St Matthias

Today is one day in the Church calendar to remember and give thanks for St Matthias, the apostle chosen (to replace Judas) by the drawing of lots. He is mentioned only in the opening of Acts in the Bible, but traditions give him a major role afterwards, as they do to all the apostles. Any way, I finished my 'selection conference' (as they were called in those days), where the Church discerned, at great length and some expense, whether I had a vocation to ordained ministry, on the other day for the Feast of St Matthias, 14 May. I think I had already written this poem by then, but I revisited it soon afterwards, and do so again now. 

The Feast of Saint Matthias

And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias;

and he was added to the eleven apostles.

                                          Acts 1.26 (NRSV)

Most of us are Matthias mostly

(that is what life is):

the call is more like dice thrown down

than the very Voice,

and comes in days of wasted waiting,

where fire is not.

And sadder still for dear Matthias:

the call serves no public point.

He is dumb;

no-one need deal his name again;

even the sign he counted to save fades

as the tribeless tumble in.

None of this need matter much;

losing him, the plot would lie.

We all are Mattityahu always

(that is what life is): God’s gift.

However luckless, how unlooked our lot,

called is who we are.