"[B]ecome witnesses with me to the resurrection of Jesus."

AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti

14 MAY 2010. On this Feast of Saint Matthias the Apostle, the Holy Father pleads with us in today's homily to be witnesses of Christ, like Saint Matthias, with the successor of Peter, for the benefit of all souls and the Body of Christ on earth:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

"It is written in the book of Psalms, … ‘His office let another take’. One of these men, then […] must become a witness with us to his resurrection" (Acts 1:20-22). These were the words of Peter, as he read and interpreted the word of God in the midst of his brethren gathered in the Upper Room following Jesus’ ascension to heaven. The one who was chosen was Matthias, who had been a witness to the public life of Jesus and his victory over death, and had remained faithful to him to the end, despite the fact that many abandoned him. The "disproportion" between the forces on the field, which we find so alarming today, astounded those who saw and heard Christ two thousand years ago. It was only he, from the shore of the Lake of Galilee right up to the squares of Jerusalem, alone or almost alone at the decisive moments: he, in union with the Father; he, in the power of the Spirit. Yet it came about, in the end, that from the same love that created the world, the newness of the Kingdom sprang up like a small seed which rises from the ground, like a ray of light which breaks into the darkness, like the dawn of a unending day: it is Christ Risen. And he appeared to his friends, showing them the need for the Cross in order to attain the resurrection.

On that day Peter was looking for a witness to all this. Two were presented, and heaven chose "Matthias, and he was enrolled with the eleven apostles" (Acts 1:26). Today we celebrate his glorious memory in this "undefeated city", which festively welcomes the Successor of Peter. I give thanks to God that I have been able come here and meet you around the altar. I offer a cordial greeting to you, my brethren and friends of the city and the Diocese of Oporto, to those who have come from the ecclesiastical province of Northern Portugal and from nearby Spain, and to all those physically or spiritually present at this liturgical assembly. I greet the Bishop of Oporto, Dom Manuel Clemente, who greatly desired this visit of mine, welcomed me with great affection, and voiced your sentiments at the beginning of this Eucharist. I greet his predecessors, his brother Bishops, all the priests, women and men religious, and the lay faithful, and in particular those actively involved in the Diocesan Mission, and, more concretely, in the preparations for my visit. I know that you have been able to count on the practical cooperation of the Mayor of Oporto and the public authorities, many of whom honour me by their presence; I wish to take advantage of this opportunity to greet them and to express to them, and to all whom they represent and serve, my best wishes for the good of all.

"One of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection," said Peter. His Successor now repeats to each of you: My brothers and sisters, you need to become witnesses with me to the resurrection of Jesus.

 The entire homily can be found here.

Just as Saint Matthias was called to be a witness to the Risen Lord, not because of who he was (for he was not chosen among the original twelve), but for who can become, all of us are loved with great paternal intensity by God because of what each of us can become--true disciples of Christ in our own right.

I pray that we might all stand up with our Holy Father and be witnesses to the Risen Christ as Saint Matthias was called to do!

Saint Matthias, Apostle

14 MAY 2010. Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Matthias, the apostle.

No doubt, if you are thinking through the names of the 12 apostles (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, James, Peter . . .) you may be thinking, "Where is Matthias?"

The answer to your question is found in the Acts of the Apostles:

In those days Peter stood up among the brethren (the company of persons was in all about a hundred and twenty), and said: "Brethren, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David, concerning Judas who was guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered among us, and was allotted his share in this ministry. (Now this man bought a field with the reward of his wickedness; and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) For it is written in the Book of Psalms, 'Let his habitation become desolate, and let there be no one to live in it'; and 'His office let another take.'

So, one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us--one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection." And they put forward two, Joseph called Barasabbas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, "Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show which one of these two thou hast chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside, to go to his own place." And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was enrolled with the eleven apostles.

(Acts 1, 15-26 RSV-CE) Saint Matthias was there all along during the whole of Jesus' public ministry. He was not among the first twelve chosen by Christ, but he was nonetheless present from the baptism of John until the Ascension. Praise God for this noble man, chosen by the Lord to replace Judas after his betrayal and death. This singular mention of Mathias, however, is all that we know of him from the New Testament.

There are several variable historical accounts of Saint Matthias after his enrollment as one of the twelve. According to Nicephorus, Matthias preached in Judea and then in Aethiopia (made out to be a synonym for the region of Colchis, part of present-day Georgia) and was crucified in Colchis. In fact, a memorial remains in present-day Georgian region of Adjara, in the ruins of the Roman fortress of Gonio, claiming that Saint Matthias is buried there.

Another tradition, from the Synopsis of Dorotheus, claims that Saint Matthias preached among the cannibals in Ethopia (the ancient name for those regions south of Egypt and Libya) where he died. Another tradition tells that Saint Matthias was executed by the Jews in Jerusalem. And, another tradition says that he died of old age in Jerusalem.

Whatever the truth, we know that the eleven trusted in God to choose Matthias to take the place of Judas. Just as each of us today is called to be a witness to Christ in our world, Saint Matthias was called to be a witness too. But, we celebrate Saint Matthias because of the special nature of his calling; he was called not just to be a witness among many, but one of the twelve chosen personally by Christ.

The Feast of Saint Matthias was added the General Roman Calendar in the eleventh century and was usually celebrated on February 24. However, with the change of the General Roman Calendar in 1969, the feast was moved to May 14 to be celebrated more closely in time to the Ascension.

Prayer

O Glorious Saint Matthias,
in God's design it fell upon you
to take the place of the unfortunate Judas
who betrayed his Master.
You were selected by the twofold sign
of the uprightness of your life and the call of the Holy Spirit.
Obtain for us the grace to practice the same uprightness of life
and to be called by that same Spirit
to wholehearted service of the Church.
Then after a life of zeal and good works
let us be ushered into your company in heaven
to sing forever the praises of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Amen.