This month's saint is Saint Matthew the Apostle. Matthew (also called Levi) was one of Jesus' twelve apostles and was formerly a tax collector for the Romans. The tax collectors of that time often over charged their tax payers and kept the extra for themselves, so they were disliked by many of the Jewish people living under Roman authority. This is the story of Matthew's call from Jesus as described in the Gospel of Luke. Luke calls Matthew "Levi" because that is what He would've been known as after the apostle Matthias replaced Judas Iscariot.
After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him.
Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were at table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus said to them in reply, “Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”
St. Matthew is another wonderful example of saying "yes" to God! When He calls, we need to follow. St. Matthew also reminds us that God can- and will- use anyone to build up His Kingdom. And He wants to use you. He is calling you. Now it's up to you to answer Him.
St.Matthew, pray for us that when the Lord calls, we, as you did, will have the courage to leave everything behind to follow Him. Guide me to realize that even though I am a sinner, God can still use me in amazing ways and make me into a saint if I let Him.
Sources: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/5
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