So much for the feast day of my primary patron saint, St. Matthew– so little.
It fell on a Sunday, but the USCCB readings for the day didn’t have the headline it often has citing the saint(s) of the day. The readings didn’t have anything to do with St. Matthew, though one supposes that any of the typical Gospel readings for Matthew’s day could have been used.
I went to Mass at a St. Matthew’s church, for the first time, expecting some ceremony. Even there, they didn’t use a reading that included Matthew. The priest told the congregation that, if they wondered why he was wearing red, it was because it was the feast day of Matthew. A few rows up, someone said, “Hm!”
No mention of it in the bulletin, or in the sermon.
“Hm!” That’s all St. Matthew got.
I googled around some to see if I could quickly find out if this feast day was a major celebration anywhere. Nothing turned up.
Hm!
In 1600, Caravaggio painted “The Martyrdom Of St. Matthew.” He also painted “The Calling Of St. Matthew” and “The Inspiration Of St. Matthew,” all now in the church of San Luigi dei Francesci in Rome.
Hm!
He did write a Gospel, after all– as the Table Of Contents goes, the beginning of the New Testament.
Hm!
And the world has had plenty of Matthews.
I found out what the legend has.
Matthew traveled to Ethiopia, where he found a kingdom in thrall of magicians. He preached against them, and converted many, including Ephigenia (same feast day), who founded a convent of 200 nuns.
Hm!
The King wanted to marry Ephigenia, and asked Matthew’s help.
Hm!
Matthew invited him to Mass. He preached about the excellence of marriage, to the encouragement of the king, then Matthew twisted this into an attack against a king who would dare try to tamper with the marriage of Ephigenia and Jesus.
Hm!
The king sent a soldier to kill Matthew, and his soldiers tried to burn down the church, but Matthew appeared and redirected the fire against the king’s castle, and only the king and his son survived.
In the future, Ethiopian food for the last day of Summer, the feast of St. Matthew, will be a good idea. You use the injera bread to scoop up the rest of the food.
Hm!
Others might prefer Italian, or the exotic Israeli couscous.
Hm!
Bankers might reflect on the life of their patron, and reflect on how a bank might help not the “well,” but the “sick.”
Hm!