Call of St. Matthias by St.John Chrysostom

Because he was a witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Saint Matthias was chosen by the other apostles to take the place of Judas (Acts 1;15-26).  This commentary on the call of St. Matthias comes from a homily on the Acts of the Apostles by Satnt John Chrysostom (Hom 3, 1.2.3: PG 60, 33-36, 38).  It is used in the Roman office of readings for the Feast of Saint Matthias on May 14.

 

In those days, Peter, stood up in the midst of the disciples and said... As the fiery spirit to whom the flock was entrusted by Christ and as the leader in the band of the apostles, Peter always took the initiative in speaking: My brothers, we must choose from among our number. He left the decision to the whole body, at once augmenting the honour of those elected and avoiding any suspicion of partiality. For such great occasions can easily lead to trouble.

Did not Peter then have the right to make the choice himself? Certainly he had the right, but he did not want to give the appearance of showing special favour to anyone. Besides he was not yet endowed with the Spirit. And they nominated two, we read, Joseph, who was called Barsabbas and surnamed Justus, and Matthias. He himself did not nominate them; all present did. But it was he who brought the issue forward, pointing out that it was not his own idea but had been suggested to him by a scriptural prophecy. So he was speaking not as a teacher but as an interpreter.

So, he goes on, we must choose from those men who lived in our company. Notice how insistent he is that they should be eyewitnesses. Even though the Spirit would come to ratify the choice, Peter regards this prior qualification as most important.

Those who lived in our company, he continued, all through the time when the Lord Jesus came and went among us. He refers to those who had dwelt with Jesus, not just those who had been his disciples. For of course from the very beginning many had followed him. Notice how it is written that Peter himself was one of the two who had listened to John, and followed Jesus.

All through the time when the Lord Jesus came and went among us, beginning with the baptism of John – rightly so, because no one knew what had happened before that time, although they were to know of it later through the Spirit.

Up to the day, Peter added, on which he was taken up from us – one of these must be made a witness along with us of his resurrection. He did not say “a witness of the rest of his actions” but only a witness of the resurrection. That witness would be more believable who could declare that he who ate and drank and was crucified also rose from the dead. He needed to be a witness not of the times before or after that event, and not of the signs and wonders, but only of the resurrection itself. For the rest happened by general admission, openly; but the resurrection took place secretly, and was known to these men only.

And they all prayed together, saying: You, Lord, know the hearts of men; make your choice known to us. “You”, not “we”. Appropriately they said that he knew the hearts of men, because the choice was to be made by him, not by others.

They spoke with such confidence, because someone had to be appointed. They did not say “choose” but make known to us the chosen one; the one you choose, they said, fully aware that everything was pre-ordained by God. They then drew lots. For they did not think themselves worthy to make the choice of their own accord, and therefore they wanted some sign for their instruction.

St. Matthias the Apostle - 14th May 2009

Let us read what Dr. Plinio Has to say about St. Matthias the Apostle

Matthias was one of the 72 disciples of Our Lord; he was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot in the College of the Twelve Apostles. There is not much information about him. 

According to a Greek tradition, he preached the Gospel in Cappadocia and in regions bordering the Caspian Sea. Tradition tells us he suffered martyrdom in present day Ethiopia, where he was stoned, and then beheaded. 

Some parts of his doctrine were conserved by Clement of Alexandria. This sentence is attributed to the Apostle:

“We must combat the flesh, taking what advantages we can without giving it blameworthy delights. Regarding the soul, we should develop it through intelligence and faith.”

Comments of Prof. Plinio: 

We can imagine what was, or what could have been the life of St. Matthias. There are many persons in the Gospel about whom little is said. However, by examining the nature of the mission of the person, we can reconstitute his or her personality. So, the little that is said about them invites us to compose their personalities.

The most illustrious example of this is St. Joseph. There is almost nothing said about him. We know his mission, however, and that he accomplished it successfully. Essentially what the Gospel tells us is that he was a just man, nothing else. But there are a thousand things that we can envisage regarding St. Joseph by the fact that he was chosen to be the worthy Spouse of Our Lady. We can understand, therefore, much about him, even though the Gospel is silent. 

An analogous sketch can be made of St. Matthias. The Apostolic College suffered an enormous blow with the treason of Judas. It was, perhaps, the most significant blow ever received by the Catholic Church throughout the centuries. The place of Judas became empty. It was necessary to replace him with someone who, by his virtue, would make reparation to Divine Justice for the sin and evil committed by Judas. This new Apostle needed to be excellent along the same lines wherein Judas was evil; he should be the anti-Judas. He should be admirable and laudable in those very points where Judas was execrable and abominable. So, to achieve this contrast, we should picture St. Matthias as the Apostle of detachment from material goods, the Apostle of honesty and loyalty. Considering him in opposition to Judas reveals some aspects of his mission and of his character. 

He left a beautiful statement regarding the kind of combat we should make against the vices of the flesh. He says that we should take advantage of the correct tendencies of the flesh and avoid making any concession to what is evil. It is a consideration that primarily applies to the lay Catholic who is turned to a normal life in the world. He is not called to lead the life of an austere religious man, but to enjoy the honest pleasures of life, without any dishonest concessions.

These words translate what St. Matthias saw in the example of his Divine Master. Indeed, Our Lord used to go to refined banquets such as at the wedding of Canaan or at the house of Lazarus, or at the Last Supper. He also took pleasure in the exquisite perfume that Mary Magdalene poured on His Feet. He partook of these pleasures, of course, with an extreme temperance, giving to each the correct place it deserved for the glory of God, without any concession to evil. That is to say, the words of St. Matthias describe Our Lord’s behavior in face of life. It provides a very good orientation for Catholics. 

In this balanced attitude toward life to which St. Matthias counsels us, we can also see the opposite of Judas who had an unbalanced craving for money, a strong avarice. By yielding to this vice, he became a thief, pilfering money destined for Our Lord and the Apostles as well as for the poor. This vice went so far as to induce him to sell his Lord and his God for thirty silver coins. This is one example that shows us St. Matthias’ vocation as opposed to the actions of Judas. 

It does not give a complete picture of his life, but pierces the veil of silence that surrounds him. Only at the Last Judgment shall we know how he fully accomplished his vocation, which before God wiped out the stain left by Judas in the primitive Church.

Let us ask St. Matthias to intercede for us and give us loyalty, honesty, detachment and equilibrium in face of the sufferings and pleasures of life.