Category Archives: Feast of St Matthew

Feast of St. Matthew

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The Feast of St. Matthew falls on September 21, but churches for which St. Matthew is the patron may celebrate it this Sunday in place of the usual Sunday of Pentecost.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Sept. 22, 2024 (Feast of St. Matthew)

The Calling of Saint Matthew

The Calling of Saint Matthew (c.1599-1600), oil painting on canvas by Caravaggio (1571-1610). Contarelli Chapel, Church of San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Proverbs 3:1-6

We celebrate the Feast of St. Matthew with readings chosen to reflect the tradition of the tax collector turned apostle and evangelist. In our first reading, the Book of Proverbs advises us to keep God’s commandments and use them to guide our lives, If we do so, Proverbs assures us, we will be amply rewarded with a good life and good reputation. Perhaps this message can invite us to reflect on Matthew’s conversion from hated tool of empire to faithful follower and recorder of Christ.

Psalm: Psalm 119:33-40

The Psalmist’s message, a brief snippet drawn from the longest of all the psalms, echoes this day’s reading from Proverbs: Learn God’s laws and commandments as set down in God’s teaching, the Torah, and follow them faithfully, we hear; God’s way turns us away from what is worthless. And, in an admonition perhaps relevant to the life of Matthew the tax collector, “Incline my heart to your decrees, and not to unjust gain.”

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

This passage from the second letter of Timothy, a short pastoral epistles written in Paul’s name decades after his time, echoes the Psalmist’s call for unity in tradition guided by Scripture. Speaking of the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible, (the New Testament did not yet exist), it invited early Christians to use its writings for inspiration from God, declaring that Scripture is “useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” preparing followers to be proficient and equipped for every good work.

Gospel: Matthew 9:9-19

The Scribes and Pharisees often criticized Jesus for associating with people who the authorities considered suspicious at best. Jesus was often found in the company of prostitutes, drunks and lepers; women, foreigners, and maybe worst of all, tax collectors, those despised collaborators who extracted the Roman empire’s taxes from their neighbors. Matthew was one of those hated civil servants. Yet, in spite of this outcast status, he hurried to follow Jesus, and when he invited Jesus to his home for dinner, Jesus happily came along. Jesus shows us how to love our neighbors – all of our neighbors – not just the comfortable ones.

Feast of St Matthew

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Illuminations on the readings for Sept. 24, 2023 (Feast of St. Matthew)

First Reading: Proverbs 3:1-6

Matthew the Apostle

Matthew the Apostle (c.1360), painting by Master Theodoric of Prague (c.1328-c.1381). National Gallery in Prague, Czech Republic. (Click image to enlarge.)

The feast of a church’s patron may be transferred from its usual date to the closest Sunday, so we celebrate the Feast of St. Matthew, which normally falls on September 21, this Sunday in place of the 17th Sunday of Pentecost. The readings chosen for this day reflect the tradition of Matthew as a tax collector elevated to apostle and evangelist. In our first reading, the Book of Proverbs advises us to keep God’s commandments and use them to guide our lives, If we do so, Proverbs assures us, we will be amply rewarded with a good life and good reputation.

Psalm: Psalm 119:33-40

The Psalmist’s message, a brief snippet drawn from the longest of all the psalms, echoes the Proverbs reading: Learn God’s laws and commandments and follow them faithfully. God’s way turns us away from what is worthless, we sing: God’s way gives life.

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

The second letter of Timothy, one of several short pastoral epistles written by later followers in Paul’s name, offers guidance to a growing church. It mirrors the Psalmist’s call for unity in tradition, guided by Scripture. As you read or hear it, though, bear in mind that when it was written in the late first century or early second, the New Testament was not yet assembled into a book, and the Gospels had only recently been written down. “Scripture” meant the Old Testament, summarized in Torah’s command to love God, love our neighbor, and care for the poor and the alien.

Gospel: Matthew 9:9-19

Matthew’s Gospel portrays him as a tax collector, a position that would have made him roundly despised in ancient Israel. The tax collector preyed on his neighbors on behalf of the hated Roman empire. Nevertheless, when Jesus called him, Matthew followed … and then they sat down to dinner in Matthew’s house. Having mercy and calling sinners is Jesus’s way, not self-righteously looking down on those we consider beneath us.

