St. Matthias Feast Day

A New Apostle

Today is the feast day of St. Matthias and so we take a break from the progression through the Old Testament to look quickly at this man who is mentioned only twice in the New Testament.

When I reflect on St. Matthias, I can’t help but be reminded of the way in which gentiles are grafted into the family of God, as evident in the book of Romans:

“But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root…they were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith.”¹

St. Matthias is the new branch that was grafted in after Judas, in his unbelief, was broken off.

Matthias’ Faithfulness

When the disciples were choosing who would replace Judas, St. Peter gave a few criteria before they settled on two candidates.² From the criteria laid out in Acts 1:23, we learn a few things about St. Matthias:

1. He was with Jesus since his baptism

2. He was a witness of the resurrection

3. He was with Jesus until his ascension

St. Matthias was a faithful follower throughout the entirety of Jesus’ ministry and now has become one of the twelve apostles for a leadership role that will ultimately cost him his life.³

Preparing Our Hearts

We can look at these few passages about St. Matthias and remember his faithfulness to Jesus Christ, his ministry as a new apostle, and the open door that allows each of us to be brought into the family of God.

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A Note About the Art:

The feast day prayer is from the 2019 ACNA Book of Common Prayer.

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References

1

Romans 11:17,20

2

Acts 1:23, 26

3

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Matthias