This feast day in honor of Matthew, the gospel writer, can be of help to us in developing a deeper awareness of who Jesus was and how he lived out his mission on earth. Matthew was a man who was changed by his coming to know Jesus. He is a model for us who ware willing to live our lives "in a manner worthy of the call you have received," as St. Paul writes to the Ephesians in today's first reading.
The Jewish people had a friend in Matthew as he composed his gospel. He wanted to show that there was no separation between Jesus and his Jewish tradition. Furthermore, a reading of this evangelist's writings will bring the readers to understand that events that happened to Jesus and that Jesus brought about were far from happenstance. He will remind his readers that many of these events were spoken of in the scriptures before his gospel.
Likewise, Matthew had a fondness for the Gentile population that was growing during the time of Jesus. Often Matthew will use a Gentile to strengthen his examples. And who does not know about the Sermon on the Mount? Thank you, again, Matthew, for that gift.
The Church has given us the feast days of the apostles as both reminder and example. Ours is the challenge to make time to read and to come to know what each of the evangelists has written. These writers, along with the other apostles and early disciples of Jesus were the pillars of the Church. These are the people that God chose to go forth to different parts of the world to establish or strengthen our Church's beginning days. A wonderful study for all of us is to take the time to come to know at least one of the gospels well.
