He replaced the traitor Judas Iscariot. Associated with the Eleven because “he saw.” Nothing more is known of him

by Alessandro Zangrando

He is the only apostle who joined the group of the Twelve after Jesus’ death. He was not chosen because he was better, more virtuous, or more deserving. Matthias became an apostle by chance. What decided his destiny was a “drawing of lots,” or, in other words, simply the will of God, following an archaic method of selection. The very little information given about him comes at the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles. It was the time right after the Ascension. The early Christian community was asking itself who could fill the place left empty by Judas Iscariot. Peter put the problem before the assembly of the first Christians, about 120 people: “Out of the men who have been with us the whole time that the Lord Jesus was living with us, from the time when John was baptizing until the day when He was taken up from us, one must be appointed to serve with us as a witness to his resurrection.” (Acts 1:21-22) Two names were proposed: Joseph, called Barsabbas, and Matthias. “They prayed, ‘Lord, you can read everyone’s heart. Show us therefore which of these two you have chosen to take over this ministry and apostolate, which Judas abandoned to go to his proper place.’ They then drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias.” (Acts 1:24-26) The Bible tells us nothing more about him. Even the ancient traditions, in general quite loquacious about the lives of the apostles, say nothing about Matthias.

From the first moment
Matthias was thus a disciple of Jesus from the first moment; this was the criterion that Peter set for the selection of the new twelfth apostle. He followed the Savior’s story from the Baptism by John until the Resurrection, from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry until the end. Matthias was given the task of being a “witness” along with the eleven others. Matthias was not chosen by a direct call, as happened with Peter, John, James, and the others, invited by the Lord to be at his side. However, he had all the qualifications for becoming an apostle; he had been present at the events of the life of the Son of God. He became an apostle because he had seen; his companions and God’s will asked him to be a witness. Nothing more.
All that remains to us concerning the life of Matthias is vague and contradictory. His name derives from the Hebrew Mattathias and means “gift of God.” Eusebius narrates that Matthias was one of the Lord’s 72 disciples. According to Nicephorus, after preaching the Gospel in Judaea, he went to Ethiopia and was crucified there. The Synopsis of Dorotheus tells a different story: Matthias spread the Gospel among the barbarians and cannibals of the interior of Ethiopia, to the Port of Issus and the mouth of the Issus River, then died in Sebastopolis, where he was buried near the Temple of the Sun. And again, a tradition recounts that Matthias was stoned by the Jews in Jerusalem and then beheaded. Origen mentions a Gospel of Matthias, from which a phrase was quoted by Clement of Alexandria.
It is said that his relics were taken to Rome by St. Helen. They are still preserved in part in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (there is some doubt that these might instead be the remains of St. Matthias, Bishop of Jerusalem around the year 120), in part in Trier, Germany, where he is the patron saint.