Day of the angel and name day of Matthew. The Life and Passion of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew

29.09.2019

Levi Matthew/Apostle MATTHEW THE EVANGELIST

The apostle Matthew was born on February 27, 13 BC.

Matthew was a handsome man with dark blond hair, blue eyes, 1 meter 82 cm tall. He was nine years older than Jesus. He had a very good education, which he received in his family. His father was a priest, but Matthew hid his true origin from everyone, fearing persecution of his family and father. Matthew knew several languages, including one of the Indian ones. Loved to read. He visited Tibet and India, where he first heard about Jesus Christ. What he heard attracted him, and Matthew wanted to get to know this amazing person personally. Therefore, when this long-awaited acquaintance finally took place, it was enough for Jesus to make an invitation, and Matthew immediately dropped everything and followed the teacher.
Matthew had a wife and two boys. The future evangelist left his family at his own discretion, as he believed that the family would only interfere with his spiritual growth.

Caravaggio, "The Calling of the Apostle Matthew"

Jesus saw Matthew the tax collector sitting at the toll booth near the city of Capernaum and said to him, “Follow me!” And Matthew, who strongly believed in Jesus, got up and, leaving everything, followed him. He made a great meal in his house for Jesus and the other disciples. Other tax collectors and wealthy people also attended this feast. The scribes and Pharisees murmured and said to Jesus, “Why are you eating and drinking with sinners and tax collectors?”
Jesus answered, “The healthy do not need a doctor; the sick need a doctor. I have come to call to repentance not the righteous, but sinners.”
Six months after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, leaving the Christian community, organized by him, and resigning all powers to the council of the community, Matthew, like all the other apostles, left Judea. He went to Rome with a caravan from India, knowledge of the Indian language helped him to communicate freely with the caravaners. On the way, wherever they stopped, he talked about Jesus, his faith, martyrdom and miraculous resurrection.
After staying in Rome and its environs for about three years, Matthew went to Egypt, where he met Egyptian pyramids and the beliefs of the peoples who inhabited this country. The apostle lived in Egypt for more than six years, and here the idea came to him to write everything about Jesus Christ. Matthew had records of Philip, which he kept during the life of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, all the sayings of Jesus were the most accurate. Numerous references were made much later by the Romans. The notes were in Greek, as Philip did not want anyone else to read them. But Matthew knew the language.
For about a year Matthew wrote his Gospel, and eight years after the crucifixion of the Son of God, this book saw the light of day for the first time in the year 37.
After writing the Gospel, Matthew, together with his disciple, a young man from Rome, went to Palestine. This guy was a refugee, he was persecuted for the theft he committed. He confessed everything to Matthew, and he took patronage over him, took care of him in every possible way and protected him.
They spent two years in Persia preaching and healing, and four years in Media. Then Matthew moved to Africa, traveled a lot, learned a lot, got acquainted with African shamans, visited many tribes, and was able to convert some of them to the faith of Christ.

Matthew died of malaria in Ethiopia at the age of sixty-three, on May 25, 50.
Matthew gave his gospel, which he never parted with, to a disciple who returned to Judea and handed over the records to one of the Christian communities.

Days of Remembrance

In the Orthodox church calendar: November 16/NOVEMBER 29 and June 30/July 13 (Council of the Twelve Apostles);
- in Catholic: September 21;
- Evangelical and Anglican: 21 September.

It is considered the patron saint of the city of Salerno (Italy), where his remains are kept (in the Basilica of San Matteo); according to one version, they were transported to Italy in the 10th century.

Frescoes of the upper church of San Francesco in Assisi, vault painting, scene: St. Matthew, detail.

Considered a patron accountants, customs officers, all financial services.
Holy place - Russia, Magadan region, Ola village (administrative building of the local fish factory).
Patronizes - the entire territory located beyond the Arctic Circle, Arkhangelsk region, Yakutia, Kamchatka, Chukotka, Magadan region, Alaska, Yukon province in Canada.
In the prayers of the Apostle Matthew, good relations in the family are asked for advice and love between husband and wife.

