SAINT MATTHIAS, APOSTLE (FEAST)

The lot fell upon Matthias.

Peter was in a bind. It wasn’t clear who should replace Judas Iscariot as the twelfth apostle. He needed someone who had been with Jesus from the beginning and who could be a “witness to his resurrection” (Acts 1:22). That description could apply to any number of people, including many of the seventy people Jesus had sent out as his ambassadors early in his ministry (Luke 10:1).

So he tried to whittle down the list the best he could and left the rest to the Lord. In the end, the lot fell to Matthias.

This story tells us two things. First, that everyone who has encountered the Lord is qualified to become a witness to him. Every one of the disciples on Peter’s list had their own unique story to tell about Jesus. Each one of them had something to share, and they probably did share it—with their families, their neighbors, and their friends.

Second, this passage tells us that each one of us has a role to play in the kingdom of God. There could only be one twelfth apostle, and God chose Matthias. But that didn’t mean that Joseph-Barsabbas, the other candidate, was a nobody. It just meant that God had something else in mind for him. He could still be a witness to the risen Lord in whatever way God was calling him—perhaps as a healer, intercessor, prophet, teacher, or a combination of these.

You may not have seen the risen Lord as Matthias and the others had, but you have had your own personal encounters with him—maybe at Mass, in prayer, or through a friend. That means you have a story to share, a story that belongs only to you. It also means you have a unique role to play in God’s kingdom.

Take some time over the coming weekend to think about your story. Are there people you know who haven’t heard about your encounters with Christ? Can your story give them confidence that something similar can happen to them? Think about your role too. You too are a disciple, called to be a witness to the risen Christ, and God has a job for you to do that no one else can fulfill.

“Jesus, show me how to witness to your resurrection and your love.”

Psalm 113:1-8
John 15:9-17
Acts 1:15-17,20-26

WORD AMONG US