Feast of Saint
Matthias, apostle
(Acts 1:15-17.20-26; John 15:9-17)
Of St. Matthias very little is known. His name appears only in today’s reading from
the Acts of the Apostles. Yet he
represents a critical development in the story of salvation.
It was not by accident that Jesus chose twelve disciples
to be his apostles. From the beginning God
the Father had given him the project of rebuilding the twelve tribes of
Israel. They were to constitute the
leadership of a holy nation dedicated to bringing the world together in
love. When Judas Iscariot proved
unworthy of the task, he needed replacement.
Acts indicates that the choice was not made arbitrarily. The two candidates proposed for the position
met definite criteria. They were part of
Jesus’ ministry from the beginning and also were witnesses to his
resurrection. The actual choice was left
to the Holy Spirit.
We should note that the development of the Church -- and
the world for that matter -- does not take place by chance. It is not like evolution, as many scientists see
it, following a purposeless course of random selection. Rather, God is guiding it to an end of
universal love d peace – His kingdom.
Amid trials like the Covid-19 pandemic, we are challenged to believe in
such benign providence. But this is the
message that Jesus came to teach us.
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