21 September 2026
Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle
Gospel: Matthew 9:9–13

Today is Monday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time. The Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle. As the recently published Roman Missal recounts: Saint Matthew (1st century), also called Levi, was the son of Alphaeus. When he encountered Jesus in Capernaum, he was working as a tax collector for the Romans — a profession held in deep contempt at the time. Yet Jesus Christ called him to be an Apostle. After the Ascension, he likely travelled to Persia or Ethiopia to preach the Gospel; wherever he went, he ultimately gave his life for the faith. The Gospel written by Saint Matthew stands first in the New Testament, and his name is listed among the other Apostles in the prayers of the Roman Canon.

Today, Saint Matthew the Evangelist uses the very Gospel he wrote to offer us his own account of his vocation. I would like to share some reflections on this reading.

First, Matthew tells us: At that time, as Jesus passed through Capernaum, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. He said to him, “Follow me.” And Matthew got up and followed him. (cf. Matthew 9:9)

Here we meet that familiar place — Capernaum. A village of fishermen and farmers, Capernaum stretched roughly 300 meters along the western shore of Lake Gennesaret (Galilee). Galilee was home to many people the Israelites regarded as “half-Gentile”, since their lineage was a mix of many peoples. They were seen as people living in darkness and ignorance. After Jesus began his public ministry, Capernaum became the center of his work. In his theological reflection, Matthew interprets this change of residence — a seemingly insignificant detail — as the fulfilment of prophecy: “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light; on those who sat in the region and shadow of death, light has dawned.” (cf. Matthew 4:16) The first to receive Jesus’ light and choosing were not the “pure-blooded” Jews, but those who were rejected and cast out. Matthew was one of them. He was ostracized because he was a tax collector. In the Roman Republic and later the Empire, tax collectors were public officials: they supplied provisions to Roman legions, oversaw port duties, supervised public works, and contracted to collect provincial taxes for Rome. By the New Testament era, local people knew them chiefly as revenue agents. They were regarded as open sinners: not only did they betray their fellow countrymen’s interests, but they also extorted more than Rome required and kept the surplus for themselves.

Today, Jesus approaches Matthew unprompted. He does not use eloquent words to win him over — he simply says, “Follow me!” At this call, Matthew immediately leaves everything behind to follow him. His choice to follow Jesus was, in part, because Jesus was a fellow Jew. Given his long-standing isolation from his own people, seeing a Jewish man come to him with an invitation moved him to resolutely surrender all he had and walk with Jesus, setting us a clear example to follow.

Jesus extends this same invitation to us today. He has a special closeness to those who, like Matthew, are isolated or marginalized by society. He went to Matthew’s house and ate with him, drawing many tax collectors and sinners to himself in the process. (cf. Matthew 9:10) From this we can draw a clear conclusion: no Christian can live the life of faith alone in the Church. We need to regularly receive the Body and Blood of Christ, to nourish our souls and deepen our communion with the Word of God. In this way, when we face trials in life — especially in our faith journey — we can remain unafraid. For in those moments, our Lord Jesus Christ is with us. We know that wherever Jesus Christ and his Gospel are proclaimed, the devil and all the powers of the Antichrist are driven out.

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,
God, for ever and ever.

©Totus Tuus 2026
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica