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The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew, the son of Alpheus, otherwise called Levi (Mark 2:14. Matthew 9: 9. Luke 5:27), lived in the Galilee city of Capernaum 1. He was a wealthy man and held the position of a tax collector 2. Compatriots despised and shunned him, like everyone else like him.

But Matthew, although he was a sinner, at the same time was not only no worse, but also much better than the Pharisees who are proud of their apparent outward righteousness. And so the Lord stopped His Divine gaze on this, despised by all, publican. Once, during His stay in Capernaum, the Lord left the city and went to the sea, accompanied by the people. On the shore He saw 4 Matthew sitting by the tax-collector. And he said to him:

Follow me!

Hearing these words of the Lord, not only with a bodily hearing, but also with the eyes of the heart, the tax collector immediately got up from his place and, leaving everything, followed Christ. Matthew did not hesitate, was not surprised that the Great Teacher and Wonderworker was calling him, the despicable publican; he wholeheartedly heeded His words, and unquestioningly followed Christ. Joyfully, Matthew prepared a great meal in his house. The Lord did not refuse the invitation and entered the house of Matthew. And a multitude of his neighbors, friends and acquaintances gathered in the house of Matthew — all tax collectors and sinners — and they reclined at the table with Jesus and His disciples. Some of the scribes 5 and the Pharisees also happened to be there. Seeing that the Lord did not disdain sinners and tax collectors, but reclined next to them, they murmured and said to His disciples:

How does He eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?

But the Lord, hearing their words, said to them:

It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I came to call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance 6.

From that time on, Matthew, leaving all his possessions, followed Christ (Luke 5:28) and, as His faithful disciple, after that did not leave Him any more. Soon he was honored to be numbered among the 12 chosen Apostles (Matt. Ch. 10; Mark. 3: 13-19; Luke 6: 13-16). Together with other disciples of the Lord, Matthew accompanied Him on his travels in Galilee and Judea, listened to His Divine teachings, saw His countless miracles, went to preach to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, witnessed the sufferings of the Cross and the atoning death of the Savior and His glorious ascension to heaven.

After the ascension of the Lord and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, Saint Matthew first remained in Palestine, together with other Apostles preaching the Gospel in Jerusalem and its environs. But now the time has come for the Apostles from Jerusalem to disperse different nations, to convert them to the faith of Christ. Before the departure of the Apostle from Jerusalem, the Jerusalem Christians from the Jews asked him to deliver for them the writings of the deed and the teachings of Jesus Christ. The other Apostles who were at that time in Jerusalem also expressed their consent to the fulfillment of this request. And Saint Matthew, fulfilling a common desire, wrote the Gospel, 8 years later after the Ascension of Christ 6 .

Having retired from Jerusalem, the holy Apostle Matthew preached the Gospel in many countries. Evangelizing Christ, he went through Macedonia, Syria, Persia, Parthia and Media and bypassed all of Ethiopia 8, on which his lot fell, and enlightened her with the light of the Gospel mind. Finally, guided by the Holy Spirit, he came to the land of cannibals, to the black, beast-like people, entered a city called Myrmene, and there, having turned several souls to the Lord, made him a bishop of his companion Plato and created a small church; he himself ascended a nearby mountain and stayed on it in fasting, fervently praying to God for the conversion of that unfaithful people. And the Lord appeared to him in the form of a handsome youth, having a rod in his right hand, and greeted him. Stretching out right hand and giving that rod to the saint, He commanded him to come down from the mountain and set up the rod at the door of the church he had built.

This rod, said the Lord, by My power will grow into tall tree and that tree will bear abundant fruit, exceeding in size and sweetness all other garden fruits; and from its root will flow out a fountain of pure water. Having bathed in the water of the spring, the cannibals will receive the beauty of their faces, and anyone who only tastes of that fruit will forget the brutal manners and become a kind and meek person.

Matthew, taking the rod from the hand of the Lord, came down from the mountain and went into the city to do what he was commanded. The prince of that city, by the name of Fulvian, had a wife and son possessed by demons. Having met the Apostle on the way, they yelled at him in wild, threatening voices:

Who sent you here with this rod to our blight?

The Apostle forbade unclean spirits and drove them out; those who were healed bowed down to the Apostle and meekly followed him. Learning of his arrival, Bishop Plato met him with the clergy, and Saint Matthew, entering the city and approaching the church, did as he was commanded: he hoisted the rod given to him from the Lord - and immediately, in the sight of everyone, the rod became great a tree spreading many-leaved branches, and beautiful fruits appeared on it, large and sweet, and a fountain of water flowed out from the root. All who saw this were amazed; the whole city came together on such a miracle, and ate the fruit of the tree and drank clean water... And the holy Apostle Matthew, standing on high place, preached the word of God to the assembled people in their language; and immediately all believed in the Lord, and the Apostle baptized them in the miraculous fountain. And all the cannibals who were baptized, according to the word of the Lord, came out of the water splendid in face and white in skin; they received not only bodily, but also spiritual whiteness and beauty, putting off old man and putting on a new man - Christ. Upon learning of what had happened, the prince rejoiced at the healing of his wife and son, but then, according to the teaching of demons, he was angry with the Apostle because all the people came to him, leaving their gods, and planned to destroy him. But that very night, the Savior appeared to the Apostle, commanding him to take courage and promising to be with him in the coming sorrow. When morning came, and the Apostle in the church, together with the believers, sang the praises of God, the prince sent four soldiers to take him; but when they came to the temple of the Lord, immediately darkness seized them, and they could hardly return back. When they were asked why they did not bring Matthew, they answered:

We heard him talking, but we could not see or take him.

Fulvian became even more angry. He sent even more soldiers with weapons, commanding them to bring Matthew by force, and if anyone resists and defends Matthew, they will kill them. But these soldiers also returned with nothing, for when they approached the temple, heavenly light shone on the Apostle, and the soldiers, being unable to look at him, came into great fear and, throwing down their weapons, ran back half-dead from fear and told about former prince... Fulvian was terribly enraged and went with all the multitude of his servants, wanting to seize the Apostle himself. But as soon as he had time to approach the Apostle, he suddenly became blind and began to ask that he be given a guide. Then he began to beg the Apostle to forgive him his sin and to enlighten his blinded eyes. The apostle, having created the sign of the cross in the eyes of the prince, gave him insight. The prince received his sight, but only with bodily eyes, and not with spiritual eyes, for malice blinded him, and he attributed such a great miracle not to God's power, but to sorcery. Taking the Apostle by the hand, he led him to his palace, as if wishing to honor him, and in his heart slyly plotting to burn the Apostle of the Lord like a magician. But the Apostle, foreseeing the secret movements of his heart and crafty designs, denounced the prince, saying:

Flattering tormentor! How soon will you accomplish what you have planned to do to me? Do what Satan has put into your heart, and as you see, I am ready to endure everything for my God.

Then the prince commanded the soldiers to seize Saint Matthew and stretch him face up on the ground, and nail his hands and feet firmly with nails. When this was done, the servants gathered, at the behest of the tormentor, a multitude of branches and brushwood, brought resin and brimstone, and putting it all on Saint Matthew, they lit it. But when the fire flared up with a great flame and everyone thought that the Apostle of Christ had already burned out, suddenly the fire cooled and the flame died out and Saint Matthew was found alive, unharmed and praising God. Seeing this, all the people were horrified by such a great miracle and praised the God of the Apostle. But Fulvian became even more furious. Not wanting to recognize God's power in what had happened, which had kept alive and intact from the fire of the preacher of Christ, he raised a lawless accusation against the righteous, calling him a sorcerer.

By magic, he said, Matthew extinguished the fire and remained alive in it.

Then he ordered to bring even more firewood, branches and brushwood and, putting it on Matthew, - to light it, and pour tar on top; in addition, he ordered to bring twelve of his golden idols and, setting them up in a circle of fire, called them for help, so that by their power Matthew could not get rid of the flame, and would turn to ashes. The apostle, in the flame, prayed to the Lord of hosts to show invincible strength His, showed the powerlessness of the pagan gods and put to shame those who rely on them.

And suddenly a fiery flame with a terrible thunder rushed at the golden idols and they melted from the fire, like wax, and besides, many of the unbelievers who stood around were scorched; and from the melted idols a flame came out in the form of a serpent and rushed at Fulvian, threatening him, so that he could not escape and get rid of the danger, until he cried out with a humble prayer to the Apostle for deliverance from destruction. The Apostle forbade the fire, and immediately the flame extinguished and the likeness of a fiery serpent disappeared. Fulvian wanted to exterminate the saint from the fire with honor, but, having made a prayer, he gave his holy soul into the hands of God. Then the prince ordered to bring a golden bed and on it put the honest body of the Apostle, intact by fire, and, having dressed him in precious clothes, lifted him up with his nobles and brought him into his palace. But he still did not have perfect faith, and therefore ordered to forge an iron ark, pour tin tightly on all sides and throw it into the sea, at which he said to his nobles:

If the One who kept Matthew safe from fire will also keep him from drowning in water, then truly He is the One God, and we will worship Him, leaving all our gods who could not save themselves from destruction in fire.

After this iron ark with honest relics was thrown into the sea, on a holy night appeared to Bishop Plato, saying:

Tomorrow go to the seashore to the east of the prince's palace and there take my relics, carried out on land.

In the morning, the bishop, accompanied by a multitude of believers, went to the place shown and found an iron ark with the relics of the holy Apostle Matthew, as it was announced to him in a vision.

Learning about this, the prince came with his nobles and, this time already fully believed in our Lord Jesus Christ, loudly confessed that He is the One true God, Who kept his servant Matthew unharmed - both during his life in fire and after death - in the water. And falling to the ark, with the relics of the Apostle, he asked the saint for forgiveness in his sins against him and from him he showed a heartfelt desire to be baptized. Bishop Plato, seeing the faith and zeal of Fulvian, announced him and, having taught the truths of the holy faith, baptized him. And when he laid his hand on his head and wanted to give him a name, a voice was heard from above, saying:

Call him not Fulvian, but Matthew.

Having thus adopted the name of the Apostle in baptism, the prince tried to imitate the life of the Apostle: soon he transferred his princely power to another, abandoned the worldly vanity completely, indulged in prayer in the Church of God and was awarded the priesthood by Bishop Plato. And when, after three years, the bishop died, the holy Apostle Matthew, who had left the power of the princely presbyter Matthew, appeared in a vision and exhorted him to accept the episcopal throne after the blessed Plato. Having accepted the episcopacy, Matthew did good work in the gospel of Christ and, having turned many away from idolatry, brought them to God, and then he himself departed to Him, after a long life pleasing to God, and, standing with the holy Evangelist Matthew to the throne of God, to pray to the Lord for us, so that we were heirs to the eternal kingdom of God. Amen.

Troparion, voice 3:

Diligently from the mytnitsa to the Christ who called the Lord, I appeared on earth as a man for goodness, following this, the chosen Apostle appeared, and the evangelist of the Gospel to the universe is glorified: for this sake we honor your honest memory, Matthew God-verbalizing. Pray to the Merciful God, that he will give remission of sins to our souls.

Kontakion, voice 4:

Ordeals rejected the yoke, you harnessed the yoke of truth, and you were the most splendid merchant, brought wealth, down from the heights of wisdom: from now you preached the word of truth, and you raised up sad souls, writing the hour of judgment.

________________________________________________________________________

1 Capernaum is a small town on the northwestern shore of Lake Gennesaret or the Tiberias Sea, owned by Galilee. Today the ruins of this city are known as Tel-Gum.

2 Publicans were persons appointed by the Romans to collect taxes from the Jews. They usually took the collection of these duties at the mercy and used all possible measures to extract the greatest benefit for themselves. As greedy and impudent agents of the pagan state, the tax collectors were considered by the Jews for traitors and traitors to their country and the Lord God. Sinner, pagan and publican - they meant the same thing; to speak with them was considered a sin, to deal with them was a desecration, although among them there were good and God-fearing people.

