The Added Apostle
On February 24th, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Matthias. This apostle and martyr was the one chosen to replace the disciple Judas who betrayed Our Lord. In fact, all we know for sure about St. Matthias comes from the story of his selection in Acts 1:
After Jesus’ Ascension, the apostles gathered and dedicated themselves to prayer. The Holy Spirit revealed to Peter that they were to elect a man to fill Judas’ place. Two men were presented—Joseph and Barsabbas—and the lot fell to Matthias. Even though we don’t hear him mentioned by name in the Gospels, we know from this account that Matthias must have been present with the apostles during Jesus’ ministry, as this was an important requirement for Judas’ replacement.
Matthias was present from Jesus’ baptism until his ascension, and—perhaps most importantly—he was an eyewitness of our Lord’s resurrection! While the Bible doesn’t mention Matthias by name again, Origen, an important scholar in the early Church, points out that Matthias is mentioned indirectly by St. Paul when he writes that Jesus appeared to the twelve after his resurrection (1 Cor. 15:5-6).
Beyond the Bible, tradition teaches that Matthias likely traveled to either traveled to Ethiopia or Armenia and was martyred in AD 40 in Colchis, which is located along the eastern shore of the Black Sea. According to tradition, he was crucified and then chopped into many pieces for his witness to Christ. As a result, the cross and halberd have come to be symbols of St. Matthias in keeping with the tradition of apostles being symbolized by the instruments of their martyrdom.
Brief History
St. Matthias’ feast day was a late addition to the sanctoral calendar. It isn’t until the eleventh century that his feast appears, and even then it is unclear why February 24th was chosen for his commemoration.
In recent years, the Roman Catholic Church moved St. Matthias’ feast day so that it would fall within the Easter season and not interfere with Lenten observances. Moreover, they indicated that they wanted to celebrate those who bore witness to Christ’s resurrection in their lives and preaching during the season of the resurrection. Nevertheless, the Lutheran Church has continued to observe St. Matthias’ Day on the traditional date of February 24th.
Collect
Almighty God, Thou didst choose Thy servant Matthias to be numbered among the Twelve: grant that Thy Church, ever preserved from false teachers, may ever be founded on the foundation of the same; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost: ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Lessons
Resources
Issues, Etc. interview with the Rev. David Petersen on St. Matthias
Propers found in Daily Divine Service Book: A Lutheran Daily Missal, edited by the Rev. Heath Curtis
References:
1. Pfatteicher, Philip H. Festivals and Commemorations. Augsburg Publishing House. 1980.
2. Voragine, Jacobus de. The Golden Legend: Reading on the Saints. Vol. 1. Translated by William Granger Ryan. Princeton Press. 1993.
3. Weedon, William. Celebrating the Saints. Concordia Publishing House. 2016.
Images:
1. St. Matthias, Lucas Cranach, Germany, c. 1512.
2. St. Matthias, Robert van den Hoecke, Belgium, n.d.
