The final two windows on the East wall of the Apostles Chapel are linked by their blue background. Second from the right (South) is St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist.
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| St. Matthew: Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works" (Matt 5:16) |
St. Matthew carries the book of his gospel and holds a purse, suggesting his calling:
"As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, Follow me. And he rose and followed him" (Matt 9:9).
He is again described as "Matthew the tax collector" in Matthew 10:3, in the list of the 12 disciples.
The purse, therefore, represents the work he abandoned to follow Jesus.
Christian tradition from the early 2nd century identifies Matthew as the author of the gospel that bears his name, although some scholars today question this belief.
Tradition also places Matthew as a missionary to Ethiopia; his tomb is located in the crypt of Salerno Cathedral in Southern Italy.
His feast day is September 21.
Prayer from the Lutheran Book of Worship:
Almighty God, your Son our Savior called a despised collector of taxes to become one of his apostles. Help us, like Matthew, to respond to the transforming call of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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