On November 29, on the second day of the Nativity Fast, the Orthodox Church remembers the holy apostle and evangelist Matthew, one of the twelve closest disciples of Christ. We know very little about the Apostle Matthew (Levi Matthew, as he is also called), although he is the author of the Gospel with which the New Testament begins. What is known for certain is that he was a publican, that is, a collector of customs duties, and also the brother of another apostle, James. Their father's name was Alfey, hence his other name: Levi Alfeev.
He lived in Galilee, in the town of Capernaum, which was located on the road connecting two large cities - Caesarea and Damascus. In towns such as Capernaum, customs points were established in those days, where duties were collected from all travelers and traders passing along the road. This is what the publicans did, who at that time were very wealthy people. However, this occupation was considered unworthy and despised in society. After all, publicans worked for the city administration, that is, for the Roman occupiers, robbing their fellow citizens. In addition, they collected their labor, honestly earned money not only into the treasury, but also into their own pockets.
How a despised publican became an apostle and evangelist
The Gospel very briefly describes how the publican Matthew met Jesus Christ and how he became his disciple. This speaks of the evangelist’s modesty, because he could devote half of his work to his relationship with the Teacher, but limited himself to two restrained phrases.
By the time he met Christ, Matthew had already heard about a man who went from city to city, preaching and performing miracles. And when the Savior, surrounded by disciples and those who wanted to listen to him, passed by the tax collector, Jesus saw him and stopped. This is how it is described in the Gospel: “After this (Jesus) went out and saw a publican named Levi sitting at the collection office, and said to him: follow me. And he, leaving everything, stood up and followed Him. And Levi made a great feast for Him in his house; and there were many publicans and others who sat with them.” This episode is very interesting. After all, the fact that Jesus agreed to enter the house of the despised publican and feast with him caused indignation among the Pharisees and scribes. They said, how is it that Jesus eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners? But Christ answered them: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners.”
After this, Matthew left his home and his fortune and followed Christ, becoming one of his 12 closest disciples. Like the rest of the apostles, he saw the baptism of the Savior in the waters of the Jordan, witnessed his preaching, suffering on the cross, death and resurrection. Finally, he saw Jesus ascend into Heaven, after which the Holy Spirit descended on Matthew, like the rest of the apostles, on Mount Tabor.
The entire subsequent life of the Apostle Matthew was devoted to the preaching of Christ. We know very little about this life. Matthew preached in Palestine for eight years. Then he passed through Macedonia, Syria, Persia, Parthia, Media and went around all of Ethiopia. After all, it was his lot to preach in this country.
It is known that the main work of his life was to testify to Christ as the Messiah and Savior of the world. But if the rest of the apostles carried this sermon to individual nations, then Matthew went even further. He wrote for posterity the Gospel of Matthew, which, together with the other three Gospels, constituted the main Christian source - the New Testament. One that has been converting new people all over the Earth for the twenty-first century. The New Testament is considered a document dictated to the evangelists by the Lord himself and representing God's revelation of himself and his will to people. And it is not known whether faith in Christ could have become one of the main world religions if not for the works of Matthew and three other evangelists - Luke, John and Mark - who make up the New Testament.
Where are the relics of the evangelist kept?
Saint Matthew is one of the most mysterious personalities of Christianity. The location of his relics has remained a mystery for two millennia.
At the same time, several countries claim the right to possess the relics of the saint. The Italians claim that the remains of the evangelist date back to the 1st century. n. e. were transported to the Apennine Peninsula, and are currently kept in the Cathedral of San Matteo in the city of Salerno. Vatican representatives claim that the remains of the apostle were found during excavations on the territory of one of the Lombard castles.
Thanks to this, the Cathedral of San Matteo is included in all Catholic guides for pilgrims and in all tourist brochures in Italy.
But there is no documentary evidence of the location of the relics in Italy. On this occasion, the Vatican responds as follows: “Before the old Catholic tradition, it is believed that the relics located in Salerno belong to the Apostle Evangelist Matthew...”. That is, the Vatican, therefore, does not directly claim that the remains from Salerno belong to the Saint.