Pentecost 17B

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Sept. 19, 2021

First Reading (Track One): Proverbs 31:10-31

This reading, our third and last in a brief series from the Book of Proverbs, seems to express an ancient, patriarchal view of woman’s subsidiary role in the household.

Christ Blessing the Little Children

Christ Blessing the Little Children (1839), oil painting on canvas by Charles Lock Eastlake (1793-1865). Manchester Art Gallery, England. (Click image to enlarge.)

Needless to say, we should understand the patriarchal language in both testaments as a signal of ancient time and culture, not as guidance for the modern world. Pay attention to these verses, though, and you’ll discover that this capable wife is no shrinking, helpless figure. She has her husband’s trust; she supervises the household servants as she buys goods and food for the family and even purchases farm and vineyard fields. She is strong, brave, wise and kind. Her husband and her children praise her. “Let her works praise her in the city gates,” indeed!

First Reading (Track Two): Wisdom of Solomon 1:16-2:1, 12-22

Both good behavior and bad behavior have consequences. Righteousness is pleasing to God; evil deeds lead to death. We hear this theme in Sunday’s readings. First up is this passage from the book of Wisdom, which is traditionally attributed to King Solomon but was actually written in Greek in the last centuries before Christ. These verses present the ungodly, arguing why they choose to persecute the righteous people who look down on them. They are wrong, of course, as the verses at the beginning and end of the passage make clear: They don’t understand God’s purpose, nor do they recognize the rewards of a blameless life.

Alternate First Reading (Track Two): Jeremiah 11:18-20

Jeremiah is often called “the Weeping Prophet” for his loud lamentations. He shouts out to warn the leaders of Jerusalem and Judah that their failure of righteousness and justice is going to bring down God’s wrath in the form of defeat, destruction and exile. In this brief passage, though, his weeping becomes more personal: He has learned that those leaders, angered by his prophecies, are scheming to kill him. He feels like a gentle lamb led to slaughter, he laments; but even in the face of enemies he remains committed to God.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 1

We sang Psalm 1, the first of the 150 Psalms, not long after Easter. Now we return to it again as summer turns to autumn. In its verses we celebrate those who follow in the way of God, who delight in God’s teaching and meditate on it. These faithful souls will be happy, the Psalmist tells us. They will become as firmly rooted in faith as are trees deeply rooted by running water, gaining strength and bearing fruit. The wicked, in contrast, can count on no such happy end. Those who do not follow in God’s way will be blown away like chaff in the wind.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 54

This Psalm, attributed by tradition to King David, recalls a time when the young David had to flee in terror from an angry Saul who sought to kill him. This narrative resonates with the reading from Wisdom: When insolent and ruthless enemies seek our lives, God’s laws will not hold them back. This is a time to pray, the Psalmist says. Now is the time to call on God, who delivers us from trouble and upholds our lives.

Second Reading: James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a

Picking up where last week’s reading from James left off, the author expands on the theme of using our tongues – tiny yet powerful instruments that they are – to praise and bless, not to poison. These verses contrast the wisdom that comes from above against the envy and ambition in our hearts. The writer calls us to show our gentle, wise works in the form of good lives, rather than engaging in earthly, unspiritual ambition and boasting. Resist evil, we are told. Draw near to God, and God will draw near to us.

Gospel: Mark 9:30-37

Sometimes the Apostles seem almost ridiculous in their cluelessness. Today Jesus tells them for a second time that he must suffer, be rejected, killed and then rise again. Not only do they still not get it, but they are afraid to ask. Did they think long and hard about this? Apparently not. Rather, they got off to themselves and argued about which of them was the greatest. Jesus, who must have been thoroughly exasperated, showed them a small child. Following Jesus is not about greatness and power, he said. It is about welcoming the smallest and weakest among us.

Feast of St. Matthew

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Illuminations on the readings for the Feast of St. Matthew

First Reading: Proverbs 3:1-6

The feast of a church’s patron may be transferred from its usual date to the closest Sunday, so we celebrate the Feast of St. Matthew, which normally falls on September 21, this Sunday in place of the 17th Sunday of Pentecost.

St. Matthew and the Angel

St. Matthew and the Angel (1661), oil painting on canvas by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669). Louvre-Lens, Pas-de-Calais, France. (Click image to enlarge.)

