(C.D. Stampley Enterprises, Charlotte, NC 2001). Used with permission.

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For financial professionals

St. Matthew (1st century)

Feast day: September 21

St. Matthew, the patron of anyone who works in the finance professions, was a tax collector working on his accounts when Christ called him to be one of the twelve Apostles.

Christ’s invitation to Matthew to become one of his Apostles is the only time the evangelist is singled out in the gospels. He was the tax collector of Capernaum, a Job that would have earned him the contempt of his fellow Jews because he was collaborating with their Roman conquerors.

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Matthew was at his work in the customs house when Christ stood before him and said, “Follow me.” Immediately Matthew left his money and his accounts. To celebrate his conversion he invited Christ and the other Apostles to his house where he threw a lavish dinner.

Ancient tradition says Matthew preached the gospel first in Judea then in Ethiopia where he was martyred. According to the story he had finished saying Mass and was making his thanksgiving before the altar when a soldier crept up from behind and stabbed him in the back.

The oldest surviving fragments of the New Testament come from St. Matthew’s gospel. Three small bits of papyrus, preserved in the library of Magdalen College, Oxford, have been dated c.60 by Carsten Peter Thiede, a German papyrologist.

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Prayer to the saints is a powerful thing.

Now, with Saints for Every Occasion, readers can quickly find help for any challenge they face – no matter how large or small. Author Thomas J. Craughwell profiles 101 patron saints from various continents, cultures and times – from saints who were contemporaries of Christ, to modern patrons like Padre Pio and Faustina Kowalska. Each saint lived heroically in difficult times and circumstances, providing powerful examples of how to turn almost any obstacle into a source of grace. Along with old favorites such as St. Anthony and St. Jude, Craughwell offers patrons for specifically modern concerns, including, for example, saints to watch over astronauts, internet users and environmental activists. Beautifully illustrated and entertainingly told, Saints for Every Occasion features 101 patron saints readers will seek out time and again.

“An excellent resource for home and classroom use.” – Publisher’s Weekly {/tabs}