Saint Matthias, Apostle
S. Matthiae Apostoli
Saint Matthias was the disciple chosen by lot to take the place of Judas among the Twelve, numbered with the Apostles before the descent of the Holy Ghost and a witness to the Resurrection of the Lord.
On the twenty-fourth of February the Church celebrates Saint Matthias, the Apostle who was chosen to complete the number of the Twelve after the fall of Judas. The Acts of the Apostles records the event with care: in the days between the Ascension and Pentecost, Saint Peter rose among the brethren and declared that one must be chosen to take the place left empty, “of these men who have companied with us, all the time that the Lord Jesus came in and went out among us… to be a witness with us of his resurrection” (Acts 1).
Two were put forward, Joseph called Barsabas and Matthias. The disciples prayed, “Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen”; and casting lots, the lot fell upon Matthias, “and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.” Thus he was a disciple of the Lord from the beginning — from the baptism of John, as Peter required — though he is named in Scripture only at his election.
Witness of the Resurrection
Of the later life and labours of Saint Matthias little is recorded with certainty. Ancient tradition relates that he preached the Gospel and at length gave his life for Christ, and he has long been venerated as a martyr; but the various accounts of where and how he laboured cannot be firmly established. What Scripture makes certain is the dignity of his calling: he stood among the Twelve who received the Holy Ghost at Pentecost and were sent to teach all nations.
His election offers a quiet lesson in divine providence and humility. Matthias did not seek the apostleship; he was found faithful in the years of hidden discipleship, and when the Church, after prayer, sought God’s choice, he was given the grace to bear witness to the Risen Lord. The feast, falling within the season of Lent, calls the faithful to that same hidden fidelity which God rewards in His own time.
The Collect
O God, who didst join blessed Matthias to the company of Thine Apostles: grant, we beseech Thee, that by his intercession we may ever experience Thy tender mercy toward us. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
Deus, qui beatum Matthiam Apostolorum tuorum collegio sociasti: tribue, quaesumus; ut, eius interventione, tuae circa nos pietatis semper viscera sentiamus. Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Patronage
Saint Matthias is invoked by those seeking perseverance and is honoured as a patron in various places; his relics are venerated especially at Trier in Germany.
In the Modern Calendar
In the modern calendar the feast of Saint Matthias is observed on 14 May, the date having been moved out of Lent.
Common Questions
When is the feast of Saint Matthias?
In the 1962 calendar his feast is kept on 24 February (and on 25 February in leap years) as a Second Class feast, in red. In the modern calendar it is observed on 14 May.
Who was Saint Matthias?
He was the disciple chosen by lot to replace Judas among the Twelve Apostles, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. He had followed the Lord from the time of John’s baptism and was a witness to the Resurrection.
What happened to Saint Matthias after Pentecost?
Scripture does not say. Ancient tradition holds that he preached the Gospel and died a martyr, and he is venerated as such, though the details of his missionary labours cannot be established with certainty.
See where this feast falls in the Church’s year on the liturgical calendar, or find a Traditional Latin Mass near you.
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