Prayers

Cathedral of the Glorious and All-Praised 12 Apostles. Troparion
voice 4
The Apostles of the Mother See / and teacher of the universe, / pray to the Lord of all / grant peace to the universe / and great mercy to our souls.
Troparion of the Apostle and Evangelist Matthew
voice 3
Zealously from the tax collector to the caller of the Lady Christ, / I appear on earth as a man for goodness, / Following this, the chosen apostle appeared thou / and the herald of the gospel of the universe is well-spoken. / For this we honor your honest memory, Matthew the God-spoken, / pray to the Merciful God, / / yes forgiveness of sins will give to our souls.
Kontakion to the Apostles
voice 2
Stone Christ of the stone of faith glorifies lightly, / there are many disciples, / and with Paul the whole twelve-tenth council today, / their memory is faithfully doing, / / we glorify these glorious ones.
In Kontakion of the Glorious and All-Praised 12 Apostles
voice 2
Let us praise Peter, the faithful, the stone of faith, / and Paul the God-wise, / convene for everyone to celebrate by faith, / the council together, all twelve, like preachers of faith, / asking for forgiveness of sins.
Kontakion of the Apostle and Evangelist Matthew
voice 4
He rejected the ordeal yoke, / Thou wast attracted to the yoke of truth / and Thou didst appear the most worthy merchant, / Wisdom brought wealth to the south from on high.

Prayer to the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew

Oh, glorious Apostle Matthew, who betrayed his soul for Christ and fertilized His pasture with your blood! Hear your children prayers and sighs, now offered with a broken heart. Behold, we are overshadowed by lawlessness, and for the sake of misfortunes, like clouds, we will be overlaid, barely a good life, impoverished very much, and we will not be able to resist the predatory wolf, which they boldly strive to plunder the heritage of God.
Oh strong! Bear our infirmities, do not leave us in spirit, may we not part the end from the love of God, but protect us with your strong intercession, may the Lord have mercy on all of us for your prayers, may he destroy the handwriting of our immeasurable sins, and may he be blessed with all the Saints Kingdom and marriage of His Lamb, to Him be honor and glory, and thanksgiving and worship, forever and ever.
Amen

The holy apostle and evangelist Matthew was often depicted on icons and works of art. Three paintings from the life of the apostle by Caravaggio belong to the outstanding masterpieces of painting.

Ap. Matthew. Icon. Serbia. Late XIII - early XIV century. 105 x 56.5. Ohrid. Macedonia.

Deesis with St. Evangelists (detail). Miniature. Byzantium. 12th century Monastery of St. Catherine at Sinai.

(Council of the 12 Apostles), 16 November.

Matthew, also called Levi(Mk. 2, 14; Lk. 5, 27), an apostle of the twelve (Mk. 3, 18; Lk. 6, 45; Acts 1, 13), brother of the Apostle James of Alpheus (Mk. 2, 14). He was a publican, that is, a tax collector for Rome, for the Jews were under the rule of the Roman Empire. He lived in the Galilean city of Capernaum. Matthew, having heard the voice of Jesus Christ: "Come after me" (Matt. 9, 9), left his position and followed the Savior.

Christ and His disciples did not reject Matthew's invitation and visited his house, where they shared a meal with friends and acquaintances of the publican - the same as the owner, publicans and sinners. This event greatly shocked the Pharisees and scribes. Publicans, collecting taxes from fellow tribesmen, did it with great benefit for themselves. People are greedy and cruel, they were considered by the Jews as traitors and traitors to their homeland and religion. The word "publican" sounded to the Jews in the same way as the words "sinner" and "idolater". Talking with the tax collector was considered a sin, communicating with him was a desecration. But the Jewish teachers could not understand that the Lord "came to call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Matthew 9:13).

Matthew, realizing his sins, compensated four times for those whom he had previously robbed, distributed the rest of his possessions to the poor, and, together with other apostles, followed Christ. Saint Matthew listened to the instructions of the Divine Teacher, saw His countless miracles, went along with the 12 apostles with a sermon to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt. 10:6), witnessed the suffering, death and Resurrection of the Savior and His glorious Ascension to heaven.

Having accepted the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit, who descended on the apostles on the day of Pentecost, the apostle Matthew at the beginning of 8 years preached in Palestine. Before leaving to preach in distant lands, at the request of the Jews who remained in Jerusalem, the holy Apostle Matthew captured in his Gospel the earthly life of the Savior of the world - the God-man Jesus Christ and His Teaching.

The holy Apostle Matthew traveled with the gospel to Syria , Lydia , Persia , Parthia , ending his preaching labors with martyrdom in Ethiopia . This country was inhabited by tribes of cannibals with rude customs and beliefs. The holy Apostle Matthew, by his preaching here, converted several idolaters to faith in Christ, founded the Church and built a temple in the city of Mirmena, and appointed his companion named Plato as bishop in it.

