The Saints: St. Matthew

First century / Feast - Sept. 21

One of the Twelve Apostles, this tax collector is called Matthew in one Gospel (Mt 9:9) and Levi in two others (Mk 2:14 and Lk 5:27). Scripture scholars believe they are the same man because the call and shared meal with Jesus are similar in all three accounts. He sometimes is credited with writing the Gospel of Matthew, but most scholars think this unlikely. And there is no evidence for early Church traditions that Matthew evangelized in Judea, Parthia or Ethiopia, or that he was martyred in Persia.