Icon with the Holy Apostle Evangelist Matthew – embroidered, framed, 15x18cm
The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew is one of the twelve chosen apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ and is among the four evangelists, along with the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John, the Holy Evangelist Luke, and the Holy Evangelist Mark, who have written about the life and ministry of the Savior.
As the bearer of the Gospel that marks the transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament, the Holy Fathers decided that his letter should be the first, near the Old Testament. His Gospel addresses both Jews and Gentiles, being a powerful call to conversion and faith. It reveals to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah, and to the Gentiles, it proclaims that salvation is through Christ.
Because Matthew often uses the phrase "the kingdom of heaven," his Gospel is also called the Gospel of the Kingdom. It is read in the Church for seventeen Sundays after Pentecost and on Sundays during fasting periods.
The Holy Apostle Matthew lived in Capernaum and was a tax collector during the preaching of Jesus Christ in the region of Galilee. Witnessing the miracles of Jesus, he responded to the Savior's call "Follow Me." Listening not only with his physical ears but also with the ears of his soul, he left the tax office and followed Christ, welcoming Him into his home with joy.
The Pharisees, seeing the Savior dining with sinners and tax collectors, asked why He did this. And the Lord, hearing this, said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance" (Matthew 9:12-13).
Initially designated as Levi, son of Alphaeus, by the other three evangelists to conceal his past as a tax collector, Matthew, out of profound humility, chose to confess himself in his Gospel, revealing his sinful life before without shame.
Tradition says that the apostle Matthew was assassinated by order of the Ethiopian king Egippus, as a result of court intrigues.
The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew is commemorated in the Orthodox calendar on November 16th. Although it is not a feast day with a cross in the Orthodox calendar, on this day, messages are transmitted to those who bear the name Matthew.
