Homily for the Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle

After Judas' betrayal, the Twelve Apostles were left with a significant void. The number twelve held immense importance, symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel and the heart of the new Israel, a people of God comprising both Jews and non-Jews. Matthias was chosen to restore the integrity of this sacred number, filling the vacancy left by Judas and reviving the full team of Apostles.

However, this was not a mere human decision. The original Twelve were chosen by Jesus, and now it was the Apostles' turn to select a replacement for Judas. They understood the gravity of their task, seeking someone who had witnessed the entirety of Jesus' public ministry. After nominating two suitable candidates, they turned to prayer, humbly asking the Lord to reveal His chosen one.

This is an exciting mixture of human judgment and submission to divine guidance. Those early disciples used their judgment and discernment but also realized that they needed to ask for insight from God.

We also need both in our lives. We must use our judgment and experience to determine what steps to take, and we must equally entrust ourselves to the Lord in prayer.