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- Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew
- He was a Galilean, the son of Alphaeus, and was originally named
Levi. He was a tax-collector (an occupation despised by the Jews of
Palestine) until he met the Lord, who said to him, "Follow me." From
that day he was one of the disciples.
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After the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Apostle was
appointed to bring the
Gospel to his fellow Jews, for whom, according to the Church's
tradition, he wrote down the
Gospel for the first time, in the Aramaic language, eight years after
the Ascension. Some years later, this book was translated into Greek by
St James, the first Bishop of Jerusalem. No copy in the original
language has survived.
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Later, St Matthew traveled to Parthia and the city of Hierapolis
(on the Euphrates river)
to proclaim the Gospel to the pagans there. One tradition holds that he
reposed in peace in that region at a great age. Another tradition
holds that he was martyred by a king of that region, who later repented
and was baptized, taking the name Matthew. The king then cast down the
idols and established the Christian faith in his realm.
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When St Matthew is portrayed in icons, the likeness of a man is
shown with him, one of
the four living creatures spoken of in the first chapter of Ezekiel. St
Irenaeus writes that the man symbolizes Christ's Incarnation.
source: http://www.abbamoses.com/ |
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Category: Today's saint |
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