September 21
St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
Saint Matthieu, apôtre et évangéliste
St Matthew, also known as Levi, was one of the twelve apostles chosen by Jesus Christ. Before his calling, Matthew worked as a tax collector—a profession often associated with sin and collaboration with the Roman authorities in first-century Judea. Jesus’ invitation to Matthew, “Follow me,” and Matthew’s immediate response, leaving everything behind, is a powerful testament to conversion and the universal reach of Christ’s mercy. Tradition considers Matthew the author of the Gospel bearing his name, which was likely written for a community of Jewish Christians and emphasizes Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. While scholarly debate surrounds precise authorship and date, the Gospel of Matthew remains foundational in Christian liturgy and teaching.
The Church honors St Matthew on this day to remember not only his critical role in spreading the Gospel but also his witness to transformation: from outcast to apostle. Matthew’s life reminds the faithful that no one is beyond the redemption offered by Christ, and that each person, regardless of background, is called to discipleship. His feast celebrates the Gospel’s enduring power to change lives and the continuing mission of the Church to proclaim that good news to all.
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Mass readings
ReadingEp 4, 1-7.11-13
Brothers and sisters,
I, who am in prison because of the Lord,
urge you to live
in a manner worthy of your calling:
have great humility, gentleness, and patience,
bear with one another in love;
be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit
through the bond of peace.
Just as your calling has called you all
to the one hope,
so there is one Body and one Spirit.
There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all,
above all,
through all, and in all.
To each of us, grace has been given
according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
And the gifts he gave
were the apostles,
and also the prophets, the evangelists,
the pastors and teachers.
In this way, the faithful are equipped
so that the work of ministry is accomplished
and the body of Christ is built up,
until we all attain together
to the unity of the faith and the full knowledge of the Son of God,
to the state of the perfect Man,
to the stature of Christ in his fullness.
– The word of the Lord.
PsalmPs 18 (19), 2-3, 4-5ab
The heavens proclaim the glory of God,
the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.
Day unto day pours forth the story
and night unto night imparts knowledge.
There is no speech in this story,
no voice is heard;
yet their message goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.
GospelMt 9, 9-13
At that time,
Jesus left Capernaum
and, as he passed by, he saw a man named Matthew
sitting at the tax collector’s booth.
He said to him,
“Follow me.”
The man got up and followed him.
As Jesus was at table in the house,
behold, many tax collectors
and many sinners
came and took their places with him and his disciples.
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples,
“Why does your master eat
with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus heard this and declared,
“It is not the healthy
who need the doctor,
but the sick.
Go and learn what this means:
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
Indeed, I have not come to call the righteous,
but sinners.”
– Let us acclaim the word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org