3 The Pharisees are one of the Jewish sects that appeared in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. BC Chr. The Pharisees (special, separated) got their name from the fact that they tried to be distinguished by their particular zeal for the law. Over time as add-ons

4 Mytnitsa is a place for collecting duties and taxes from caravans passing along the seaside road and from boats carrying goods by sea.

5 Among the Jews were called scribes who were generally versed in the book business, somehow the most learned of the Jews, who explained the law and publicly taught and instructed the people in the law, the so-called rabbis and teachers of the law; lawyers who dealt with controversial issues, doubtful cases and cases requiring knowledge of the law and practical experience; scribes and notaries who served in synagogues and sanhedrin. Scientists, these Jews are represented in the New Testament and a special class, different from the Pharisees; but at the same time they often associate with the Pharisees, and are supplied in connection with the bishops. Big

some of them were tied to certain traditions and, not understanding the spirit of the Law, they misinterpreted it and were blind leaders of the people, hypocritically only performing the commandments for show, for the sake of human glory, and placing heavy burdens on others that they themselves did not fulfill.

6 Lk. 5: 27-32. Mt. 9: 9-13. Mrk. 2: 14-17. Thus, the Lord here denounces the conceit and self-righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, who, adhering only to the external rites of the law and strictly outwardly fulfilling them, considered themselves righteous and did not feel the need for repentance and correction. The Lord makes them see that external rituals and sacrifices are meaningful only when they serve as an expression of inner feelings, mercy, love for others, and without this they lose their meaning and can only anger God (Isa. 1: 11-18).

7 The Gospel was written by the Apostle Matthew about A.D. 41. This is the first time holy book of all the books of the New Testament, and therefore occupies the first place among them. The Gospel was written in Hebrew or in the then used Syro-Chaldean, otherwise Aramaic dialect, and was originally intended for Palestinian Christians from the Jews. Accordingly, the stories in the Gospel of Matthew are directed primarily towards showing that Jesus is the true Messiah, promised to the forefathers. Jewish people that it was especially necessary to show the Jews who believed in Christ, unrecognized by their compatriots and crucified. Therefore, in the Gospel of Matthew, more often than in other Gospels, events from the life of Christ are taken down and compared with the Old Testament prophecies and prototypes, and from the entire history of Christ the Savior, narratives that are especially important and necessary for the Jews are selected. That is why Matthew begins his Gospel with the genealogy of the Messiah, as the son of David and Abraham, and in general in his Gospel speaks mainly of the incarnation and humanity of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. This distinctive feature of the Gospel of St. Matthew is also expressed in his icons, in which he is depicted together with an Angel-like man, symbolically characterizing the features of his Gospel.

8 Macedonia was located north of Greece, from the northeastern region of her Thessaly. Syria is the western region of Asia, stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates. Persia was located in the southern part of the Iranian plateau, between the r. Tiger, Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea. Media is the western part of Iran, south of the Caspian Sea, on the borders to the west - with Assyria and Great Armenia, to the south - with Persia, to the east with Parthia. Parthia is a large country in Asia, southeast of the Caspian Sea and further east to the Indian Sea. Ethiopia lay in Africa south of Egypt, where today is Nubia and Abyssinia.

9 The death of St. The Apostle and Evangelist Matthew followed according to tradition around A.D. 60.

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Introduction.

Iconography.

Divine service. Gymnography.

Troparion of the Apostle and Evangelist Matthew. Voice 3.

). He was a publican, that is, a collector of taxes for Rome, for the Jews were under the rule of the Roman Empire. He lived in the Galilean city of Capernaum. Matthew, having heard the voice of Jesus Christ: "Follow Me" (), left his post and followed the Savior. Christ and His disciples did not reject Matthew's invitation and visited his house, where they shared a meal with the tax collector's friends and acquaintances - the same as the owner, tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees and scribes were greatly amazed by this event. Publicans, collecting taxes from fellow tribesmen, did it with great benefit for themselves. People are greedy and cruel, they were considered by the Jews as traitors and traitors to their homeland and religion. The word "tax collector" sounded to the Jews the same as the words "sinner" and "idolater". Talking to a tax collector was considered a sin, communicating with him was a desecration. But the Jewish teachers could not understand that the Lord "did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" ().