When the holy apostle zealously asked God for the conversion of the Ethiopians, during the prayer the Lord Himself appeared to him in the form of a young man and, giving a rod, commanded him to hoist it at the door of the temple. The Lord said that a tree would grow from this rod and bear fruit, and a fountain of water would flow from its root. After bathing in water and eating fruits, the Ethiopians will change their wild disposition and become kind and meek. When the holy apostle was carrying the rod to the temple, he met on the way the wife and son of Fulvian, the ruler of this country, who were possessed by an unclean spirit. The holy apostle healed them in the Name of Jesus Christ. This miracle converted many more pagans to the Lord. But the ruler did not want his subjects to become Christians and stop worshiping pagan gods. He accused the apostle of witchcraft and ordered his execution. St. Matthew was laid face down, covered with brushwood and set on fire. When the fire flared up, everyone saw that the fire did not harm Saint Matthew. Then Fulvian ordered to add brushwood to the fire, dousing it with pitch, and put 12 idols around the fire. But the flame melted the idols and scorched Fulvian. The frightened Ethiopian turned to the saint with a plea for mercy, and, through the prayer of the martyr, the flame subsided. The body of the holy apostle remained unharmed, and he departed to the Lord (+).

Life of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew

Few facts are known from the biography of the holy apostle and evangelist Matthew, who is also called Levi Matthew or Levi Alfeev. In history, his name appears from the moment when Christ, seeing him sitting at the temple, as the holy evangelist Luke writes, ordered him to leave everything and follow him. Until now, Levi Matthew acted as a tax collector in Galilee, the city of Capernaum, the ruins of which have survived to this day, they are called Tel Gum.

Galilee was part of Judea, and Judea was a Roman province, where the Jews fiercely hated the Roman pagans - enslavers. The Roman rulers understood that it would be better to entrust the duties of a publican to a person who knew both the territory and the material possibilities of the population, and therefore they hired people from the local population for this thankless and unclean work.

The tax collector is always an uninvited and unwanted guest in the house, and even if this is a person from his own, he was considered a traitor among the Jews, he became an outcast. They tried not to communicate with the publicans, they did not call them to the table, in general, they considered any communication with them to be a desecration of the faith and put them on a par with serious sinners. Since, in extracting taxes in favor of the Romans, the tax collectors had to apply hardness of heart even to those from whom they took the last, they, of course, did not earn respect. In addition, this occupation was not controlled, and among the publicans there were dishonest people: those who overestimated taxes, putting the unrighteous surplus in their pockets.

However, there were those who went for it, because at all times the profession of a tax collector was very profitable, and among them were different people including the good and the pure in heart. So Levi Matthew was not a poor man: he had his own house and a decent fortune, but his soul was not corrupted either by cruelty or excessive love of money.

The Lord chooses a person for his service, looking into his heart. In Capernaum, Christ performed many miracles, and, being near the temple, Matthew heard His words, and the soul of the publican was inclined to the truths about God that he had heard. Therefore, apparently, the call of Christ to follow Him was accepted by the publican overnight and without doubt. He got up, left his purse in the dust of the road with all his means and followed the Teacher.

The feeling of gratitude of the former publican was great, and Matthew invited the Lord to a meal in his house, and He agreed. Jews, scribes and Pharisees, the main Jewish preachers and zealots of the Jewish faith, seeing how Jesus eats and drinks in the house of a man whom everyone treated with squeamish contempt, began to condemn Him. The answer of Christ is known from the Gospel - He said that not the healthy, but the sick need a doctor, called them to go learn what is mercy and what is sacrifice, and said that He did not come to save the righteous, but sinners (Matt. 9 ; 9–17).

This was Levi Matthew's last meal in his house. After that, he got up, left everything and followed Him to preach His teaching until the end of his days. In his inseparable following of Christ, he preached, saw Christ's miracles, listened to His words together with other first disciples, memorized them, he was with Christ until the Last Supper and His taking, and Resurrection, and Ascension. The memory of these days, of these events and sermons then formed the basis of the Gospel of Matthew - the first one that we read when opening the New Testament. It was written at the request of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, when the holy Apostle Matthew, after receiving the Holy Spirit, was about to leave the city to preach the Word of Christ.

The peculiarity of the Gospel of Matthew is that it illuminates in detail the genealogy of Christ, proving that Christ is the very true Messiah, Who was proclaimed by all the Old Testament prophets and Who is mentioned in all the main events. Old Testament. The holy Apostle-Evangelist Matthew wrote his Gospel in Hebrew, then it was translated into Greek, and the Hebrew original no longer exists.

Having finished writing the Gospel - the year of its creation, historians suggest as the 41st from the Nativity of Christ, the holy apostle withdrew from Jerusalem to preach. A large part of Asia Minor and part of Africa was left to him for conversion: he preached among the Persians, Syrians, Parthians, Medes and other peoples who inhabited this territory.

