Faith & Life

SAINT PROFILE: MATTHIAS

FIRST CENTURY; FEAST – MAY 14

By Catholic News Service     5/12/2015

Matthias was the replacement for Judas Iscariot in the Twelve Apostles. Two men, Matthias and Joseph Barsabbas, met the condition set down by Peter in the Acts of the Apostles (1:21-22): That he “accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus came among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us.” After praying first, the apostles chose Matthias by drawing lots. Later traditions had Matthias evangelizing in Judea, Cappadocia (now Turkey) or Ethiopia, before being martyred. Perhaps more reliable is the early writing of Clement of Alexandria, who said Matthias insisted on the importance of mortification and was among the 72 disciples sent out by Jesus in the Gospels.