May 14, 2025

Saint of the Day for May 14:

Matthias

(? – ?)

Listen to Saint Matthias’ Story Here

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 that another should 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.

Reflection

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.

MINUTE MEDITATIONS

Maintain Your Peace

“And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?”—Matthew 6:27

We are all familiar with the adage “Haste makes waste.” Well, it’s true. Yet we always seem to be in a hurry, especially if you are a Type-A personality like I am. And sure enough, we often trip over ourselves. Don’t be in such a hurry that you lose your inner peace. It’s bad for your physical and mental health. Whatever you’re trying to do, it’s not as valuable as you and your peace of soul. I try to repeat to myself the counsel of St. Francis de Sales: “Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.” For the next few hours, don’t lose your inner peace for anything. Begin now. And begin again if you fall away from that peace.

Lord, give me the grace to trust in your divine plan in all things. Amen.

—from the book Three Minutes with God: Reflections and Prayers to Encourage, Inspire, and Motivate by Monsignor Frank Bognanno

PAUSE+PRAY

Open the Door to Joy

Reflect

We’ve all had those days where nothing goes right. We don’t hear the alarm; we can’t find the keys; we forget to take the grocery list with us to the store. As the day goes on, we sink deeper and deeper into our bad moods. But what if instead of seeing these experiences as troubles, we see them as opportunities to listen to God?

Pray

Dear God,
Are you trying to tell me something in the frustrations of my day?
Is my missed alarm a sign I need more rest?
Are the forgotten list and missing car keys your way of pointing out
That I have too many distractions in my life?
Sometimes, it feels like the whole world is off-kilter,
but maybe that’s you trying to get my attention.

Act

The next time you have a frustrating or annoying experience, reframe it to see what God might be saying through it.

Today's Pause+Pray was written by Maureen O'Brien. Learn more here!