Commontide
For Desiring God
O God, grant that we may desire you, and desiring you seek you, and seeking you find you, and finding you be satisfied in you for ever. Amen.
Liturgical Color: Red
The 2nd Sunday in Lent
Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities that may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Lent
You bid your faithful people cleanse their hearts, and prepare with joy for the Paschal feast; that, fervent in prayer and in works of mercy, and renewed by your Word and Sacraments, they may come to the fullness of grace which you have prepared for those who love you.
Most liturgical texts are from the Book of Common Prayer (2019) of the Anglican Church in North America.
The New Coverdale Psalter, © 2019 by the Anglican Church in North America. Used by permission.
Apostle
Red Letter Day
Matthias the Apostle, chosen after the Ascension to fill the place left vacant by Judas Iscariot and numbered among the Twelve at Pentecost. His selection in Acts 1 is the sole canonical record of his life; the church remembers him as a faithful apostle whose obscurity in the New Testament is itself part of his witness.
Acts 1:15–26 provides the sole canonical account of Matthias. When the disciples gathered in Jerusalem before Pentecost to fill Judas's vacant place among the Twelve, Peter stood up and explained the need: one of the original band who had been with Jesus 'from the baptism of John until the day [Jesus] was taken up from us' must become 'a witness with us to his resurrection' (1:21–22). Apostolic office, in Peter's formulation, required both continuity with the earthly ministry and testimony to the risen Lord.
Two candidates met this criterion: Joseph Barsabbas (also called Justus) and Matthias. The assembled disciples prayed: 'Lord, you know the hearts of all; show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place' (1:24–25). Then 'they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles' (1:26).
The casting of lots was an ancient biblical practice for discerning God's will (Proverbs 16:33: 'The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord'). The custom continued in Israel (Joshua 18:8–10; 1 Samuel 14:41–42) and was practiced in the early Church for serious decisions. Notably, after Pentecost and the descent of the Holy Spirit, the early Church never again employs lot-casting; the guidance of the Spirit superseded the older method.
Matthias is not mentioned again in the New Testament. He is listed among the apostles in Acts 1:13, but beyond this, canonical sources are silent. This silence contrasts sharply with the apostles who received post-canonical traditions (Peter, Paul, John, James the Elder, Thomas, etc.). Matthias remains singularly obscure.
Traditionally, Matthias preached the Gospel in Judea before being martyred. Various later sources offer differing accounts of his death: some state he was stoned by Jews, others claim he was beheaded, and still others place his martyrdom in Ethiopia or along the Caspian coast. His relics were claimed by several locations, most notably Trier in Germany, where the Abbey of St. Matthias (allegedly the only apostolic tomb north of the Alps) became a medieval pilgrimage destination. A 'Gospel of Matthias' is mentioned by Origen and Eusebius but does not survive. Some later traditions conflate Matthias with Zacchaeus or with other figures.