September 21 St. is "The Feast Day of St. Matthew." He was the Chief among
the tax collector. His commitment to follow Christ demonstrates that God
has the power to transform the most depraved sinner into a saint
for his glory. On Sept. 21, we celebrate the feast of this sinner-turned
saint, Saint Matthew the Apostle. (Matthew of Galilee)
Matthew presented evidence reconciling the Old
Testament prophecies with the Life of Jesus
demonstrating that Jesus was the Messiah. The
main message of the Gospel of Matthew is that
Jesus is the Messiah that the Jews had long
waited.
{ St. Matthew died as a Martyr of the Church.
St. Matthew the Evangelist, author of the
Gospel of Matthew . According to tradition,
the saint was killed on the orders of the
king of Ethiopia while celebrating
Mass at the altar. }
_________________________________________
Matthew Ch. 10 V 1 :
Then he summoned his twelve disciples
and gave them authority to expel unclean
spirits and to cure sickness and disease of
every kind.
Matthew Ch. 10 V 5-23
Jesus sent these men on a mission as the
Twelve, after giving them the following
instructions:
"Do not visit pagan territory and do not
enter a Samaritan town. Go instead after
the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As
you go , make this announcement : 'The
reign of God is at hand !" Cure the sick, raise
the dead, heal the leprous, expel demons.
The gift you have received, give as a gift.
Provide yourselves with neither gold nor
silver nor copper in your belts; no traveling
bag , no change of shirt, no sandals, no
walking staff. The workman, after all , is
worth his keep.
Look for a worthy person in every
town or village you come to and stay with
him until you leave. As you enter his
home bless it. If the home is deserving
your blessing will descend on it. If it is not,
your blessing will return to you. If anyone
does not receive you or listen to what you
have to say, leave that house or town, and
once outside it shake its dust from your feet.
I assure you, it will go easier for the
region of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day
of judgment than it will for that town.
What I am doing is sending you out
like sheep among wolves. You must be clever
as snakes and innocent as doves. Be on
your guard with respect to others. They will
hale you into court. They will flog you in
their synagogues. You will be brought
to trial before rulers and kings, to give witness
before them and before the Gentiles on my
account. When they hand you over, do
not worry about what you will say or how
you will say it. When the hour comes,
you yourselves will not be the speakers, the Spirit
of your Father will be speaking in you.
Brother will hand over brother to
death, and the Father his child; children will
turn against parents and have them put to
death. You will be hated by all on account
of me. But whoever holds out till the end
will escape death. When they persecute
you in one town, flee to the next. I solemnly
assure you, you will not have covered the
towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
Matthew Ch. 10 V 26-42
Do not let them intimidate you. Nothing is
concealed that will not become known.
What I tell you in darkness, speak in the
light. What you hear in private , proclaim from
the housetops.
"Do not fear those who derive the
body of life but cannot destory the soul.
Rather fear him who can destroy both body
and soul in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows
sold for next to nothing ? Yet not a
single sparrow falls to the ground without
your Father's consent. As for you, every
hair of your head has been counted; so
do not be afraid of anything. You are worth
more than an entire flock of sparrows.
Whoever acknowledges me before men
I will acknowledge before my Father in
heaven. Whoever disowns me before
men I will disown before my Father in\
heaven.
"Do not suppose that my mission on
earth is to spread peace. My mission is to
spread , not peace, but division. I have
come to set a man at odds with his father,
a daughter with her mother, a daughter-
in-law with her mother-in-law; in
short, to make a man's enemies those
of his own household. Whoever loves
father or mother, son or daughter, more than
me is not worthy of me. he who will
not take up his cross and come after me
is not worthy of me. He who seeks only
himself brings himself to ruin, where as he
who brings himself to naught for me discovers
who he is.
"he who welcomes you welcomes me,
and he who welcomes me welcomes him
who sent me. He who welcomes a prophet
because he bears the name of prophet
receives a prophet's reward; he who welcomes
a holy man because he is known to holy
receives a holy man's reward.
And I promise you that whoever gives
a cup of cold water to one of these lowly
ones because he is a disciple will not
want for his reward.
___________________________________
September 21 , The Feast Day of St. Matthew ; 9-21-2021