He also preached in Ethiopia, where the preaching of the doctrine had a miraculous effect on the inhabitants, and many apostatized from paganism, offering human sacrifices to idols and converted to the true faith. He created a small church there, leaving with her as a bishop to maintain and increase the faith of the companion of his wanderings, Plato. Once, during a solitary prayer on a nearby mountain, the Lord appeared to the holy apostle in the guise of a bright-faced youth. He gave him a rod and ordered to bring it to the city of Mirmena to set it up near the temple. A certain Fulvian then ruled in this city, which in Latin means “red-haired”.

On the way to the city, the holy apostle met the wife and son of the ruler Mirmen, and since they were possessed evil spirit, then at the sight of the rod they began to rage and shout that Saint Matthew was going into the city to destroy them. The holy apostle offered up a prayer to the Lord, and these two were immediately healed and went along with the apostle.

Arriving in the city, the holy apostle Matthew, at the command of the Lord, hoisted a rod near the temple, and the rod immediately turned into a beautiful strong tree with attractive sweet fruits, and a clear stream murmured from its roots. And many black residents began to come to the temple to look at the miracle. They ate the fruits from the tree, listening to the apostolic sermon, which entered their hearts like grace-filled food into the body, and it was very similar to the meal of the Teacher with the disciples. The special properties of these fruits were also revealed to the holy apostle in a vision that was given to him when he received the miraculous rod. All believers were immediately baptized in miraculous waters source. Among those gathered near the temple were Fulvian's wife and son. Fulvian, learning about this, became angry and ordered that Saint Matthew be taken into custody.

At night, Christ Himself appeared to Saint Matthew and said that torment awaited the apostle, however, he ordered him to put all his hopes on Him, since He Himself would henceforth be inseparable from Saint Matthew. During morning prayer four guards arrived for the holy Apostle Matthew to take him, but then the temple was enveloped in darkness, so much so that they did not know how to get out of it, and returned with nothing. Fulvian became even more angry and again sent guards after the apostle, but now a light shone around the apostle, which was impossible to look at. The warriors dropped their weapons in fear and ran away.

Then Fulvian himself went to arrest the apostle, and as soon as he approached him, he became blind. Frightened, he began to ask the apostle to restore his sight. Saint Matthew made the sign of the cross over him, and Fulvian again received his sight.

However, the hypocritical Fulvian received his sight bodily, but not spiritually. He invited St. Matthew to his house, allegedly in order to show honor, and in his soul he planned to kill him - he believed that all the miracles performed by the apostle were not a manifestation of the will of God, but sorcery, and he wanted to destroy the saint as a sorcerer. Matthew, led by the Lord, immediately read Fulvian's thought and told him to do everything he had in mind without hypocrisy, for the saint was ready to endure all the torments in the name of the Lord.

Fulvian thrice betrayed Saint Matthew to fiery torments, but each time the apostle prayed away the fire, in which the idols, the object of worship of the pagans, were eventually melted like wax and burned, and then the fire that came out of them turned into a fiery serpent, which began to pursue Fulvian himself. He, in horror, begged the apostle to stop the snake, and was already ready to pay honor to the apostle himself, but Saint Matthew made a prayer and the Lord accepted him to Himself.

The death of the holy Apostle Matthew took place approximately in the year 60 after the Nativity of Christ. Now his remains are kept in Italy in the city of Salerno, the patron saint of which is the holy apostle, where they were transferred around the 10th century. Apart from Orthodox icons, his image was captured three times by the famous Renaissance painter Caravaggio.

What a miracle happened

Together with the repose of the holy Apostle Matthew, the miracles performed by him did not end. Despite everything Fulvian had seen and the protection given to him from the fiery serpent, his soul was still full of doubts. He ordered the remains of the saint to be dressed in precious clothes, placed in a wrought iron ark, soldered with tin and thrown into the sea, saying that if the One who protected the apostle from the fire did not allow his relics to drown, then he, Fulvian, would bow God, and with him all will renounce belief in idols.

The next night, Saint Matthew came in a vision to his friend and disciple, Bishop Plato, and said that the bishop should go ashore in the morning to the east of the ruler’s house – there the ark with his relics would be thrown out of the sea. Plato did just that.

When Fulvian learned of this, he also, accompanied by many, came ashore and saw a heavy ark thrown out of the waves. Then he believed, and the people with him. Fulvian bowed to God, accepted holy baptism with the name Matthew, renounced worldly life, began to live a church life and received a priestly rank.

