A message from Fr John

Dear Friends

Good morning

Today is the Feast of St Matthew for whom I have a special affection being the title of my old parish where I grew up and from which I was ordained.

As we know, Matthew was a tax collector when he was called by Jesus. As an Apostle, he accompanied Jesus on his missionary journeys and was a significant witness to the resurrection. Present at the Ascension he was author of the first book of the New Testament, written we believe for the new Christians emerging out of the jewish communities in Syria after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70.

The traditional symbol of Matthew is the man - his Gospel begins with the genealogy of Jesus, from Abraham through to St Joseph, emphasising his human nature and the turning point in history.

Prayer
Almighty God, who by the hand of Matthew the evangelist,
has given to your Church the Gospel of Jesus Christ your Son.
We thank you for this witness and pray
that we may be firmly grounded in its truth
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen

St Joseph, foster father of our Saviour, pray for us

Every blessing

Fr John