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Article: The Gospel of St. Matthew.
- Article from:
- Catholic Insight
- Article date:
- September 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Catholic Insight. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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On September 21, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Matthew. Matthew was one of the original twelve, called from his employment as a tax collector to follow Jesus. He records his own calling for us in chapter 9, verse 9. Mark records it in 12:13, calling him Levi, son of Alpheus; Luke in 5:27. Giuseppe Ricciotti, in his Life of Christ speculates that Matthew, whose name means "gift of God," turned the proceeds of his profession over to the support of Jesus' ministry. Upon being called, Matthew held a banquet for his fellow tax collectors. It was on this occasion that Jesus, seeing the Pharisees scandalized because he ate with tax collectors and sinners, declared he ...