All that is certain about St. Matthias is found toward the end of the first chapter of the book of Acts. After the Ascension of Christ, the eleven apostles had to fill the vacancy left by Judas. St. Peter led them by listing the qualifications: The candidate had to be been a disciple from the time of Jesus’ baptism until his Ascension, and had to be a witness to the resurrection. Two men were nominated, and after praying for God to show them whom he had chosen, Matthias was numbered as one of the apostles and brought their number back to twelve. Historians say that he preached for over 30 years in Cappadocia, Judea, Ethiopia, and Egypt. It is believed he was stoned to death around the year 80 AD.
CHALLENGE
Pope Benedict XVI spoke about Judas and Matthias in a general audience, and said: “while there is no lack of unworthy and traitorous Christians in the Church, it is up to each of us to counterbalance the evil done by them with our clear witness to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.” People form perceptions about the Church by the actions of those who are in it. Today, pray to St. Matthias to help you live as a clear witness to Jesus Christ.
Have you ever wondered: “How did society get so messed up?” Recipient of a Catholic Writer’s Guild 2022 Seal of Approval, Rebellion answers that question using fast-paced storytelling style, telling you the riveting true story of the war between good and evil that started in the Garden of Eden.
