Spiritual Reflection

My thoughts today are with yesterday’s feast day, we celebrated St. Matthias.  He was the one who took the place vacated by Judas after he betrayed Jesus and then took his own life.  The eleven apostles agreed that someone should be added to the group and they prayed to the Lord to give them the name of the replacement.  They received no answer and had to figure it out themselves.  They felt that the person had to be one who traveled with Jesus and was there to witness His appearances after His death and resurrection.  Two were brought forth…Matthias and Joseph Barsabas.  They drew lots and Mattias became the new 12th apostle.  I believe they felt they needed 12 because it was a symbolic remembrance of the 12 tribes of Israel included with God’s first covenant.  Now the New Testament (covenant) had Jesus with 12 apostles.

My thoughts did not center on Matthias but on Joseph.  How must he have felt not to be included.  That had to be tough.  And so I thought of how people deal with enormous disappointment.  What is the best strategy?  We need to have one, I’m sure!  And have no answer from Joseph and Matthias.  After the selection, neither are mentioned again in the Bible.  So I remember Joseph with great esteem and show you his picture instead of Matthias.