St Matthias

Matthias
Saint Matthias from the workshop of Simone Martini
Apostle
Born	1st century AD Judaea, Roman Empire
Died	c. 80 AD Jerusalem, Judaea or in Colchis (modern-day Georgia)
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Oriental Orthodox Churches Anglican Communion Lutheran Church
Canonized	Pre-Congregation
Feast	May 14 (Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Communion) August 9 (Eastern Orthodox Church) February 24 (in leap years February 25) (pre-1970 General Roman Calendar, Western Rite Orthodoxy, Episcopal Church, Lutheran Church)
Attributes	axe
Patronage	alcoholics; carpenters; Gary, Indiana; Great Falls-Billings, Montana; smallpox; tailors; hope;

Matthias (Hebrew transliteration: Mattityahu;Koine Greek: Μαθθίας; died c. 80 AD) was, according to the Acts of the Apostles, the apostle chosen by lot to replace Judas Iscariot following Judas' betrayal of Jesus and his subsequent suicide (as in the Gospel According to Matthew by some means stated as "falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out" (according to Acts 1:18)). His calling as an apostle is unique, in that his appointment was not made personally by Jesus, who had already ascended into heaven, and it was also made before the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the early Church.

There is no mention of a Matthias among the lists of disciples or followers of Jesus in the three synoptic gospels, but according to Acts, he had been with Jesus from his baptism by John until his Ascension. In the days following, Peter proposed that the assembled disciples, who numbered about one hundred and twenty, nominate two men to replace Judas. They chose Joseph called Barsabas (whose surname was Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, "Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all [men], shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place." Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was numbered with the eleven apostles. Matthias was present with the other apostles at Pentecost.

No further information about Matthias is to be found in the canonical New Testament. Even his name is variable: the Syriac version of Eusebius calls him throughout not Matthias but "Tolmai", not to be confused with Bartholomew (which means Son of Tolmai), who was one of the twelve original Apostles; Clement of Alexandria refers once to Zacchaeus in a way which could be read as suggesting that some identified him with Matthias; the Clementine Recognitions identify him with Barnabas; Hilgenfeld thinks he is the same as Nathanael in the Gospel of John.