The readings chosen for this day reflect the tradition of Matthew as a tax collector elevated to apostle and evangelist. In our first reading, the Book of Proverbs advises us to keep God’s commandments and use them to guide our lives, If we do so, Proverbs assures us, we will be amply rewarded with a good life and good reputation.

Psalm: Psalm 119:33-40

The Psalmist’s message, a brief snippet drawn from the longest of all the psalms, echoes the Proverbs reading: Learn God’s laws and commandments and follow them faithfully. God’s way turns us away from what is worthless, we sing: God’s way gives life.

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

The second letter of Timothy, one of several short pastoral epistles written by later followers in Paul’s name, offers guidance to a growing church. It mirrors the Psalmist’s call for unity in tradition, guided by Scripture. As you read or hear it, though, bear in mind that when it was written in the late first century or early second, the New Testament was not yet assembled into a book, and the Gospels had only recently been written down. “Scripture” meant the Old Testament, summarized in Torah’s command to love God, love our neighbor, and care for the poor and the alien.

Gospel: Matthew 9:9-19

Matthew’s Gospel portrays him as a tax collector, a position that would have made him roundly despised in ancient Israel. The tax collector preyed on his neighbors on behalf of the hated Roman empire. Nevertheless, when Jesus called him, Matthew followed … and then they sat down to dinner in Matthew’s house. Having mercy and calling sinners is Jesus’s way, not self-righteously looking down on those we consider beneath us.

Feast of St. Matthew

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Thoughts on the Lessons for the Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, Sept. 22, 2019. (The feast of the patron or title of a church may be observed on or transferred to a Sunday, except in the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter.)

Saint Matthew and the Angel (

Saint Matthew and the Angel (1602), oil painting on canvas by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610). Gemäldegalerie, Berlin. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Proverbs 3:1-6

We celebrate the Feast of St. Matthew with readings chosen to reflect the tradition of the tax collector turned apostle and evangelist. In our first reading, the Book of Proverbs advises us to keep God’s commandments and use them to guide our lives, If we do so, Proverbs assures us, we will be amply rewarded with a good life and good reputation. This message, perhaps reminding us of Matthew’s conversion from hated tool of empire to faithful follower and recorder of Christ, is echoed in the day’s psalm and second reading.

Psalm: Psalm 119:33-40

The Psalmist’s message, drawn briefly from the longest of all the psalms, is similar and simple: Learn God’s laws and commandments and follow them faithfully. God’s way turns us away from what is worthless. God’s way gives life.

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

The second letter of Timothy, one of the short pastoral epistles written in Paul’s name, offers guidance to a growing church. It mirrors the Psalmist’s call for unity in tradition guided by Scripture. But when you hear it, remember that in this early time, the New Testament was not yet assembled into a book, and the four Gospels were only then being written down. “Scripture” meant the Old Testament, with Torah’s command to love God, love our neighbor, and care for the poor and the alien. This is good advice in any age.

Gospel: Matthew 9:9-19

Matthew was a tax collector, a position that would have made him roundly despised in ancient Israel: The tax collector preyed on his neighbors on behalf of the hated Roman empire. But when Jesus called him, Matthew followed … and then they sat down to dinner in Matthew’s house. Having mercy and calling sinners is Jesus’s way, not self-righteously looking down on those we consider beneath us.

Feast of St Matthew

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Thoughts on the Lessons for the Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, Sept. 21, 2018. (The feast of the patron or title of a church may be observed on or transferred to a Sunday, except in the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter.)

St. Matthew and the angel

St. Matthew and the angel (1661). Oil painting on canvas by
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669). Louvre-Lens, Pas-de-Calais, France. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Proverbs 3:1-6

Keep God’s commandments and use them to guide your life, and you will be amply rewarded with a good life and good reputation. We’ll hear this message from Proverbs echoed in the following readings. Follow these rules well, the Proverbs passage urges us – “wear them round your neck” – and God and your neighbors alike will think highly of you.

Psalm: Psalm 119:33-40

The longest of all the Psalms, Psalm 119 devotes its 176 verses to an extended celebration of love for God’s teaching, the Torah. The Psalmist calls us to be humble and generous, turning from selfish gain and“vanities” to follow God’s ways through life-giving righteousness. God teaches us to be just in our dealings with God and our neighbors, a simple rule that stands as a continuing theme through both testaments.

