by Steve Raml, Director of Liturgy & Music
The Year of Matthew
A new Church Year, a new Gospel focus. In the three-year cycle of readings for Mass, the year that begins with the First Sunday of Advent is “Cycle A”, and our Gospel for most of the year will come from the first book of the New Testament, Matthew.
While not the first written account of Jesus’ earthly life and teaching (that would be Mark’s Gospel), Matthew has played a major role in our liturgical life for centuries. Before the reforms of Vatican II expanded the proclamation of all the Gospels, Matthew’s was the one heard most at Mass.
While Matthew’s Gospel is primarily concerned with presenting the life and teachings of Jesus, it also contains several important theological themes that are fundamental to our faith.
Jesus as the Fulfillment of Jewish Prophecy
Because Matthew was written primarily for a Jewish community, that is, Jews who had embraced the early Christian faith, the author strives to demonstrate that Jesus was the promised Jewish Messiah. From the very beginning, Matthew makes it clear that Jesus’ birth, life, and ministry are in accordance with the prophetic writings of the Hebrew Scriptures. This is particularly evident in the genealogy of Jesus found in the first chapter, which traces Jesus’ lineage back to David and Abraham, highlighting His role as the Messiah, the anointed one promised to Israel.
Throughout the Gospel, Matthew frequently cites Old Testament prophecies to demonstrate how Jesus’ life and actions fulfill these predictions. By constantly showing how Jesus fulfills Jewish prophecy, Matthew is emphasizing Jesus’ divine mission and His identity as the promised Messiah.
The Kingdom of Heaven
The concept of the “Kingdom of Heaven” is central to Matthew’s Gospel. This theme appears frequently, particularly in Jesus’ teachings. In contrast to other Gospels, which often use the term “Kingdom of God,” Matthew consistently uses the phrase “Kingdom of Heaven,” reflecting his Jewish audience’s sensitivity to avoiding the direct use of God’s name.
In Matthew, the Kingdom of Heaven is depicted both as a present reality and a future hope. The Kingdom of Heaven is portrayed as a place where God’s will is perfectly carried out, and where justice, peace, and righteousness reign.
Jesus uses a number of parables in Matthew’s Gospel to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. He portrays the Kingdom as something that is both hidden and surprising, a treasure to be sought after and a gift that requires a wholehearted commitment. For example, on the 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time (coming in July), the Kingdom is likened to a treasure hidden in a field or a pearl of great price, both of which are worth selling everything you have to acquire.
Discipleship
Another major theme in the Gospel of Matthew is the nature of discipleship and the life of the believer. Matthew’s Gospel emphasizes the importance of following Jesus’ teachings, living out a set of the moral and ethical standards, and spreading the message of the Kingdom of Heaven.
The call to discipleship is made clear from the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry. As Ordinary Time begins in January, we will hear Jesus calling Peter and Andrew, saying, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew says they immediately responded by following him, as did James and John the sons of Zebedee.
Throughout Mathew’s Gospel, we find that discipleship involves not only belief in Jesus but also obedience to His commands. On Ascension this year, we will hear the “Great Commission”, where Jesus instructs His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything He has commanded. This passage underscores the Church’s mission to spread the Gospel and make new disciples.
The famous “Sermon on the Mount” (found in chapters 5-7) provides a detailed ethical framework for discipleship. Spread over several weeks (we’ll hear it on the 4th through the 6th Sundays of Ordinary Time this year), Jesus tells us discipleship means a love for enemies, forgiveness, humility, prayer, and living a life that is aligned with God’s will. It begins with the “Beatitudes” describing the characteristics of those who belong to the Kingdom of Heaven, presenting values that are very different from our worldly standards.
Jesus as the New Moses
Matthew often portrays Jesus as the new Moses, a central figure in the Jewish tradition. It starts early, as we will hear on the Feast of the Holy Family just after Christmas. Matthew has Joseph taking Jesus and Mary to Egypt to escape Herod’s wrath, then returning after Herod dies. Matthew shows this is a fulfillment of Hosea’s prophecy, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.” (Hosea 11: 1) So just as Moses saved God’s people by bringing them out of slavery in Egypt, Jesus will come out of Egypt to lead God’s people into salvation.
The connection between Jesus and Moses is also seen in the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus ascends a mountain to deliver His teachings, mirroring Moses’ ascent of Mount Sinai to receive the Law. In the midst of that sermon, Jesus explicitly states that He has not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them (6th Sunday in Ordinary Time). Jesus continues his teaching throughout the year, often in dialogue and debate with the religious authorities of his day, challenging their faith as well as our own.
Forming Our Faith
Throughout the coming year, the Gospel of Matthew will unfold these theological themes that are central to our faith. Because of the Church’s reading cycle, we heard these same Gospel stories three year ago. The stories have not changed, but we have. Our world is not the same as it was three years ago; our situations in life are not the same. Perhaps we have retired, moved to a new location, lost someone we loved, or had new additions to our family. Hopefully we have also grown in our faith in the past three years.
Open yourself to the Gospel of Matthew this year. It offers a profound portrait of Jesus as the Messiah. Matthew invites us to recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promises, to participate in the Kingdom of Heaven, to follow Him in true discipleship, and to confront the challenges of our faith with courage and conviction.
