The Church honors St. Apostle and Evangelist Matthew, who first wrote the Gospel. Matthew, Matthew and Mateus celebrate their name day today.
Matthew was a native of Capernaum, Galilee, he was also called Levi. Matthew was a tax collector. On the shore of Lake Tiberias near Capernaum, where the taxes were collected, Christ stopped and called him to follow him. Matthew followed him.
From that time Matthew was always with Christ among his twelve disciples. He wrote his Gospel at the request of the apostles eight years after the resurrection of the Savior. He was the first to describe the events of the earthly life of the Lord.
Little information has been preserved about the life of St. Matthew the Evangelist. Legend has it that he went to a wild people with bad manners and customs. There the Lord appeared to him, gave him a staff and ordered him to stick it into the ground, promising that this staff would bear fruit and a wonderful spring would flow from its root. Indeed, Matthew, having gathered all the inhabitants, planted the staff, which blossomed and before the eyes of the astonished people was covered with wonderful fruits. A clear spring gushed from its root. Everyone ran to this tree, drank water from the spring that appeared and, at the suggestion of the apostle, received Holy Baptism here, after which they came out of the water spiritually renewed.
St. evangelist Matthew ended his life as a martyr. His sufferings and death were marked by many miracles. When they wanted to take him to torture him, his face struck the persecutors with a wonderful light. They went blind, but he restored their sight by prayer. The flame did not touch him during his martyrdom. And when he finally gave up his soul, his tormentors became zealous Christians.
In Hebrew, the name Matthew means “Gift of God”. Matthew, Mattia, Mateya, Matthew, Matthew, Mateus celebrate their name day today.