St. Matthew Looks Back

When St. Matthew recalled his conversion in his own Gospel, he in no way hid that he led a sinful life up to the time the Lord called him to be his disciple.  St. Anselm, bishop of the French city of Laon (d. 1117), reflects on this in his commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew:

“ ‘And when he had passed from there, he saw a man sitting in the customs post.’  Here we can see the account of the miracle that the Lord worked before his sermon on the mountain, in which the Evangelist tells of his own conversion.  Note that Matthew had two names, for he was called both ‘Matthew’ and ‘Levi’.  Mark and Luke both call him ‘Levi’, taking care regarding his modesty, lest by calling him by his proper name they make him remarkable for his former conversion.  Later, Matthew, as though his own accuser, calls himself by his popular name, and in his list of the Apostles he also calls himself ‘the publican’ since in this way he might publicly show his trust in his salvation to publicans and sinners, and that those reading of his conversion might not despair of the mercy of God when they see the Evangelist in his customs post.  It is not to be wondered at that he immediately left behind his worldly riches at the word of the Lord and adhere to the company of him whom he saw to possess no riches, for he who called him exteriorly taught him by his word within him, in secret.  He poured forth his teaching to his soul to obey him so that if he followed him and abandoned his earthly wealth, he might have incorruptible treasure in heaven.”