Levi, son of Alphæus - St Matthew

Saint Matthew. J-J Tissot

From the Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ (1897), by J-J Tissot

''Capernaum, situated on the road from Damascus to the Mediterranean, was a much frequented halting-place, and numerous caravans, with crowds of travellers, passed through it day by day on their way to Samaria, Judæa, Egypt or, in the other direction, to Persia and the valley of the Euphrates. It was the great emporium of Eastern Galilee, and in it, as well as at other points of this border district, were stationed publicans or customs officers, who collected taxes in the name of the Imperial Treasury. Everywhere in Palestine, at the entrance ports, at the bridges, at the gates of towns, these imposts were exacted, and they weighed very heavily on the people.

As a result, the collectors of the taxes were universally hated, and, as is generally the case in matters of this sort, it was the subalterns, who, though less responsible, were more easily accessible, and who came in for most of the odium. Everyone looked upon them as extortioners and tyrants on whom it seemed permissible to heap all manner of maledictions.

This was especially the case in the eyes of the Jews, with whom the profession of a publican involved a sort of religious and national apostasy. To take service under Cæsar, as the agent of an odious and oppressive exaction, was tacitly to recognise the domination of the foreigner, not only,as with others, to suffer it. Was not the man who could do this a mere hypocrite to call himself a son of Israel and go up to the Temple to present offerings which were thus defiled? ...

For all that, however, there were honest men even amongst the publicans, who suffered from, without understanding, the popular prejudice against them. There had been some such amongst the disciples of John the Baptist, and he had not told them to give up their calling, but had merely urged them to pursue it honestly. In spite of this, great must have been the astonishment of the disciples when Jesus called to Him a publican, named Levi bar Alphæus, or Levi, the son of Alphæus, henceforth to be known as Matthew, a name signifying 'the gift of God.' He himself must have realised the value of that gift, and his heart must have been overflowing with gratitude. It is this feeling we have endeavoured to express.''

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam