St. Matthias

Their story

After Jesus ascended into heaven, the apostles and the first disciples gathered in Jerusalem to pray and wait for the Holy Spirit. Judas, who had betrayed Jesus, was dead, and the Twelve were now only eleven. St. Peter stood up and said that someone must take Judas's place, someone who had been with them the whole time Jesus was among them, from His baptism by John until the day He was taken up, and who could be a witness to the Resurrection. Two men were proposed: Joseph called Barsabbas, and Matthias. The community prayed, asking the Lord, who knows every heart, to show which one He had chosen. Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias. He was counted among the apostles. A few days later, on Pentecost, he received the Holy Spirit with the others and began to proclaim the risen Christ. That is all the Bible tells us about Matthias. According to tradition, he preached the Gospel in Judea and in distant lands and died as a martyr. His relics are said to have been brought to Trier, in Germany, where an abbey bears his name. Matthias had followed Jesus quietly for years without being one of the Twelve, and he was ready when the call came. His story reminds us that God sees faithfulness that others may not notice.