Join us for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist on the Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist. The Associate Rector, Mo Major, will preach. Matthew, one of the twelve apostles, is traditionally identified with Levi, the tax collector whom Jesus called to follow him. The Gospels describe him as sitting at the custom-house when Jesus said, Follow me, and Matthew immediately left everything behind, later hosting a meal for Jesus. This act drew criticism, as tax collectors were despised as collaborators with Rome and notorious for extortion, making them social outcasts in Jewish society. Yet Jesus not only welcomed Matthew but also upheld tax collectors as examples of humility in prayer and repentance. Early Christian writers record that Matthew preached in Judea and possibly traveled eastward to spread the gospel, though details of his later ministry and death remain uncertain. He is honored in the Church as both apostle and martyr, remembered for the witness of a life transformed by Christ's call.