00:00Before becoming the apostle Saint Matthew, this man was called Levi.
00:05His life revolved around numbers, money, and ledgers, for he was a publican, a tax collector in Capernaum.
00:14Imagine a profession that was disliked, often hated, because it was perceived as collaboration with the Roman occupiers and a source of
00:22'extortion.
00:23Levi was a wealthy man, but socially rejected.
00:28One day, everything changes.
00:30Jesus of Nazareth passes by his customs post.
00:34Without a word of reproach, without prejudice, Christ looks at him and simply says, "Follow me."
00:42And then, the incredible happens. Levi, without a moment's hesitation, leaves everything behind.
00:48He abandons his office, his accounts, his fortune, his former life, to follow this Galilean carpenter.
00:57It's a radical, instantaneous conversion, a total surrender.
01:02From Levi, the collector, he becomes Matthew, the apostle, one of the twelve intimates of Jesus.
01:08He even invites Christ and his disciples to a large meal at his home, sharing this moment with others
01:15publicans, already showing their desire to share the good news.
01:21His greatest achievement, and the reason he is known worldwide today, is the Gospel that bears his name.
01:29Written primarily for Jewish converts, the Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus as the promised Messiah, fulfilling the prophecies of
01:38Old Testament.
01:40He meticulously records the words and teachings of Christ, such as the famous oath on the mount,
01:47the genealogy of Jesus from Abraham, or many other discourses and parables essential to our understanding of faith
01:57Christian.
01:58This is the testimony of a man who gave up everything to listen to and transcribe the divine word.
02:06After the resurrection and Pentecost, Matthew is said to have first preached the Gospel among the Jews in Judea.
02:13Tradition then recounts that he went to evangelize distant lands, such as Ethiopia or Persia,
02:21where he would have suffered martyrdom, sealing his testimony with his very life.
02:27Today, Saint Matthew remains a powerful symbol.
02:31His story reminds us that God's call can touch anyone.
02:36even the most marginalized or those who seem furthest from faith.
02:41His sudden conversion is a message of hope.
02:45Radical change is always possible, and no one is beyond divine grace.
02:52His Gospel, a pillar of the New Testament, continues to enlighten millions of lives.
02:58making him a timeless messenger of good news.
03:03He is also the patron saint of accountants, customs officers, and bankers.
03:08offering them an example of conversion and service.
03:12Thank you for watching this video!
03:20THANKS.
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