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

In this passage we read an early Christian opinion similar to what we heard in the first two readings: Scripture, the sacred writings that we learn from childhood, provides a solid core for us to learn to live in righteousness. But here’s a twist: In Timothy’s time, the New Testament was not yet assembled into a book, and the four Gospels were only then being written down. “Scripture” meant the Old Testament, with its strong Torah command to love God, love our neighbor, and care for the poor and the alien.

Gospel: Matthew 9:9-19

Jesus had a bad reputation for hanging out with sinners, outcasts and people the authorities considered mighty suspicious: Prostitutes, drunks and lepers; women, foreigners, and maybe worst of all, tax collectors, those despised collaborators who extracted the Roman empire’s taxes from their neighbors. People like Matthew, who despite his outcast status as tax collecter hurried to follow Jesus … and invited him home for dinner. Jesus shows us how to love our neighbors – all of our neighbors – not just the ones who look and think like us.

Feast of St Matthew

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Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sept. 21, 2014

The Calling of St. Matthew, Andrea Orcagna di Cione, c.1367-70. From the Altarpiece of St. Matthew and Scenes from his Life, San Gimignano, Collegiata.

The Calling of St. Matthew, from the Altarpiece of St. Matthew and Scenes from his Life, c.1367-70

First Reading: Proverbs 3:1-6

Consistent with the messages in the Psalm excerpt and Second Reading that follow, this little gem of wisdom literature gently encourages God’s people to follow God’s teaching and commandments. Follow these rules well – “wear them round your neck” – and God and your neighbors alike will think highly of you.

Psalm: Psalm 119:33-40

This, the longest of all the Psalms, devotes its 176 verses to an extended celebration of love for God’s teaching, the Torah. The Psalmist calls us to be humble and generous, turning from selfish gain and“vanities” to follow God’s ways through life-giving righteousness. God teaches us to be just in our dealings with God and our neighbors. This simple rule stands at the center of both testaments.

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

One of the short “pastoral epistles” written in Paul’s name by a later follower, offers an early Christian view of the same idea that we hear addressed in the first two readings: Scripture, the sacred writings that we learn from childhood, provides a solid core for us to learn to live in righteousness.

Gospel: Matthew 9:9-19

Jesus had a bad reputation for hanging out with sinners, outcasts and people the authorities considered mighty suspicious: Prostitutes, drunks and lepers; women, foreigners, and maybe worst of all, tax collectors, those despised collaborators who extracted the Roman empire’s taxes from their neighbors. People like Matthew, who despite his outcast status as tax collecter hurried to follow Jesus … and invited him home for dinner. Jesus shows us how to love our neighbors – all of our neighbors – not just the ones who look and think like us.

Feast of St. Matthew

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Thoughts on the Lessons for Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012.

First Reading: Proverbs 3:1-6
Keep God’s commandments and use them to guide your life, and you will be amply rewarded with a good life and good reputation. It’s a message echoed in the psalm and second reading. (This is from what is known as “wisdom literature” and is popularly attributed to King Solomon.)

Psalm 119:33-40
The Psalmist’s message is similar and simple: Learn God’s laws and commandments and follow them faithfully. God’s way turns us away from what is worthless and gives life.

St. Matthew

Woodcut image of St. Matthew from the Golden Legend, c.1489.

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Second Timothy, one of the short “pastoral epistles” written in Paul’s name, offers guidance to a growing church, echoing the Psalmist’s call for unity in tradition guided by Scripture. But here’s a twist: In Timothy’s time, the New Testament was not yet assembled into a book, and the four Gospels were only then being written down. “Scripture” meant the Old Testament, with its strong Torah command to love God, love our neighbor, and care for the poor and the alien. This is good advice in any age.

Gospel: Matthew 9:9-19
Matthew was a tax collector, a job that would have made him roundly despised in ancient Israel: The tax collector preyed on his neighbors on behalf of the hated Roman empire. Yet Jesus called him, and Matthew followed … and then they sat down to dinner in Matthew’s house. Having mercy and calling sinners is Jesus’s way, not self-righteously looking down on those we consider beneath us.