The Church commemorates Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew.
Holy Apostle Matthew was the son of Alphaeus, who came from Galilee and before becoming a disciple of Christ, his name was Levi. According to him, citing the list of the twelve Apostles, he was sitting at the “receipt of custom,” that is, he was a tax collector, and had a great fortune.
However, as soon as he heard Jesus calling him to follow Him, he gave up everything, repented and became a preacher of the Gospel. He radically changed his life.
Holy Apostle Matthew preached the teaching of Jesus Christ, first among the tax collectors and his relatives and then among the pagans, many of whom he succeeded in converting into the true faith. He also preached the Gospel in Ethiopia, where he was martyred.
Holy Evangelist Matthew was the author of the first book in a row out of a total of 27 books of the New Testament, namely the Holy Gospel of Matthew.
Source: Church of Cyprus
