(By Saint Dimitri of Rostov)
These words heard by the ears having carnal also affected ears his heart, Matthew got up immediately and left everything to follow Christ. The Lord came into his house and he served up a feast which was attended also neighbors, friends, a lot of knowledge, of publicans and sinners, who sat down with Jesus and His disciples. Scribes and Pharisees as being there, they saw the Lord, far from despising sinners, would sit alongside them. So they said to the disciples: "Why eateth your Master does it and does he drink with publicans and sinners? "The after hearing the Lord replied:" It is not those who are healthy who need a doctor but the sick. I am not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners. And from this time, Matthew became the disciple and follower of Christ, and was worthy of being counted among the Twelve Apostles.
Matthew was the son of Alphaeus and brother of Jacques. In the other Gospels he is called Levi son of Alphaeus, because his brothers evangelicals have sought to hide its first publican kind of life behind a little-known name. But in his own Gospel of St. Matthew shows great humility by being known to all under his real name and confessing to the world his past life sinner, discounting, this humble repentance, to remove the shame of sinners to confess their sins and turn to the Lord.
After receiving the Holy Spirit, St. Matthew was the first to write his Gospel, eight years after the Ascension of the Lord, and this in Hebrew because of the Jews who had believed Christ. He preached the gospel in many lands, across the country of the Parthians, Medes, and walking around in Ethiopia for which he had been chosen by lot, to preach Christ and to enlighten the light of knowledge. Finally, taught by the Holy Spirit, he reached a land where people lived an ignorant, cruel and cannibalistic.
There, in the city of Myrmène, it converts some souls to the Lord, enthroned as bishop his disciple Plato, and built a small church. Then he climbed a nearby mountain where he lived in fasting, praying fervently for God to convert the faithless people. The Lord appeared to him soon in the guise of a handsome young man holding a scepter in his hand. After giving peace to the Apostle, He held out his hand to give him the scepter, recommending him down the mountain and plant it near the doors of the church he had built. "It will take root in my strength. It will become a large tree that gives lots of fruit that will surpass by their majesty and sweetness all other orchard fruits. Springing from its roots as a source of pure water, which give beautiful face with cannibals who wash them. Those who taste the fruits cruel abandon their morals to become good men and gentle. "
Matthew took the scepter in the hand of the Lord came down from the mountain, and went to town to perform the order received. The prince of this city, a man named Fulvian, had a wife and a son who suffered from demons. Encountering the Apostle on the way, they made blood threats of their strange voices and depraved, "Who sent you here with that scepter for our loss? But Matthew banned and expelled unclean spirits, so that those who came to be healed bowed to the Apostle and followed him obediently. Having learned the arrival of Matthew, the bishop Plato came to meet with the clergy. On entering the city, the Apostle did as he had been ordered, but barely Was it planted the scepter of Lord, before all, the stick became a big leafy tree wearing large, beautiful and sweet fruit, and a source of water gushing from its roots. The entire town, who gathered for such a miracle was in amazement. They ate the sweet fruit and drank pure water, then the apostle Matthew went on a height and preached the Word of God in their language to people gathered in front of him. All believed in the Lord and the Apostle baptized them in the miraculous spring, starting with the wife of the prince and his son, whom he had cured of evil spirits, and ending with the faithful people. According to the word of the Lord, all the cannibals out of the water with a beautiful face and bright, receiving not only the beauty and healing the body but also of the soul, laying the old man put on Christ, the 'New Man.