Matthew, realizing his sins, compensated four times to those whom he had previously robbed, distributed the rest of his possessions to the poor and, together with the other apostles, followed Christ. Saint Matthew listened to the instructions of the Divine Teacher, saw His innumerable miracles, went with the 12 apostles to preach to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" (), witnessed the suffering, death and Resurrection of the Savior and His glorious Ascension to heaven.

Receiving the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit, which descended on the apostles on the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Matthew preached in Palestine for 8 years. Before leaving to preach to distant lands, at the request of the Jews who remained in Jerusalem, the holy Apostle Matthew captured in the Gospel earthly life The Savior of the world is the God-man Jesus Christ and His Teachings.

Among the books of the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew comes first. Palestine is called the place where the Gospel was written. The Gospel was written by Saint Matthew in the 42nd year (after the Nativity of Christ) in the modern Hebrew language and translated into Greek. The Hebrew text has not reached us, but many linguistic and cultural-historical features remind of it Greek translation text.

The Apostle Matthew preached among a people who had quite definite religious beliefs about the Messiah. His Gospel is a vivid proof that Jesus Christ is the true Messiah, foretold by the prophets, and there will be no other (). The evangelist expounds the speeches and deeds of the Savior in three sections, corresponding to the three sides of the Messiah's ministry: as the Prophet and Lawgiver (), the King over the visible and invisible world () and the High Priest who offers the Sacrifice for the sins of all people (). The theological content of the Gospel, in addition to the Christological theme, also includes the teaching about the Kingdom of God and the Church, which the Lord expounds in parables about the inner readiness to enter the Kingdom (), about the dignity of servants of the Kingdom in the world (), about the signs of the Kingdom and its growth in souls human (), about the humility and simplicity of the heirs of the Kingdom (; 1;;;), about the eschatological disclosure of the Kingdom in the Second Coming of Christ and in the everyday spiritual life of the Church (). The Kingdom of Heaven and the Church are closely linked in spiritual experience Christianity: the Church is the historical embodiment of the Kingdom of Heaven in the world, and the Kingdom of Heaven is the Church of Christ in its eschatological perfection (;)

The Holy Apostle Matthew went around with the gospel to Syria, Lydia, Persia, Parthia, ending his preaching labors with a martyr's death in Ethiopia. This country was inhabited by tribes of cannibals with rude customs and beliefs. The holy Apostle Matthew, by his preaching here, converted several idolaters to faith in Christ, founded the Church and built a temple in the city of Mirmeny, and made his companion Plato a bishop in it.

When the holy apostle zealously asked God for the conversion of the Ethiopians, during prayer the Lord Himself appeared to him in the form of a young man and, giving him a rod, commanded to set it up at the door of the temple. The Lord said that a tree would grow out of this rod and bear fruit, and a source of water would flow from its root. After bathing in water and eating the fruits, Ethiopians will change their wild disposition and become kind and meek. When the holy apostle carried a rod to the temple, he met on the way the wife and son of the ruler of this country Fulviana possessed by an unclean spirit. The Holy Apostle Healed them in the Name of Jesus Christ. This miracle converted many more pagans to the Lord. But the ruler did not want his subjects to become Christians and stop worshiping pagan gods... He accused the apostle of witchcraft and ordered his execution. They laid Saint Matthew face down, covered him with brushwood and set it on fire. When the fire flared up, everyone saw that the fire did not harm Saint Matthew. Then Fulvian ordered to add brushwood to the fire, pouring resin over it, and put 12 idols around the fire. But the flames melted the idols and scorched Fulvian. The frightened Ethiopian turned to the saint with a prayer for mercy, and, through the prayer of the martyr, the flame died down. The body of the holy apostle remained unharmed, but he departed to the Lord (+ 60).

The ruler Fulvian bitterly repented of what he had done, but he still did not leave his doubts. By his order, the body of Saint Matthew was placed in an iron coffin and thrown into the sea. At the same time, Fulvian said that if God Matthew kept the apostle's body in water, as he kept it in the fire, then this One, True God should be worshiped.

On the same night, the Apostle Matthew appeared to Bishop Plato in a dreamy vision, commanded him to go with the clergy to the seashore and find his body there. Together with the bishop, the ruler Fulvian came to the seashore with his retinue. Carried out by the wave, the coffin was honorably transferred to the temple built by the apostle. Then Fulvian asked the holy Apostle Matthew for forgiveness, after which Bishop Plato baptized him with the name Matthew, which he gave him, obeying the command of God. Soon Saint Fulvian-Matthew gave up power and became a presbyter. After the death of Bishop Plato, the Apostle Matthew appeared to him and exhorted him to lead the Ethiopian Church. Having accepted the episcopacy, Saint Matthew-Fulvian labored much in preaching the Word of God, continuing the work of his heavenly patron.

Memory the holy apostle and evangelist Matthew takes place in Orthodox Church November 29, new style, as well as July 13, the day of the Council of the Twelve Apostles.

New Testament about the apostle Matthew
Matthew was one of the twelve closest apostles of Jesus Christ who followed Him in the last three years of His earthly life. The name of the apostle is mentioned in some of the New Testament books: in the Gospel of Luke and Mark, in the book of Acts, as well as in the first Gospel, the author of which the Church considers Saint Matthew himself. Sometimes in evangelical history he is referred to as Levi Alfeyev.
It is known from the Gospel that Matthew was a publican, that is, a collector of taxes and taxes in ancient Judea. This position was considered very shameful among the Jews, since the tax collectors served the Roman emperor and, thus, were perceived as traitors to the Jewish people. In his gospel, Matthew repeatedly emphasizes his occupation prior to being called by Christ, which he is believed to have done out of special humility.
Tradition has not conveyed to us any information about later life the apostle Matthew. It is believed that he preached after the Ascension of Christ in Ethiopia, where he was martyred around 60.

Gospel of Matthew
Church Tradition names the Apostle Matthew as the author of the first Gospel. The time when the book was written cannot be accurately determined, but most researchers are inclined to believe that it was created in the 40-50s. This gospel was originally written in Hebrew, unlike all other New Testament books written in Greek.
The Apostle Matthew addressed his book Jewish community, which was vividly reflected in the theological features of his Gospel, the main theme of which was the idea that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah about whose coming the prophets wrote. Matthew convinces his readers that Jesus was exactly the One Who the Jewish community had been expecting for centuries. Matthew often uses quotes from Holy Scripture to reinforce your thought about the messianic dignity of Jesus, as well as about His divine origin.
The most important part of the Gospel story is the Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes, in which Christ reveals the foundations of His moral teaching. It is believed that in Sermon on the Mount the main thoughts of Christianity are concentrated, therefore this part of the Gospel of Matthew is the most important for believers.
The Gospel of Matthew also includes a large number of parables dedicated to the teaching of Jesus Christ about the Church as the path of man to salvation, as well as talking about the end of the world and His Second Coming. Many of the parables recorded by Matthew were preserved only in his Gospel.

Iconographic images of the Apostle Matthew
The first icons of the Apostle Matthew appeared quite late, around the 8th century, and on them the saint was depicted as an old man with gray hair. This image persisted for a long time in Byzantine art. As an evangelist, the holy apostle is depicted with attributes indicating his writing activity, which are a book or a scroll in his hands. In some icon-painting images, Matthew is written sitting at a table with a book and a pen in his hand and writing down the words of the Angel standing in front of him, who dictates the words of the Gospel to the apostle.
The symbol of Saint Matthew is the Angel, because in his Gospel he paid special attention to the Incarnation and the fulfillment of the prophecies about the messianic ministry of the Son of God, about which the Old Testament prophets spoke, inspired by the messengers of God, the Angels.

Troparion, voice 3:
Diligently from mytnitsa to Christ who called the Lord, I appeared on earth as a man for goodness, and following this, the chosen apostle appeared, and the evangelist of the Gospel was glorified by the universe. For this, for the sake of honor, we honor your honest memory, Matthew, God-versed, pray to the Merciful God, that he will give remission of sins to our souls.

