Feast Day: September 21
There's something profoundly moving about the story of Matthew that speaks to the human heart across centuries. Here was a man who sat at his tax collector's booth in Capernaum, counting coins and calculating profits, when Jesus simply walked by and said, "Follow me." "And he rose and followed him", such simple words in Matthew's own Gospel that capture one of history's most dramatic conversions. What makes Matthew's story even more fascinating is that his original name was Levi, son of Alphaeus, and he was likely the brother of James the Less. The name "Matthew" means "gift of Yahweh," suggesting this became his Christian name after his conversion, a beautiful symbol of his transformation from tax collector to apostle. What strikes me most is that Matthew was likely the wealthiest and most educated of the apostles, yet also the most despised by his fellow Jews as a Roman collaborator and betrayer of his people. Tax collectors were notorious for cheating people by collecting more than required and pocketing the difference, making them both wealthy and hated.
The genius of Caravaggio captured this transformative moment in his masterpiece "The Calling of Saint Matthew" in Rome's San Luigi dei Francesi church. There's something about sacred art at its finest that draws us in, even those of us who don't consider ourselves art enthusiasts. Like Bouguereau's breathtaking "Song of the Angels" with its violin-playing angels surrounding Mary and the Christ Child - I have a huge tapestry of this masterpiece in my living room because I absolutely love the depth of spirituality and love in this painting - truly exceptional religious art has this power to reveal spiritual depths we might otherwise miss. Caravaggio's painting does exactly this; it shows Matthew at his counting table, stunned by Jesus' invitation, with that famous beam of light cutting through the darkness like a visual metaphor for grace breaking into our ordinary lives. What makes this so compelling is how Caravaggio presents Matthew not as some distant saint in ancient robes, but as an affluent tax collector in contemporary 16th-century dress, making the calling feel immediate and relevant. The artist understood that conversion isn't just a historical event; it's an ongoing invitation that comes to each of us in our daily circumstances. When we encounter art that depicts our faith with such spiritual excellence, it becomes another lens through which we can explore the mysteries of God's call in our own lives.
A lover of money becomes greedy for God; this beautiful phrase from Catholic tradition captures Matthew's transformation perfectly. The man who once counted Roman coins became the evangelist who carefully chronicled Christ's genealogy and teachings for a Jewish audience, showing how Jesus fulfilled the ancient promises. Matthew's Gospel opens not with philosophy or poetry, but with a detailed family tree, demonstrating his accountant's precision put to divine service. This reminds us that God doesn't discard our natural talents and professional skills when He calls us; He transforms them for His purposes.
Perhaps most encouraging is that Matthew became the patron saint of bankers, accountants, and money changers, the very profession from which he was called. Rather than rejecting his past entirely, the Church recognizes that those who work with money and numbers need divine guidance and intercession. After his calling, tradition tells us Matthew first preached in Judea before traveling to distant lands, establishing Christian communities in Ethiopia and Persia. Though the details vary, most sources agree he died a martyr's death around 60 AD, possibly slain with a halberd in Ethiopia or beheaded for converting a queen. His missionary zeal took him far from his comfortable tax booth to the edges of the known world, where he gave his life for the Gospel he had so carefully recorded. Matthew's feast reminds us that no profession is too worldly, no past too shameful, and no conversion too dramatic for God's grace. In our modern world of complex finances and economic pressures, we have a saint who understands the particular temptations and opportunities that come with handling material wealth. His story whispers to each of us: whatever table you're sitting at today, whatever you're counting or calculating, listen for that voice calling you to something greater.
©2025 James Dacey Jr.
