St. Matthias

Filling the Place of Judas

St. Matthias holds a unique place among the apostles: he is the only one not chosen personally by Jesus during his earthly ministry, but elected by the infant Church to complete the Twelve. The Acts of the Apostles (1:15-26) records that in the days between the Ascension and Pentecost, St. Peter stood up among the disciples and declared that the place left vacant by Judas Iscariot must be filled by one who had accompanied the Lord 'beginning from the baptism of John until the day he was taken up,' so that he could be a witness to the Resurrection.

Chosen by Lot

Two such men were put forward: Joseph called Barsabbas and Matthias. After prayer that the Lord who knows all hearts would show his choice, the assembly cast lots, 'and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was counted with the eleven apostles.' Days later he received the Holy Spirit with the others at Pentecost. Nothing more is said of him in the New Testament, and even his earlier discipleship is known only from the qualification Peter required—that he had followed Jesus from the beginning.

Traditions of Mission and Relics at Trier

Later traditions, none historically certain, describe his apostolate variously in Judea, Cappadocia, and the region near the Caspian Sea, and hagiographical accounts relate that he died a martyr, by stoning or beheading according to differing versions. According to tradition, St. Helena obtained his relics in Jerusalem in the fourth century and sent them to Trier in Germany, where they rest in the Benedictine Abbey of St. Matthias—venerated as the only tomb of an apostle north of the Alps and still a pilgrimage destination; other relics are honored at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.

Feast Day and Patronage

His feast, long kept on February 24, was moved in 1969 to May 14, placing it in the Easter season near the Ascension, the very days in which he was chosen. He is invoked as a patron of those struggling with alcoholism, and of tailors and carpenters—a reminder that the Lord's call can reach a hidden and faithful disciple and set him among the Twelve.

Significance

Matthias shows that a disciple who followed faithfully without notice can be called to a great task at the right moment. Chosen through the prayer of the young Church to complete the Twelve, he became a witness to the Resurrection and received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Those who struggle with alcoholism, along with tailors and carpenters, invoke him, trusting that the Lord who knows every heart can bring new strength and purpose to any life.