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Another country that claims that the relics are located in their country is Kyrgyzstan. Here is an excerpt from E. Zygmund’s article from the magazine “Itogi”: “...At the bottom of Lake Issyk-Kul, scientists are looking for an ancient monastery, where, according to legend, St. Matthew, one of the apostles of Christ, is buried, writes the magazine correspondent...” // Itogi E. Sigmund.
Church tradition says: “...After the Apostle Matthew accepted martyrdom, his followers hid the body of the saint from desecration...”. According to this information, the relics of the Apostle Matthew were buried in lands where no Roman legionnaire had set foot. According to one version, the imperishable remains are hidden on the territory of modern Kyrgyzstan, on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul. This version is not purely ecclesiastical; Christian believers are simply confident that the martyrdom of the Apostle Matthew ended in the lands of Central Asia.
One document testifies in favor of the Central Asian theory.
In the middle of the 19th century. Russian scientist and traveler, Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, ended up in Venice and got the opportunity to work with the so-called Catalan map of the world, compiled in 1375-1377. by two authors - Abraham and Yehudi Kreskes.
The scientist’s attention was drawn to the image of a building with a cross, which, according to the map, was located on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. Nearby on the map there was the following inscription: “A place called Issyk-Kul. In this place is the monastery of the Armenian brothers, where the body of St. Matthew, the apostle and evangelist, resides.” On the map, the building with the cross was drawn by a straight line to Jerusalem.
In 1857, Semenov Tien-Shansky went to Turkestan. During his journey, he tried to find traces of the monastery, but apart from the legends of local peoples about cities that went under water, he found nothing. The scientist did not find traces of the temple, but put forward the assumption that the building could well have existed in the area of the Kurmentinsky Bay of Issyk-Kul and later went under water.
Some clergy also come to the defense of the Issyk-Kul version. According to Metropolitan Vladimir of Tashkent and Central Asia: “...The shrine was kept in a monastery located on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, and the entire Christian world knew about its location.”
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Recently, discussions about the burial place of the disciple of Christ have flared up again. The Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry even invited a representative of the Vatican to Bishkek to resolve the issue.
The fact is that several scientists were simultaneously engaged in research on this issue, and independently of each other they came to the conclusion that Matthew’s body was buried precisely on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul.
What do they pray to Saint Matthew for and who does he help?
Since Matthew was a tax collector before being called to apostolic service to the Lord, it is believed that he is the patron of everyone related to finance. The former publican helps tax inspectors, customs officers and bankers. And also to officials and all employees of the financial sector - from accountants to stock brokers. It is not for nothing that on the territory of the administrative and economic complex of tax inspectorates in the city of Moscow there is a temple-chapel of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew. In addition, those who have been treated unfairly by financial inspection bodies and those who want to get a loan or a loan turn to him with prayer for intercession and restoration of justice.
Since the Holy Apostle Matthew became an Evangelist, that is, essentially, a writer, those whose activities are related to words also turn to him for help, from copywriters, journalists and advertisers, to novelists and screenwriters, not to mention philologists and linguists.
The Apostle Matthew also helps everyone who asks him for strengthening in faith and protection from temptation. However, we must remember that all saints and the Apostle Matthew in particular should pray with faith in the power of God, and not in the power of the icon or the prayer itself.
Where is the icon of the Apostle Matthew?
Faces with the image of the Saint are especially popular, so they can be found in churches throughout the country. The fresco, made by Andrei Rublev, with the image of Matthew is located in the Assumption Cathedral in the city of Vladimir. In the churches of the Great Martyr Dmitry of Thessalonica there are
various icons with the image of a saint. In the John the Baptist Convent there is an icon of the Holy Apostle, which has amazing power. In the city of Sudak there is a temple of the Apostle Matthew, you can visit it and pray in front of the icons of the saint.
They pray to Evangelist Matthew for strengthening in faith and help in preaching
Usually what saints pray for depends on what they did during their lifetime. He was a warrior - about protection, he was a doctor - about health.
The biography of the Evangelist Matthew is a blank spot in the history of Christianity. We have nothing to rely on in order to understand what to ask from this saint.
Therefore there are two options:
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- Start from brief information from the Bible.
