Feast of St. Matthew, September 21

St. Matthew is unique among the apostles in that he was not a fisherman. Or fisherperson. Or fisher, or what ever they call them these days. He was a tax collector for Herod Antipas. Not very well liked as a result of his profession (think of today's politicians), he still was there at the Ascension and the Resurrection. Think about that...

After he was called, he held a feast in Christ's honor. When Christ was asked why he would dine with a lowly tax collector, he said,“I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew is the Patron Saint of tax collectors, bankers and accountants. And what I like most about him is that he gives me a chance to post another example of Caravaggio's work. In this painting, an angel surprises Matthew by asking him to pull his finger.