Matthew the Evangelist

and .

Levi is described in Mark (and synoptic parallels) as being a toll collector who was called by Jesus to follow him just as the Twelve Apostles were. He is called the "Son of Alphaeus", and his calling leads into a scene where Jesus is confronted by Pharisees for eating with tax-collectors and sinners. It is possible that James, son of Alphaeus, had been distinguished from James, son of Zebedee by the former's other name "Levi" and that James, son of Alphaeus was called to the Apostolate along with Luke.

Commemoration

Matthew is recognized as a Saint in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran and Anglican churches. His feast day is celebrated on 21 September in the West, 16 November in the East (for those churches which follow the traditional Julian Calendar, 16 November currently falls on 29 November of the modern Gregorian Calendar). He is also commemorated by the Orthodox, together with the other Apostles, on 30 June (13 July), the Synaxis of the Holy Apostles.

Like the other evangelists, Matthew is often depicted in Christian art with one of the four living creatures of . The one that accompanies him is in the form of a winged man. The three paintings of Matthew by Caravaggio in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, where he is depicted as called by Christ from his profession as tax gatherer, are among the landmarks of Western art.

References

ee also

*Gospel of Matthew
*Mark the Evangelist
*Luke the Evangelist
*John the Evangelist

External links

* [http://www.mcah.columbia.edu/medmil/pages/non-mma-pages/text_links/gl_matthew.html St Matthew the Apostle] from The Golden Legend
* [http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=103313 Apostle and Evangelist Matthew] Orthodox icon and synaxarion
* [http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=101851 Synaxis of the Holy Apostles]