The meaning of the icon

In addition to the fact that the holy Apostle-Evangelist Matthew is the patron saint of those whose activities are related to finances, customs, tax collection, his image reminds of the need to read Holy Scripture and in particular the New Testament. The Gospel of Matthew differs from the others in that it specifically emphasizes the family connection of Jesus with the Jewish people through the genealogy of the Mother of God, indicating that He is the Messiah, the High Priest in the order of Mechilsedec, the son of David and Abram, Whom the prophets were waiting for and Whom they did not recognize and crucified their descendants. Therefore, the holy Apostle-Evangelist Matthew is often depicted on icons together with a youth resembling an angel, obviously as a reminder of the vision when the Lord in youthful form handed over a miraculous rod to Saint Matthew.

On November 29, Orthodox Christians celebrate the day of memory of the Apostle Matthew, the author of the first Gospel. Who was this disciple of Christ? How did he follow Jesus? What was the purpose of writing the Gospel? In what countries did he preach and where did he die? In what city are his holy relics located? What is the custom for an evangelist to pray for? Read more about this.

How Matthew Became an Apostle

Only scant information has come down to our time about who the apostle Matthew was before he followed Christ. Evangelist Luke writes that Matthew's name was Levi and he was a publican - a tax collector for the Roman Empire. As is known, the Jews treated publicans with great contempt, considering them great sinners. But Christ, who came to save by no means the righteous, turned to Levi with the words "Follow Me." And the publican heard the call.

Evangelist Luke describes it this way:

After this, [Jesus] went out and saw a publican named Levi sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, Follow me. And he left everything, got up and followed Him. And Levi made a great feast for him in his house; and there were multitudes of publicans and others who reclined with them (Luke 5:27-29).

How is the Gospel of Matthew different from other Gospel books?

After Pentecost, filled with the Holy Spirit, the apostle went to preach in Palestine. Around this time, Saint Matthew wrote his version of the Gospel at the request of the Jerusalem believers. You can get acquainted with his translation in the section "From Matthew the holy gospel".

The Good News was addressed to the Jews, as evidenced by the manner of the narration. The apostle wrote in Hebrew, paid much attention to recreating the connection with the Old Testament.

That is why quotations are often used in the text. The Evangelist showed how the earthly life of the Savior looked like. The apostle Matthew described three aspects of Christ's ministry:

Prophet;
King over the whole world;
The High Priest who redeemed every person from sins at the cost of His Blood.

Not the original of the Gospel in Hebrew, but a translation into Greek has come down to our time.

Ethiopian Enlightenment

After Palestine, the Evangelist Matthew preached in Syria, Persia, Media, until, according to some sources, he reached Ethiopia. Numerous legends and stories about the saint are connected with this territory.

By his preaching, the apostle converted some Ethiopians to Christianity, then he built a temple and appointed Bishop Plato.

But still the population of the country remained predominantly pagan. Once, when the saint was fervently praying for the conversion of the Ethiopians, the Lord appeared to him and handed him a rod. The staff was to be planted in the ground near the temple. A tree with unusual fruits was to grow in this place, and a spring would flow from the roots of this tree. As the legend says, the Ethiopians had to first bathe in this spring, and then taste the fruit of the tree. These symbolic actions would lead people not only to an external, but also an internal change.

How an Ethiopian prince became a saint

With a rod in his hands, the apostle Matthew went to the temple, but on the way he was met by the wife and son of the Ethiopian ruler Fulvian. Mother and son suffered from demon possession, and the evangelist healed them. Seeing the miracle, Fulvian, instead of gratitude, accused the apostle of witchcraft and ordered him to be killed.

The saint was buried in brushwood and set on fire. But the body of the righteous remained unharmed. Many, seeing the miracle, believed and then were baptized. But the ruler did not stop, but ordered to pour resin on top of the brushwood, set it on fire, besides this, surround the saint from all sides with 12 idols. To everyone's surprise and horror, the Apostle Matthew remained unharmed, and the fire destroyed all the gods and burned Fulvian. The ruler was frightened and asked the saint to stop the fire. The saint did just that.

After the experience, the evangelist peacefully rested. Fulvian, on the other hand, could not overcome his doubts. Therefore, he ordered the body of the apostle to be sealed in an iron coffin and floated on water. If he does not sink, but sticks to the shore, Fulvian will undoubtedly believe in the God of Matthew. The very next night, the Evangelist Matthew appeared to Bishop Platon. He demanded to pick up the coffin with his body on the shore. The bishop, together with the ruler and other representatives of the authorities, went to the sea. On the shore they found a coffin.

After this, Fulvian, as best he could, repented of his sin, asked the holy forgiveness. The Lord and the Evangelist Matthew accepted his repentance. Soon Bishop Plato baptized Fulvian. It is interesting that in the sacrament the prince received a new name - Matthew. His life completely changed: he even became a bishop and continued the work of an evangelist - he preached to the Ethiopians.

