Minor Festival -- St. Matthias, Apostle (February 24, 2019)

Worship Note for the Festival of St. Matthias, Apostle

Lutheran worship is liturgical.  While that often refers to an order of worship, it can also refer to the calendar of the Church Year.  The Church Year includes major festivals, such as Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Pentecost, etc...  Today we recognize a minor festival, the Festival of St. Matthias, Apostle.

St. Matthias received his apostleship after the original Twelve.  After Judas Iscariot had betrayed Jesus, despaired of hope, and committed suicide, the remaining apostles replaced Judas with Matthias.  We are told nothing else of Matthias.  What is most noteworthy in Matthias’ filling in the twelfth position among the apostles was the apostles’ desire for this to be a divine appointment (Acts 1:24-26).  Even today, we recognize that it is God who calls pastors and teachers to serve his people – a comfort for the pastor or teacher who knows that this is where God wants him to serve; and a comfort for God’s people who know that this is the servant God has chosen just for them.

        We will observe the Festival of St. Matthias, Apostle this Sunday, February 24.