Kontakion, voice 4:
The yoke rejected the ordeals, the yoke of truth was attracted by you and the most splendid merchant appeared, the wealth brought down from the heights of wisdom. From now you have already preached the word of truth, and you have raised up the sad souls, having written the hour of judgment.

Magnification:
We magnify thee to the Apostle of Christ Matthew / and honor your sickness and your labors, // you labored in your image in the gospel of Christ.

Prayer:
Oh, glorious Apostle Matthew, who gave his soul for Christ and who has fertilized Him with your blood! Hear the children of your prayer and sighing, which are now offered with a broken heart. This is darkened by the wickedness, and for that for the sake of troubles, as if by clouds, being overshadowed, barely a good life is impoverished, and it is impossible to resist a predatory wolf, who are boldly trying to plunder the inheritance of God. Oh strong! Bear our infirmities, do not be separated from us in spirit, may not be parted in the end from the love of God, but protect us with your strong intercession, may the Lord have mercy on all of your prayers for your sake, may the handwriting of our immeasurable sins be destroyed, and may make blessed with all the Saints The kingdom and marriage of His Lamb, to Him is honor and glory, and thanksgiving and worship, forever and ever. Amen.

The icon of Matthew the Apostle is available in the catalog of our website.
Saint Matthew was one of the twelve apostles. Prior to that, Matthew was a tax collector for Rome, that is, he served as a publican. When the voice of the Lord appeared to him and said: “Follow me,” Matthew left his job and went after the Lord. Saint Matthew began to preach in Palestine, after he received the gifts of the Holy Spirit. At the beginning of his preaching career, he wrote the Gospel, at the request of the Jews who remained in Jerusalem. New Testament The Gospel of Matthew is among the first books. The book was written in Hebrew. Matthew set forth in the book all the deeds and speeches of the Savior in three aspects of ministry - in the role of the Prophet and Lawgiver, the King over the visible and invisible, and the High Priest who sacrificed for the sins of all people.

Saint Matthew, preaching and preaching the gospel, bypassed Persia, Media, Syria and Parthia, and in Ethiopia his preaching work was completed due to his martyrdom. At that time, tribes of cannibals with cruel customs lived in the country. The preaching of Saint Matthew influenced many pagans, and they accepted Christian faith... He founded the Church in the city of Mirmeny, where Plato was made bishop. The Apostle Matthew fervently prayed that the Ethiopians would accept the Lord's faith, and during the prayer the Lord appeared to him in the form of a young man who held a rod in his hands. He commanded Matthew to set up the rod at the door of the temple. The Lord told Matthew that this rod would turn into a tree bearing fruit, and a fountain of water would flow out at the roots. When Ethiopians eat the fruits and bathe in this water, they will become meek and kind. Saint Matthew took the rod and went to the door of the temple to plant it. On the way, he met the wife and son of the emperor, who were possessed by an unclean spirit. Matthew healed them. Upon learning of this miracle, many pagans gained faith in the Lord. But the emperor did not want his people to stop worshiping pagan deities, he gave the order to seize Saint Matthew and execute him.

They laid the saint face down, and brushwood was poured over his body and set on fire. Everyone saw that the fire does not harm the saint. Emperor Fulvian said to add more brushwood. They poured tar over Matthew and placed 12 idols around him. The flames kindled and scorched the idols and Fulvian. The frightened emperor rushed to the saint for mercy. By prayer, Saint Matthew calmed the fire and the flame subsided. The saint's body was not damaged in the fire. Soon he went to the Lord and his body was placed in an iron coffin and thrown into the sea on the orders of the emperor. Fulvian said that if the body of the saint was not damaged in fire and not damaged in water, then one should still believe in the true God. At night Saint Matthew appeared to Bishop Plato and said that his body should be found on the seashore. The coffin along with the body was carried away by the wave and was carried with honors to the temple. The emperor asked Matthew for forgiveness and was baptized with the name Matthew, after which he began to educate the people of Ethiopia.

The icon of the holy Apostle Matthew reflects the face of the great martyr, who by his sermon was able to convert many people to Christianity.