Matthew was a preacher, which means that issues of strengthening faith and missionary activity are close to him. It is wise to take these matters to a saint. You can also rely on the fact that he was a publican.
Then it is permissible to ask him for help in financial matters. But here it is important not to overdo it, because the spiritual sphere does not exist to supply the material.
2. Ask for whatever your soul wants.
It doesn’t make much difference what any saint prays for. In any case, it is not he himself who answers prayers, but God. The saint is only a mediator, one who can join our fervent prayer.
If the image of Matthew is sympathetic to a believer, then through him you can ask the Lord for anything, without regard to whether this is the “competence” of this saint or not.
Apostle Matthew at work on the Gospel in a painting by Caravaggio. Photo: iamsonja.files.wordpress.com
The most popular prayers to the Apostle Matthew.
Troparion, tone 3:
Diligently from mytnitsa to the Lord Christ who called, I appeared on earth as a man for goodness, following that, you appeared as the chosen apostle and the evangelist of the Gospel to the universe was loudly proclaimed. For this reason, we honor your honorable memory, Matthew the God-speaking, pray to the merciful God that he may grant remission of sins to our souls.
Kontakion, tone 4:
You rejected the yoke of ordeal, you were attracted to the yoke of truth, and you appeared as a most excellent merchant, bringing wealth, and also wisdom from on high. From there you preached the word of Truth and you moved the souls of the sad by writing the hour of judgment.
Apostle Peter: “Above all else, have fervent love for one another.”
Prayer to the Apostle Matthew:
Oh, glorious Apostle Matthew, who gave up his soul for Christ and fertilized His pasture with your blood! Hear your children's prayers and sighs, now offered by your brokenhearted hearts. Because we are darkened by lawlessness, and for this reason we are covered with troubles, like clouds, but with the oil of a good life we are greatly impoverished, and we are not able to resist the predatory wolf who is boldly trying to plunder the heritage of God.
O strong one! Bear our infirmities, do not separate from us in spirit, so that we will not be separated from the love of God, but protect us with your strong intercession, may the Lord have mercy on us all for your prayers, and may He destroy the handwriting of our immeasurable sins,
and may he, together with all the Saints, vouchsafe the blessed Kingdom and marriage of His Lamb, to Him be honor and glory, and thanksgiving and worship, forever and ever. Amen.
Often believers look for an akathist to the Apostle Matthew, but, apparently, they mean another prayer - the canon to the Apostle Matthew.
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Prayer before the icon of the Apostle Matthew
If you have any problems in life and you don’t know how to resolve them, for example, looking for a job, then you need to go to church and read a prayer to the Apostle Matthew for work, he will definitely hear your request and help you. People also turn to the martyr in other life situations, the main thing is that the request is sincere and only for good.
Words of prayer
“O glorious Apostle Matthew, who dedicated his life to the Lord! Hear my prayers, help me cope with troubles and difficulties. Deliver me from poverty and lawlessness. May my offenders be punished and may justice prevail. I believe in Your power and in the power of the Lord
God Almighty. Be with me at the moment of responsibility, guide me on the right path. Amen".
Sometimes a person does not have the opportunity to attend church, and it seems to him that prayers read at home will not be effective and will not be heard. This is not so, because if your requests come from a pure heart, then the Saint will hear you and will definitely help you.
Levi Matvey from “The Master and Margarita” - artistic image
In the most famous novel by M.A. Bulgakov, a character named Levi Matvey appears. Those who for some reason have not read the book may know him performed by Lev Durov and Semyon Strugachev in two Russian film adaptations.
This hero is a tax collector and accompanies Yeshua Ha-Nozri, Bulgakov’s Jesus Christ, everywhere. He also takes notes, but that's where the similarities end.
Levi Matvey performed by Lev Durov, “The Master and Margarita” 1994. Photo: s16.stc.all.kpcdn.net
Levi Matthew is a man who imagines himself to be a disciple of a great preacher, but in fact is not one.
He is far from the canonical apostle, and even the name of the book hero is spelled differently: “Matthew”, not “Matthew”. This is an artistic image, in some ways collective, in others thought out.
