| Matthew, Apostle & Evangelist (September 21st) is one of the Twelve Disciples, being called by Jesus early in His ministry. Matthew’s name occurs in all lists of the Twelve, and it is likely that he is the same person identified elsewhere as Levi. If that is correct, then Matthew was the brother of another of the Twelve, James “the Less.” Matthew was originally a tax collector (“publican”). As such, he was spurned as a traitor to his people, a man who collaborated with the Roman State. Publicans routinely extorted money from Jews in order to line their own pockets.
Jesus was severely criticized for having Matthew in his company, as no devout Jew would associate with a publican. It therefore seems that Jesus was making a deliberate statement by calling such a disreputable outcast to join Him, just as He did when He pointed out that it was a publican, not the Pharisee, who prayed the acceptable prayer, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Nothing is known about Matthew’s life after the Resurrection. The common ancient tradition says that he preached in Judea and then made his way to the East, one source specifying Ethiopia and another Persia (Iran).
Matthew is usually venerated as a martyr, but nothing is known about his death. Clement, Bishop of Rome ca. 91-ca. 101, trusted a source that reported that Matthew died a natural death. Matthew is regarded by Tradition as the author of the Gospel bearing his name, but this is seriously doubted by many scholars. It is more likely that someone else pieced together the sayings and teachings of Jesus that Matthew had loosely collected.
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