All this is very reminiscent of fiction, but it turns out that the ruler Fulvian is by no means a legendary person. Even testifies to its reality... orthodox calendar. The Church canonized the saint and honors his memory on the same day together with the Evangelist Matthew.

Where are the relics of the evangelist?

Many believers are wondering: where are the relics of St. Matthew? According to one version, the tomb of the apostle is in Ethiopia. There is a second version, according to which the evangelist was executed on the territory of modern Georgia, in the city of Gonio. He is supposedly buried there.

But the third option is considered the most common: the relics of the saint were taken back in the 10th century to the Italian city of Salerno, where they remain to this day. Many pilgrims specially come to this city to pray at the tomb of the righteous.

What do they pray to the apostle Matthew?

There was an erroneous opinion that the saints have their own specialization: one helps with a headache, the second - to successfully marry, the third - to find a job, the fourth - to give birth to a healthy child.

According to this everyday principle, the Apostle Matthew was called the patron of accountants and financial institutions (he was a publican in his earthly life, he dealt with money!). So what does that mean? If you are a doctor or a teacher, then you have no right to turn to this saint?

This approach is fundamentally wrong. If you want to pray to the Evangelist Matthew, be sure to do so. Saints are not subject to earthly laws, they can do everything that will benefit the person who addresses them.

And you can turn to the Evangelist Matthew in your own words or the text of a special prayer below.

Prayer to the Apostle Matthew

Oh, glorious Apostle Matthew, who betrayed his soul for Christ and fertilized His pasture with your blood! Hear your children prayers and sighs, now offered with a broken heart. Behold, we are overshadowed by lawlessness, and for the sake of misfortunes, like clouds, we will be overlaid, barely a good life, impoverished very much, and we will not be able to resist the predatory wolf, which they boldly strive to plunder the heritage of God. Oh strong! Bear our infirmities, do not leave us in spirit, may we not be separated from the love of God in the end, but protect us with your strong intercession, may the Lord have mercy on all of us for your prayers, may he destroy the handwriting of our immeasurable sins, and may he be blessed with all the Saints Kingdom and marriage of His Lamb, to Him be honor and glory, and thanksgiving and worship, forever and ever. Amen.

We also invite you to watch a video about the life of the saint:

Take it, tell your friends!

The call of the apostle Matthew

Hearing these words of the Lord not only with bodily hearing, but also with the eyes of the heart, the publican immediately got up from his place and, leaving everything, followed Christ. Matthew did not hesitate, was not surprised that the Great Teacher and Wonderworker was calling him, the contemptible publican; he listened to His words with all his heart, and unquestioningly followed Christ. In joy, Matthew prepared a great meal in his house. The Lord did not refuse the invitation and entered Matthew's house. And a multitude of his neighbors, friends and acquaintances, all publicans and sinners, gathered at Matthew's house and reclined at the table together with Jesus and His disciples. Some of the scribes and Pharisees also happened to be there.

Scribes the Jews were called by the Jews people well-versed in book business in general, somehow the most learned of the Jews, who explained the law and publicly taught and instructed the people in the law, the so-called rabbis and teachers of the law; lawyers involved in resolving controversial issues, dubious cases and cases requiring knowledge of the law and practical experience; scribes and notaries who served in synagogues and Sanhedrin. Scholars, these Jews are presented in the New Testament as a special class, different from the Pharisees; but at the same time they often unite with the Pharisees, and are brought into contact with the bishops. Most of them were tied to one tradition and, not understanding the spirit of the Law, falsely interpreted it and were blind leaders of the people, hypocritically only fulfilling the commandments for show, for the sake of human glory, and placing heavy burdens on others, which they themselves did not fulfill.

Seeing that the Lord does not abhor sinners and publicans, but reclining next to them, they murmured and said to His disciples: How does He eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"And the Pharisees were only looking for an opportunity to reproach the Lord for something and condemned the Savior for allegedly violating what is allegedly written in the psalm:" Blessed is the man who does not go to the council of the wicked«.

The Lord, having heard their words, said to them: It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance» (Matthew 9:13).

« Look, John Chrysostom says, how the Lord draws the opposite conclusion from the words of the Pharisees. They accuse Him of communicating with publicans, but He, on the contrary, says that correcting such people is a very important, necessary and worthy of many praise.«

Matthew, realizing his sins, compensated four times for those whom he had previously robbed, distributed the rest of his possessions to the poor, and, together with other apostles, followed Christ.

Of all the twelve disciples, Levi Matthew was one of the most educated - the illiterate would not have been taken to the officials. Matthew's profession required him to be able to speak and write both Aramaic and Greek, and possibly also Latin. And, following Christ, he diligently wrote down His sayings, which later formed the basis of the Gospel of Matthew.

