Prayer:Prayer to St. Matthew
Stored: Prayer to St. Matthew
| Prayer to St. Matthew | |
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| Author | Unknown |
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| Language | English |
| Approval | None |
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| Added on | 2026-08-13 |
Prayer to St. Matthew is a traditional Catholic intercessory prayer addressed to St. Matthew the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ and the author of the first Gospel in the New Testament canon. Through this prayer, the faithful seek his powerful intercession before God, asking to be strengthened in the virtues of generous service, charitable giving, and faithful discipleship. St. Matthew, who left behind a prosperous career as a tax collector to follow Christ without hesitation, stands as a singular example of radical conversion and wholehearted response to God's call.
The prayer draws upon the theological riches of Matthew's Gospel, which presents Jesus above all as the long-awaited Messianic King who fulfills the Law and the Prophets, and who came "not to be served but to serve" (Matthew 20:28). By invoking St. Matthew, the faithful ask for his heavenly assistance in living out this same servant spirit in their own vocations and circumstances. This prayer is especially beloved among those engaged in works of charity, financial ministry, and apostolic service.
St. Matthew is venerated throughout the Universal Church as Apostle, Evangelist, and Martyr, with his feast celebrated on September 21 in the Roman Rite. His patronage extends to bankers, tax collectors, accountants, customs officers, and financial workers, making this prayer particularly fitting for those in such professions who seek to harmonize their working lives with the Gospel call to justice and generosity.
The Prayer
O Glorious St. Matthew, in your Gospel you portray Jesus as the kingly Messiah who came to serve and not to be served.
Help us to recognize our call to serve others in our daily lives.
May we follow Jesus the King by serving all our neighbors, especially the poor, the outcast, and the forgotten.
Obtain for us the grace to share our material and spiritual gifts freely and joyfully, as disciples worthy of our Master.
Amen.
History and Background
St. Matthew, also known by his Hebrew name Levi, was a tax collector (telōnēs) in the service of the Herodian tetrarchy at Capernaum when Jesus called him to discipleship. Tax collectors of the period were widely despised by Jewish society as collaborators with Roman occupation and as men whose profession was associated with fraud and extortion. The directness of Christ's call — "Follow me" (Matthew 9:9) — and Matthew's immediate, unconditional response became one of the most celebrated models of conversion in all of Christian tradition.
Matthew's subsequent authorship of the first canonical Gospel, the Gospel According to Matthew, established his enduring authority in the Church's proclamation of the faith. This Gospel, written with a particular sensitivity to the fulfillment of Hebrew Scripture, presents Christ as the new Moses, the Son of David, and the King of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18–20) are all contained in Matthew's Gospel, making it the most quoted Gospel in the early liturgical and catechetical tradition of the Church.
Tradition holds that St. Matthew preached the Gospel first in Judea before embarking on missionary journeys to Persia, Ethiopia, and possibly Macedonia. The manner of his death is disputed among early sources: the Eastern and Western traditions diverge, with some patristic writers, including St. Clement of Alexandria and Origen, suggesting he died peacefully, while later hagiographic tradition widely recounts his martyrdom. The Roman Martyrology and the broader Western tradition commemorate him as a martyr. His relics are venerated at the Cathedral of Salerno in southern Italy, a place of pilgrimage that has borne his name since the eleventh century.
Intercessory prayers addressed to St. Matthew emerged from early Christian devotion to the Apostles and have been transmitted through centuries of private and public Catholic piety. The specific form of the prayer presented here reflects the theological emphases of post-conciliar Catholic spirituality, which draws heavily on the servant-Kingship theme prominent in Matthew's Gospel, particularly in the context of social charity and apostolic mission.
How to Pray / Devotional Use
This prayer may be prayed privately or in a group setting at any time, but it is especially recommended on the following occasions:
- The Feast of St. Matthew (September 21), when the Church universally honors the Apostle and Evangelist. Praying this prayer on his feast day, ideally after Mass or as part of the Liturgy of the Hours, is a fitting act of devotion.
- Before reading or studying the Gospel of Matthew, as a means of invoking the Evangelist's intercession for understanding, docility to the Holy Spirit, and fruitful reception of the Word of God.
- For those in financial or administrative professions, who may pray this prayer at the start of the workday, asking St. Matthew's guidance in conducting their affairs with integrity, justice, and generosity of spirit.
- During works of charity and service, particularly when engaging in ministry to the poor, the marginalized, or the forgotten — reflecting the prayer's explicit invocation on behalf of such persons.
- As a vocation prayer, meditating on the immediacy and totality of Matthew's own response to Christ's call, and asking for the same boldness in one's own discipleship.
The prayer may also be incorporated into a Novena to St. Matthew, prayed over nine consecutive days leading up to his feast on September 21, or as part of a broader Apostles' Prayer Cycle honoring each of the Twelve. Individuals who carry a St. Matthew medal or who have placed themselves under his patronage are encouraged to make this prayer a regular part of their daily devotional practice.