September 21 marks the feast day of St. Matthew the Evangelist.
Though St. Matthew authored one of the four Gospels, little is actually known about this apostle. The most telling detail we have about him is that he was a tax collector — which, in Jesus’ time, said a lot about who he was and how he was regarded. Matthew would have been despised and viewed as a traitor by his fellow Jews because he collected money from them to give to the occupying Roman forces (and most tax collectors were known to take more than what was owed).
Despite this, Matthew was chosen by Jesus to be one of his 12 disciples. If that wasn’t enough, Jesus called him while he was in the midst of collecting taxes. At the words, “Follow me,” Matthew dropped everything and became a follower of Christ, which forever changed his life.
We can look to Matthew as an example of someone who was called and chosen by God, even though he would have been deemed unworthy by others. We see someone who left behind a life of deceit for a life of faith. Most importantly, we see someone who was loved despite his shortcomings.
To dive more into St. Matthew’s life and legacy, check out this playlist inspired by him. It will remind you that each of us, too, is called, chosen, and loved.
