there are other traditions which say he lived to a grand old age and died of natural causes.
His tomb is located in the crypt of Salerno Cathedral in southern Italy.
His feast is celebrated on 21 September in the West, but in the East, it's on 16 November. He is also celebrated by the Orthodox Church, along with the other apostles, on 30 June.