We will journey through Lent this year with a special focus on the Gospel message of St Matthew.
Matthew was the son of Alpheus and likely born in Galilee. Before following Jesus, he worked as a tax collector, a profession that was widely disliked at the time.
According to the Gospel, Jesus called Matthew while he was working at his tax booth in Capernaum, simply saying, “Follow me.” Matthew immediately became one of Christ’s disciples.
Matthew later wrote the first Gospel in the New Testament, likely between 41 and 50 AD. Originally written in Aramaic, it was meant to show that Jesus was the promised Messiah and that His kingdom was spiritual rather than political.