St. Matthew listened to the instructions of the Divine Teacher, saw His countless miracles, went along with the 12 apostles in Galilee and Judea preaching to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 10:6), witnessed the suffering, death and Resurrection of the Savior and His glorious Ascension On sky.

After the ascension of the Lord and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, Saint Matthew first preached in Palestine for 8 years. But now the time has come for the Apostles to disperse from Jerusalem different nations to convert them to the faith of Christ. Before the departure of the Apostle from Jerusalem, Jerusalem Christians from the Jews asked him to betray for them the writings of the deeds and teachings of Jesus Christ. Other Apostles who were in Jerusalem at that time also expressed their consent to the fulfillment of this request. And Saint Matthew, fulfilling the common desire, wrote the Gospel, 8 years after the Ascension of Christ.

Gospel of Matthew was written about A.D. 41. This is the first Holy Book of all the books of the New Testament and therefore occupies the first place among them. Palestine is the place where the gospel was written. The gospel was written in Hebrew, or in the Aramaic dialect then in use, and translated into Greek.

It was originally intended for Palestinian Christians from the Jews. The narratives in the Gospel of Matthew are primarily aimed at showing that Jesus is the true Messiah, promised to the forefathers of the Jewish people, and there will be no other (Matt. 11:3). Therefore, in the Gospel of Matthew, more often than in other Gospels, events from the life of Christ are compared with Old Testament prophecies and foreshadowings, and narratives are selected from the entire history of Christ the Savior that are especially important and necessary for the Jews. Therefore, Matthew begins his Gospel with the genealogy of the Messiah, as the son of David and Abraham, showing that Jesus is not a spirit and not an angel, as some later believed, but the flesh of the flesh of the Israeli people, the continuation of his history and the fulfillment of the promises given to him.

This distinguishing feature Gospels of St. Matthew is also expressed on his icons, on which he is depicted together with an angel-like man, symbolically characterizing the features of his Gospel.

Sermon in Ethiopia

We know about the later life of the apostle himself from church tradition. Departing from Jerusalem, the holy Apostle Matthew went around with the gospel to Syria, Media ( current Iran), Persia, Parthia, ending his preaching work with martyrdom in Ethiopia.

This country was inhabited by tribes of cannibals with rude customs and beliefs. The holy apostle Matthew, by his sermon and numerous miracles, converted several idolaters to faith in Christ, founded the Church and built a temple in the city of Mirmena, and appointed his companion named Plato as bishop in it. He himself ascended a nearby mountain and remained fasting on it, fervently praying to God for the conversion of that unfaithful people. During the prayer, the Lord Himself appeared to him in the form of a young man and, giving a staff, commanded him to hoist it at the door of the temple. The Lord said that a tree would grow from this rod and bear fruit, and a fountain of water would flow from its root. After bathing in water and eating fruits, the Ethiopians will change their wild disposition and become kind and meek.

Matthew, having received the rod from the hand of the Lord, descended from the mountain and went into the city to fulfill what he was commanded. The ruler of that city, whose name was Fulvian, had a wife and son possessed by demons. Having met the Apostle on the way, they yelled at him with wild, menacing voices. The holy apostle healed them in the name of Jesus Christ. Those who were healed bowed to the Apostle and meekly followed him.

Upon learning of his arrival, Bishop Platon met him along with the clergy. Entering the city and approaching the church, the apostle Matthew did as he was commanded: he set up the rod given to him by the Lord, and immediately, in front of everyone, the rod became a great tree and beautiful fruits appeared on it, large and sweet, and a spring water has flowed from the root. The whole city converged on such a miracle, and they ate the fruits of the tree and drank clean water. And the holy Apostle Matthew, standing on high place preached the word of God to the assembled people in their own language. This miracle converted many pagans to the Lord.

Death of the Apostle Matthew

Upon learning of what had happened, the local pagan ruler Fulvian at first rejoiced at the healing of his wife and son, but then, according to demonic teaching, he became angry with the Apostle because all the people came to him, leaving their gods, and planned to destroy him. He accused the apostle of witchcraft and ordered his execution. St. Matthew was stretched face down on the ground, covered with brushwood and set on fire. When the fire flared up, everyone saw that the fire did not harm Saint Matthew. Seeing this, all the people were horrified by such a great miracle and gave praise to the God of the Apostle. But Fulvian was even more angry. Not wanting to recognize in what happened the power of God, which kept the preacher of Christ alive and intact from the fire, he accused him of witchcraft. Fulvian ordered more firewood, branches and brushwood to be brought, and Saint Matthew to be doused with pitch and set on fire. In addition, he placed 12 golden idols around the fire, calling them for help, so that by their power Matthew could not get rid of the flame, and would turn into ashes. But the flame melted the idols like wax and scorched Fulvian. The frightened Ethiopian turned to the saint with a plea for mercy, and, through the prayer of the apostle, the flame subsided. His body remained unharmed. Fulvian repented of his deed and wanted to pull the saint out of the fire, but having made a prayer, he delivered his holy soul into the hands of God. According to legend, death Apostle Matthew followed about A.D. 60.

