According to Acts 1:15-26, during the days after the Ascension, Peter
stood up in the midst of the brothers (about 120 of Jesus’ followers).
Now that Judas had betrayed his ministry, it was necessary, Peter said,
to fulfill the scriptural recommendation: “May another take his
office.” “Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men who
accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among us,
beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken
up from us, become with us a witness to his resurrection” (Acts
1:21-22).
They
nominated two men: Joseph Barsabbas and Matthias. They prayed and drew
lots. The choice fell upon Matthias, who was added to the Eleven.
Matthias is not mentioned by name anywhere else in the New Testament.
From a homily on the Acts of the Apostles by Saint John Chrysostom, "In those days, Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples and
said..."
As the fiery spirit to whom the flock was entrusted by Christ and as
the leader in the band of the apostles, Peter always took the
initiative in speaking: "My brothers, we must choose from among our
number."
He left the decision to the whole body, at once augmenting the honor of
those elected and avoiding any suspicion of partiality.
Did not Peter then have the right to make the choice himself?
Certainly he had the right, but he did not want to give the appearance
of showing special favor to anyone.
"And they nominated two," we read, "Joseph, who was called Barsabbas
and surnamed Justus, and Matthias."
He himself did not nominate them; all present did.
But it was he who brought the issue forward, pointing out that it was
not his own idea but had been suggested to him by a scriptural
prophecy.
And they all prayed together, saying: "You, Lord, know the hearts of men; make your choice known to us.
You, not we."
Appropriately they said that he knew the hearts of men, because the choice was to be made by him, not by others.
They spoke with such confidence, because someone had to be
appointed.
They did not say "choose" but "make known to us" the chosen one; "the
one you choose," they said, fully aware that everything was being
preordained by God.
Comment:
What
was the holiness of Matthias? Obviously he was suited for apostleship
by the experience of being with Jesus from his baptism to his
ascension. He must also have been suited personally, or he would not
have been nominated for so great a responsibility. Must we not remind
ourselves that the fundamental holiness of Matthias was his receiving
gladly the relationship with the Father offered him by Jesus and
completed by the Holy Spirit? If the apostles are the foundations of
our faith by their witness, they must also be reminders, if only
implicitly, that holiness is entirely a matter of God’s giving, and it
is offered to all, in the everyday circumstances of life. We receive,
and even for this God supplies the power of freedom.
Quote:Jesus
speaks of the apostles’ function of being judges, that is, rulers. He
said, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new
age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will
yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel”
(Matthew 19:28).