Feast of St Mathias
(Acts 1:15-17, 20-26; Jn 15:9-17)
Today we celebrate the feast of St Matthias. The
name means, “Gift of God.” He was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot among the
apostles. His election highlights the distinction between the individual
apostle and the office he occupies. And the same applies to the different
offices we occupy as children of God. Sometimes it is difficult to make this
distinction, and the person occupying the office is tempted to identify himself
as
the office! Then humility vanishes, the Judas
in him will begin to manifest. However, the election of Matthias was not as
easy as it might seem.
Peter had about 120 disciples to
select from. First the motive was made clear: to fulfil the word of God. Once
the intention is found to be rooted in the will of God, the qualification of
the person to occupy the office was outlined. “So one of the men who have
accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among
us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when He was taken up from
us...” This qualification describes the task ahead: to witness to the
resurrection! It was not attached to culture, colour or any human status.
Imagine if this election were to be done today! At the end, only two people out
of the one hundred and twenty met the criteria, Justus and Matthias. Then they
prayed, and the method of election was by casting lots. “And the lot fell on
Matthias; and he was enrolled with the eleven apostles."
What Judas lost by withdrawing his
love from Jesus and diverting it to money, Matthias gained by his steadfastness
and love for Jesus from the beginning till the resurrection. That is why Jesus
said in the Gospel of today that we should abide in His love. “As the Father
has loved me, so I love you; abide in my love. Think about the tribulations of
Jesus Christ and the journeys He made from the beginning, and how Matthias
remained with Him, following in silence, almost unnoticed. Today he is counted
among the foundation stones. If we remain in His love, our time of elevation
will surely come.
But how are we to abide in His love?
It is to keep His commandments. “This is my commandment, that you love one another
as I have loved you.” And how are we to love them so? It is by laying down our
lives for others, to make sacrifices for them. Jesus laid down His life for us,
His friends. We too, in the name of Jesus, must lay down lives for others, and
not be like Judas who laid down his life for material gain but lost out. The
love of Jesus has elected us like Matthias to go forth and bear fruit. “You did
not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear
fruit and that your fruit should abide.” We must not forget that each of us is
occupying an ‘office’ in the love of Jesus. Therefore, He assures us, “Whatever
you ask the Father in my name, He will give it to you.” Amen!
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic
Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Thursday May 14th, 2020.
Feast of St Matthias (Apostle).
He is the patron saint of carpenters, tailors, those with smallpox, and in prayers for perseverance and for hope.
