From the Acts of the Apostles we learn that St.
Matthias had been one of the companions of Our
Savior from the day of His baptism by St. John; for
when there was question of electing an apostle to take
the place of the apostate Judas, St. Peter spoke: “Of
these men who have been in our company all the time
that the Lord Jesus moved among us, from John’s
baptism until the day that He was taken up from us, of
these one must become a witness with us of His
Resurrection” (Acts 1:21). Two were proposed:
Barsabbas and Matthias, and the latter was chosen by
lot. About one hundred and twenty persons were
present at this election. According to an ancient
tradition handed down by St. Clement of Alexandria
and confirmed by Eusebius and St. Jerome, St.
Matthias was one of the seventy-two disciples of Our
Lord. It was after this occurrence that the Holy Spirit
descended upon the Apostles, among whom St.
Matthias was then numbered.
St. Clement of Alexandria writes that St. Matthias
was remarkable for inculcating the necessity of
mortifying the flesh with its irregular passions and
desires. According to the Greeks, St. Matthias suffered
martyrdom in Colchis, a district of Asia Minor, situated
on the shores of the Black Sea, south of the Caucasus
Mountains. Here it was that St. Matthias probably
ended his life a glorious martyrdom.
PRAYER: O God, who joined Blessed Matthias to the
company of Thy Apostles, grant, we beseech Thee, that
through his intercession, we may always experience
Thy tender mercy toward us. Amen.
Lives of the Saints, pgs. 84-85
