Daily Devotion

Reflection: Terry
Voice: Shivdas

Audio:

Today is Wednesday, the 14th of May. It is also the Feast of St Matthias. Let’s take a moment to be still before the Lord.

The Psalm for today is Psalm 16:

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
² I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
    I have no good apart from you.”

³ As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
    in whom is all my delight.

⁴ The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
    their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
    or take their names on my lips.

⁵ The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
    you hold my lot.
⁶ The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

⁷ I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
    in the night also my heart instructs me.
⁸ I have set the Lord always before me;
    because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

⁹ Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
    my flesh also dwells secure.
¹⁰ For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
    or let your holy one see corruption.

¹¹ You make known to me the path of life;
    in your presence there is fullness of joy;
    at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.

The Scripture Reading is Acts 1:21-26

²¹ So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, ²² beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” ²³ And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. ²⁴ And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen ²⁵ to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” ²⁶ And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Reflection

Have you ever heard a sermon on St. Matthias? Or even read an article about him? Probably not.

Some have speculated that Matthias wasn’t God’s true choice to replace Judas—that perhaps the real intended apostle was Paul. This view is often based on the fact that Matthias is never mentioned again after Acts 1. But if that’s the standard, then we must question several others as well. Simon the Zealot, Thaddeus, James the Less, and Bartholomew also receive little to no individual mention beyond being named among the Twelve.

Yet their limited presence in Scripture does not discredit the legitimacy of their calling. Scripture doesn’t measure significance by visibility.

When the early church chose Matthias, they prayed: “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen.” (Acts 1:24). They sought God’s will—not popularity, charisma, or credentials. The casting of lots might seem arbitrary to us, but in that context, it was a reverent act of dependence on God’s wisdom. They were looking for heart qualifications, not external achievements.

This stands in stark contrast to our modern tendencies. We often prioritize leadership skills, academic excellence, or eloquence—things we can observe and measure. But who can truly see what’s in the heart?

St. Matthias reminds us that true service to God doesn’t require the spotlight. What matters most is that we live in a way that is pleasing to Him—especially when our actions flow from a heart aligned with His.

Today, will you invite the Holy Spirit to examine your heart?
Will you let His Word speak beyond the surface and shape you from within?

We end with the collect for The Feast of St Matthias:

O Almighty God,
who into the place of the traitor Judas
did choose thy faithful servant Matthias
to be of the number of the twelve Apostles: 
Grant that thy Church, being always preserved from false Apostles,
may be ordered and guided by faithful and true pastors; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Be blessed by the St Matthias Hymn:

1. The highest and the holiest place
   Guards not the heart from sin;
   The Church that safest seems without
   May harbour foes within.
2. Within that small and chosen band
   Beloved above the rest,
   One fell from his apostleship,
   A traitor ‘midst the rest.
3. But ne’er the great designs of God
   Man’s sin shall overthrow;
   A better witness to the Truth
   Forth to the lands shall go.
4. Matthias was the chosen one –
   God’s purpose cannot fail –
   The Word of Grace no less shall sound,
   The Truth no less prevail.
5. Righteous, O Lord, are all Thy ways:
   Long as the worlds endure,
   From foes without and foes within
   Preserve Thy Church secure.

Link to today’s Morning Office