Sermon for St. Matthias, Ap. – Br. David Allen

Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
Jn 15:1, 6-16     

Today we remember Saint Matthias, who was chosen to take the place that Judas Iscariot had held among the Twelve Apostles.   Peter pointed out to the other Apostles that the hole left in The Twelve by the betrayal of Jesus by Judas needed to be filled in.  By the rules of the time the choice had to be by the casting of lots.  (Cf. Acts 1:15-18)

Luke wrote in the Book of Acts that the lot had fallen to Matthias. (v.26)

We don’t know much about Matthias.  The stipulation was that it be one of the wider group of disciples who had been with Jesus from the time of his baptism by John, and that it be one who had witnessed the Resurrection.(Cf. Acts 1:21-22)   

We do not know what ministry Matthias had as an apostle.  I think that the choice of Matthias to fill the hole gave courage to the others to continue preaching Salvation in Jesus’ name.

The apostleship of Matthias also gave courage to others to take the Gospel Message to the rest of the Civilized World. 

So it was that Paul and Barnabas, Timothy, Titus, and, Silas, Lydia, Dorcas and Phoebe, and others spread the Gospel through Asia Minor, Greece, and Rome.  A little later Polycarp and Irenaeus and others took up the torch and carried the teachings of Jesus throughout the rest of the civilized world on up into England, Scotland, and Ireland and beyond.

In the course of time the Church underwent schisms between East and West, and within those divisions split into denominations and sects.

 I believe that even within those divisions the foundation belief for all Christians is Salvation through Faith in the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  Pray that Truth and Love may lead eventually to the goal of Unity among all Christians. 

We give thanks today for Matthias, who by accepting the place left by Judas Iscariot in the fabric of the 12 Apostles, allowed the reweaving of that hole to take place.