Feast of Saint Matthew | Homily

Feast of Saint Matthew | Homily Read Matthew 9:9-13 ABOUT ST MATTHEW Before Jesus called him, Matthew was a publican, i.e., a tax collector for the Romans based in Capharnaum. As such, he was viewed by most people as a great sinner: publicans were not allowed to trade, eat, or pray with other Jews.   In calling Matthew, Jesus showed that his message was for sinners and the righteous. Matthew's response demonstrates repentance. He was originally called Levi, in Hebrew, meaning "Adhesion". Matthew's new name in Christ means "Gift of God." After Jesus' death, Matthew wrote the first Gospel in Aramaic, the language that Jesus spoke. The purpose of this book was to convince the Jewish people that the Messiah, whom they anticipated, had come in the person of Jesus. Tradition says that he preached in Palestine, Egypt, and in Ethiopia. Some sources say he lived until his nineties and died peacefully, while others hold that he was attacked and killed while leading prayer. Matthew is symbolized by an angel (the winged man) taking the form of a man.