Having learned of these events, the prince was pleased with the healing of his wife and son, but, driven by the devil, he irritated the Apostle and cons devised to kill him because the people running towards him, abandoning the gods. The following night the Lord appeared to St. Matthew, that require the defendant to be bold, and promising to be with him in tribulation that would soon occur. In the morning, when the Apostle glorified God in church with the faithful, the Prince sent four soldiers to seize him. But when they reached the temple of the Lord of Darkness will cover them and they hardly knew how to turn back. As they were asked why they did not bring Matthew, they said: "We heard his voice, but we could not see or get hold of him! The prince, enraged, sent a large number of armed soldiers with orders to bring the Apostle of force, even killed by the sword anyone resist them. But the soldiers were just as powerless as soon as they approached the temple, a heavenly light shone upon the Apostle, so they could watch it. Seized with fear, they threw down their weapons and returned in haste to the prince to tell her what had happened. Fulvian was so angry that he decided to surrender himself to the Apostle to the multitude of his servants. However, upon arriving on the scene, he lost his sight and had to call someone to guide! Immediately, he asked Matthew to forgive him his sin and give light to his eyes. Having made the sign of the cross on the eyes of the prince, Matthew restored her sight. But Fulvian saw again with the eyes of the body without the soul of his eyes were open did. Blinded by the wickedness, he attributed the miracle to magic, instead of seeing God's power. Taking the Apostle's hand, he brought him to his palace by pretending to honor, keeping in his heart for malignant burn as mage. Including the secret of his heart and thoughts malignant, the Apostle denotes the prince: "Tyrant insidious when you execute the plot that you frame? So do what Satan has put in your heart! As you can see, I am ready to endure anything for my God! "
The prince ordered his soldiers to seize Matthew. After lying on the ground with his face turned towards heaven, they nailed to the ground his hands and feet. Then they gathered branches and brush, brought the tar and sulfur, placed it all on their victim and lit the pyre. The fire went into high flames, and all thought that the Apostle of Christ would be consumed. But suddenly, the fire cools down and the flames changed into dew, and they found Matthew alive glorifying God. All the people were frightened at the sight of such a miracle and glorified the God of the Apostle.
Consequently the prince was the more angry, and he refused to recognize the power of God, who had kept alive and safe from the late preacher of Christ. He uttered with regard to the fair to further injustice and called him a magician, "By the magic he has extinguished the fire and saved the life! He did bring back a lot of wood and brush, and then made them available on the Apostle and switch after adding tar. Then he brought his twenty gods of gold and placed them around the fire, asking for their help so that Matthew was not released from the flames this time, but reduced to ashes. But, amid the flames,
the Apostle prayed to the Lord of Hosts he showed again his invincible power, manifest the weakness of the pagan gods, and shames all those who put their trust in them. Then in a terrible crash, the flames rushed over the idols of gold, that melted like wax, burning many unbelievers who were present at the scene. Idols broken left a snake of fire which frightened the prince continued until he decided to humbly beg the Apostle to grant assistance. So it rebuked the fire was immediately extinguished, and the snake disappeared. The prince would then raise the Apostle with reverence, but he made one last prayer and laid his holy soul into the hands of the Lord.
Fulvian ordered them to bring a litter of gold, on which lay the body of the Apostle that the fire had not started. After donning the body of the saint of great clothes prices, the prince and the nobles took the litter on their shoulders and led the Apostle to the palace.
But the faith of the prince was not yet perfect. So he ordered to forge iron coffin in which he remove the body of the Apostle. After doing welding lead, he threw him overboard, saying the Lords: "If one who has kept free from Matthew fireproof also keeps the water, so that it 'It is indeed the one true God. So I will worship Him and give up all our gods, who failed to protect themselves the attack on the fire! . The iron coffin containing the precious relics that have been thrown into the sea, the apostle appeared to the bishop Plato and said: "Tomorrow morning, give up on shore at the east of the palace of the prince, and take my relics that were rejected on the ground! At dawn, the bishop went with the multitude of the faithful on the shore, where indicated, and found the iron coffin containing the relics of St. Matthew the Apostle, as had been announced in the vision. Having learned this, the prince visited the site with the lords. He really believed our Lord Jesus Christ, and confess out loud as the one true God, who had kept intact Fireproof His servant Matthew when he was alive, and waterproof once dead. Embrace the coffin, he asked forgiveness for sins apostle he had committed against him and demanded earnestly baptism. Seeing the prince's faith and zeal of his request, the bishop Plato catechised. When he had duly informed, he commanded him to descend into the baptismal waters. But now when he laid his hand upon the head of the catechumen and wanted to give his name, a voice from above was heard: " Do not name him but Fulvian Matthew! "
Having received in Baptism the name of the Apostle, the prince tried to imitate his work. He soon recovered the state government to someone else, renounced the vanity of this world, and devoted himself to prayer in the church of God, deserving of the holy bishop Plato dignity of presbyter. Three years later, the death of the bishop, the apostle Matthew appeared in the presbyter and encouraged him to ascend the episcopal throne in the wake of Blessed Plato. Having accepted Bishops, the new Matthew was active in the preaching of Christ and led many Gentiles to God. Having spent many years in a life pleasing to the Lord, he died in his turn and went to stand before the throne of God to the holy Evangelist Matthew, with whom he intercedes for us as we inherit the Kingdom of God for ever . Amen.
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