Homily Feast of St. Matthias (2021)
Homily Feast of St. Matthias (2021)
Matthias seems like an unlikely Apostle. He replaced Judas as the twelfth Apostle. Why did there need to be a twelfth Apostle? The answer was that Jesus picked out twelve. The deeper answer is that Jesus wanted his movement to represent a resuscitation of Israel. Jesus wanted his followers to be the new chosen people or perhaps to represent the restoration of the chosen people.
The nation of Israel had fallen on hard times. The Roman government and their minions ran the nation and the religious establishment of Israel. People distrusted both national leaders and religious leaders because they were incredibly corrupt.
Jesus wanted a virtuous group of leaders to guide the Jewish people. The twelve apostles represented the twelve tribes of Israel that had been present at the time of Moses.
Peter felt it was important to maintain the plan of Jesus. He decided to pick out this twelfth apostle, but they had to have some qualifications. One qualification was that they had to be able to witness the resurrection of Jesus.
The apostles could not make the decision on a final choice, so they drew lots. It was another example of the trust the apostles had in the Holy Spirit. We would hope that we might use a different method of discernment rather than drawing straws, but sometimes life in the Spirit is unorthodox. I have heard of other such times when people have made decisions in similar ways. Sometimes life is leap of faith.
We remember Matthias as a humble man who took a leap of faith.
Reflection Questions:
- Have I ever been picked out for a task in using a game of chance? What did I feel like?
- Why was it important that Matthias have an experience of the risen Jesus? Did that aid him in his ministry?
Dear Parishioners,
I have been writing this post for the last sixteen months and I enjoy doing it, but sometimes time constraints enter in. As we open the parish more and more, I find that there is less time to write. I am glad that some people enjoy them, so I want to continue my reflections. It is a good way to keep in contact with you.
I have decided to discontinue my posts on Saturdays and Mondays. I feel like the Sunday homily and announcements will be enough for people to reflect on over the weekend. I will continue the other five days of the week. Thanks for reading my musings.
May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark