![[painting of Saint Matthew]](stm13001.jpg "27kb jpg detail from the painting 'Saint Matthew and the Angel' by Guido Reni, c.1597, Vatican Pinacoteca; please do not write to ask about the image")
Levi Apostle of Ethiopia
Matthew's Gospel is given pride of place in the canon of the New Testament, and was written to convince Jewish readers that their anticipated Messiah had come in the person of Jesus. He preached among the Jews for 15 years; his audiences may have included the Jewish enclave in Ethiopia, and places in the East.
accountants bankers bookkeepers customs officers financial officers guards money managers Salerno, Italy security forces security guards stock brokers tax collectors Trier, Germany, diocese of
Prayer II to...
Prayer III to...
angel holding a pen or inkwell bag of coins halberd inkwell king lance man holding money money bag money box purse spear sword winged man young man
Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate Catholic Encyclopedia, by E. Jacquier Catholic Information Network Catholic Online Christian Biographies, by James E Keifer Encyclopedia Britannica Goffine's Devout Instructions Google Directory Gospel According to Matthew LibriVox; New English Bible New Catholic Dictionary Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints, by Matthew Bunson, Margaret Bunson, and Stephen Bunson
Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Society WikipediaHe saw the tax collector and, because he saw him through the eyes of mercy and chose him, he said to him: "Follow me." This following meant imitating the pattern of his life - not just walking after him. Saint John tells us: "Whoever says he abides in Christ ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."
"And he rose and followed him." There is no reason for surprise that the tax collector abandoned earthly wealth as soon as the Lord commanded him. Nor should one be amazed that neglecting his wealth, he joined a band of men whose leader had, on Matthew's assessment, no riches at all. Our Lord summoned Matthew by speaking to him in words. By an invisible, interior impulse flooding his mind with the light of grace, he instructed him to walk in his footsteps. In this way Matthew could understand that Christ, who was summoning him away from earthly possessions, had incorruptible treasures of heaven in his gift.
from a homily by Saint Bede the Venerable