Saints Alive! | St. Matthias – My Daily Bread: A Reason2bCatholic blog

Today is the Feast Day of St. Matthias

(First Century Apostle)

The Church is “one, holy, Catholic, apostolic” (Nicene Creed). One aspect of the apostolic Church is that it is founded on the historic testimony of Jesus’ bodily Resurrection. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “apostolic” in this sense means “chosen witnesses of the Lord’s Resurrection and so the foundation stones of the Church” (860). This is why the Apostles met together after the Ascension of the Lord to replace the traitor Judas. After prayer and the casting of lots, Matthias joined the ranks of the Twelve, as a chosen witness to the Resurrection of the Lord.

First published at Magnificat, May 2020

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles 1:15-17, 20-26

Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers and sisters (there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons in the one place). He said, “My brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand through the mouth of David, concerning Judas, who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus. Judas was numbered among us and was allotted a share in this ministry. For it is written in the Book of Psalms:

Let his encampment become desolate,/and may no one dwell in it.

and:

May another take his office.

Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us, become with us a witness to his resurrection.” So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this apostolic ministry from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.” Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles.

The word of the Lord.

This month we celebrate the feast of the Apostle Matthias, who was chosen to replace Judas as one of the Twelve. Peter’s only stated criteria for the new apostle was that he be one who accompanies us the whole time Jesus came and went among us… until the day he was taken up from us (Acts 1:21-22). Before anything else, Peter is concerned that the new apostle be one who was with Jesus. His eloquence or intelligence or strategies for evangelization were not cited as necessary, but his walking with Jesus, in the flesh, was essential.

– Father Richard Veras, as published at Magnificat, May 2020, “Matthias and Me”