Today in our liturgy, we honour Saint Matthew, a disciple and apostle of Christ who traditionally believed to be the author of the first Gospel in the New Testament.  According to that Gospel, Matthew was tax-gatherer when Jesus called him; the Gospels according to Mark and Luke agree, but say that the tax-gatherer’s name was Levi.  It is probably one and the same person, the disciple was called Matthew.

Matthew’s Gospel is also the work of a true literary artist who not only wrote well but also knew how to organize his materials to their best advantage. These qualities have made it, down through the centuries, the favourite version for many of the preachers, teachers, and reading public of the Church.

It’s good to have opportunities within the Church Year to talk about witnesses of faith from ages past.  Some of the lives of saints are the stuff real human drama is made of, and their stories can be quite inspiring. (For All the Saints)