Pope Benedict XVI reflects on the life of Saint Matthew

During a general audience on August 30, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI delivered a catechesis focused on the Apostle and Evangelist Matthew. As part of an ongoing series of portraits of the Twelve Apostles, the Pope examined the profile of Matthew as presented in the Gospels.

Matthew, whose Hebrew name means ‘gift of God’, is identified in the canonical Gospels as a tax collector. The Pope noted that while biographical details are fragmentary, the scriptures describe Matthew being called by Jesus while seated at his tax office in Capernaum, near the Sea of Galilee. The Pope referenced Caravaggio’s painting, ‘The Calling of Matthew’, located in the Church of Saint Louis of the French in Rome, to illustrate the biblical scene.