Saints + Scripture: Feast of Saint Matthew

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The Popish Plot
"St. Matthew"

'Tis the Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle & Evangelist (first century, A.K.A. Levi), author of the Gospel according to Matthew: Apostle-link ūnus, Apostle-link duo, Apostle-link Array of Hope, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Apostles & Wikipedia-link Evangelists; & Wikipedia-link Gospel.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:

Matthew was a first-century tax collector turned Apostle who chronicled the life & ministry of Christ. He is one of the four Evangelists.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Feast of St. Matthew
The Letter to the Ephesians, chapter four, verses one thru seven, eleven, twelve, & thirteen;
Psalm Nineteen, verses two & three, four & five;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter nine, verses nine thru thirteen.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, today we celebrate the feast of St. Matthew, and our Gospel tells of his conversion. Matthew’s laconic account details what the transition from spiritual death to spiritual life is like. First, we notice the look of Jesus. If there is one theme clearly stated in the New Testament it is that of the primacy of grace.

Why? We don’t know. We just know that we will not lift ourselves to spiritual wholeness. A gaze has to come upon us from the outside—not so much finding God as allowing ourselves to be found.

Jesus says to him, “Follow me.” There is nothing simpler or more basic in the Christian life than this. This is what we disciples do: we follow, we walk after him, we apprentice to him. “He got up and followed him.” The symbolism here is marvelous. Getting up, rising up—anastasis, the same word used to designate the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Conversion (turning around) is also elevation, rising up.

To come to Christ is to come to a higher, richer, broader form of life. Now life is not simply the pleasures and goods of the body; now life is lived in and through God.

Video reflection by Jem Sullivan, Ph.D.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Iphigenia of Ethiopia, Virgin (first century, A.K.A. of Abyssinia; also spelt Ephigenia): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Gerulfus, Martyr (circa 740-748, also spelt Gerulph), martyred by a kinsman, whom he pardoned with his dying breath: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint François Jaccard, Priest & Martyr, M.E.P. (1799-1838), martyred in the reign of the Nguyễn emperor Minh Mạng, one of the Martyrs of Vietnam: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link (List); Martyrs-link Vietnam & Wikipedia-link Vietnam.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Laurent-Joseph-Marius Imbert, Bishop & Martyr, M.E.P. (1796-1839, A.K.A. Laurant-Maria-Joseph Imbert, Imbert Bum), martyred in the reign of the Joseon king Heonjong, one of the Martyrs of Korea: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Martyrs-link Korea & Wikipedia-link Korea.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"The Incarnate Word of God continues to speak to the Church through the sacred books. In reading & studying the Scriptures, Christians seek to know God & to understand God's plan for the human family."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, feast day: 22 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Maybe you have often said, 'I do not want an institution standing between God and me.' Well, that’s right. After all, you have a right to communicate with God. But the Church is not that kind of an institution, standing between you & God. Israel was not between the world & God. Think of the Church somewhat in the fashion of a body. Do you ever say, for example, I do not want your lips & eyes & hands & so forth standing between me & you? After all, how can I communicate anything to you, except by something visible & tangible & carnal? Anything visible that you see about me or will ever see about me is nothing but the sign of an invisible soul. The carnal is the token of the spiritual. So when our Blessed Lord came to this earth & took upon Himself a human body, you would not say, 'I do not want this body of Christ standing between me & my love of Christ.' That is the only way of the Incarnation, to communicate the divine through the human. This human nature of our Blessed Lord, this body of His was the instrument of His divinity. When, therefore, our Lord came as priest, as prophet, & as king, everything He did was done through the power & the means of this human nature."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)