Today, 14th May is the feast day of St Matthias.
"After the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot, the apostles brought their number back to twelve by choosing Matthias to replace him. He was chosen by lot from amongst the disciples. The author of the Acts of the Apostles sees apostleship differently from Paul’s interpretation of the role and seems to reflect the understanding of the gospel of Luke. The number had to be restored so that they might “sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel”. It was conditional that they had to have been with Jesus during his earthly ministry and witnesses to the resurrection. The point of being chosen by lot, rather than by some democratic method, indicated the election or choosing by God, rather than by mortals."
Hagiography from Exciting Holiness by Brother Tristam SSF
Matthias is said to have died in AD 80 in Jerusalem and is reputed to be buried in Trier, Germany. He is attributed to a list of things and his patronage includes, Alcoholism, carpenters and tailors and Smallpox. He is thought to have been a fisherman, a builder or carpenter. He was believed to have died of natural causes due to old age, but there is a school of thought which states he was stoned at Jerusalem and then beheaded.
So much of his history is lost in time and we do have here a variety of this or that.
Does this bother you that we don't know things definitely or not? Does it bother you whether we actually know the very spot where Christ was born or where exactly he died. For me these things are not important but that isn't to say the history of someone or even something isn't fascinating. I am intrigued by something like the Turin Shroud, to see it etc but whether that is truly Christ's shroud isn't important, though might be nice.
Faith is a journey of discovery and what we hold fast too, can change over time and our growth in Christ. So today enjoy discovering about Matthias, celebrate his feast day, learn, grow and be open to God transforming love in our lives.