Then Fulvian ordered to bring a golden cod and on it to lay the honest body of the Apostle, undamaged by fire, and, dressing him in precious clothes, he raised him together with his nobles and brought him to his palace. Although he repented, he still did not leave his doubts. Therefore, the body of St. Matthew was placed in an iron coffin, tightly filled with tin on all sides, and thrown into the sea. At the same time, Fulvian said that if the God of Matthew preserves the body of the apostle from drowning in water, as he preserved it in fire, then truly He is the One and Almighty God and one should worship Him.

On the same night, the Apostle Matthew appeared to Bishop Plato in a sleepy vision, commanding him to go with the clergy to the seashore and find his body there, brought to land. In the morning, the bishop, accompanied by many believers and the ruler Fulvian with his retinue, went to the place shown and found an iron ark with the relics of the holy Apostle Matthew, as was announced to him in a vision. The coffin carried by the wave was honorably transferred to the temple built by the apostle. Then Fulvian asked the holy Apostle Matthew for forgiveness, after which Bishop Platon baptized him with the name Matthew, which he gave him, in obedience to God's command. Soon Saint Fulvian-Matthew renounced power and became a presbyter. After the death of Bishop Platon, the Apostle Matthew appeared to him and exhorted him to lead the Ethiopian Church. Having accepted the bishopric, Saint Matthew-Fulvian labored hard in preaching the Word of God, continuing the work of his heavenly patron.

Ethiopia- one of the African countries where Christianity is the main religion. There, already in the 5th century, the Bible was translated into the local language. Ethiopian Christians cherish the memory of the Apostle Matthew, their first evangelist.

Church of St. Apostle and Evangelist Matthew in Solerno (Italy)

Basilica of San Matteo, Salerno (Italy)

The relics of the holy evangelist Apostle Matthew, according to legend, ended up in Lucania in the 10th century. Under the Lombard prince Gisulf I, they were solemnly transferred to Salerno (Italy), where for a thousand years they have been buried in the temple of San Matteo (Matteo, in Italian, Matthew). Over the past thousand years, the cathedral has been burned many times. The fires of the 16th and 19th centuries were especially terrible, when almost the entire cathedral burned out. But what is surprising is that in all these fires, the holy relics of the Apostle Matthew remained untouched by fire.

The crypt is an underground temple. The relics of Ap. Matthew

In the crypt (underground temple) are the relics of the Holy Apostle Matthew. There are candles on the tomb.

Tomb of the Holy Apostle Matthew

Apostle Matthew in art

The holy apostle and evangelist Matthew was often depicted on icons and works of art.

Bartolozzi, Francesco. Apostle Matthew. Based on a drawing by Guercino (1591-1666).

Saint Matthew and the Angel (Guido Reni. 1635-1640)

Three paintings from the life of the apostle by Caravaggio belong to the outstanding masterpieces of painting.

Caravaggio. Apostle Matthew and Angel

The symbol of Matthew is the Angel standing behind him (in the beginning they depicted the figure of a man, since the Gospel of Matthew begins with the genealogy of Christ as a man).

However, one should distinguish between the Apostle and Evangelist Matthew and the Apostle Matthias (lat. Matthias), since they are often confused. The Apostle Levi Matthew was one of the first to be called, and Matthias the last. The Apostle Matthias (Comm. 9 August) by lot took a place among the 12 apostles, instead of the fallen away Judas Iscariot. Prior to that, he was one of the 70 disciples of Jesus.

Troparion, tone 3:
Diligently from the tax collector to the caller of the Mistress of Christ, I appear on earth as a man for goodness, following that, the chosen Apostle appeared to you, and the herald of the gospel of the universe is eloquent: for this we honor your honorable memory, Matthew the bogolitel. Pray to the Merciful God, that forgiveness of sins will give to our souls.

Kontakion, tone 4:
You rejected the ordeal yoke, you harnessed the truth to the yoke, and you appeared to be the most worthy merchant, you brought wealth, wisdom from above: from there you already preached the word of truth, and you lifted up the despondent souls, writing the hour of judgment.