St. Matthias: Faithful When Nobody Was Watching

DON'T LEAVE US A REVIEW- PRAY A DECADE OF THE ROSARY INSTEAD! This week on Saints in the Sticks, we’re talking about St. Matthias — the apostle chosen to replace Judas after the Resurrection and one of the most overlooked men in the New Testament.

His story is a reminder that God sees quiet faithfulness even when the world does not. Matthias followed Jesus faithfully for years before ever being publicly recognized, and his life teaches us that holiness is often built through patience, humility, perseverance, and trusting God’s timing.

If you’ve ever felt overlooked, stuck waiting, or discouraged in ordinary life, this episode is for you.

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Transcript

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I'm glad you are here this morning, tonight, wherever, whatever, what time today, because we're going to talk about one of the most probably overlooked and I would say forgotten men in the entire New Testament. And honestly, that's maybe exactly why his story matters so much and so matters so much right now in our lives. We're going to talk about Saint Matthias, the apostle chosen to replace Judas after the betrayal of Jesus. And while most Catholics recognize the names Peter, John, Thomas, and even Judas himself, you know, we all we oftentimes forget about Saint Matthias, and or I should say, or he's remembered as the other apostle. People vaguely recall hearing about once a year, maybe hearing about him at Mass. But the more you actually sit with his story, and the more b powerful it becomes because Saint Matthias represents something that's deep, deeply important in the Christian life, and it's a representation in his life, it's that quiet faithfulness. He wasn't he was he wasn't famous during Jesus' ministry. He wasn't the loudest one there. He didn't write books of the Bible. Scripture doesn't record any speeches, long speeches of him or dramatic moments where he takes the center stage and gets all the attention. But yet St. Matthias just spends years following Christ faithfully in the background while others were more visible and more recognized than him and more publicly important. And honestly, I think a whole lot of ordinary Catholics can relate to that. Most Christians are not living dramatic public lives. Most of us are simply just trying to stay faithful, raising our families, paying the bills, and battling with discouragements, showing up to work, praying through difficult seasons, and trying to love Jesus in the middle of all of our ordinary lives. And that's why St. Matthias feels so relatable, especially right now, because his story reminds us that holiness is not just reserved for the celebrities, the YouTubers, the ones, scholars, public figures, influencers. Holiness, holiness grows quietly in the ordinary people whose faithfulness may only be fully seen by God. So grab your coffee, sweet tea, track your seat of whatever you're going through this week, because today we're going to talk about waiting on God's timing, remaining faithful when God no one when no one else notices, and learning how quiet obedience can still change in the world. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the witness of Saint Matthias and for the reminder that you see every faithful heart, even when the world overlooks it, in a culture that constantly pushes us to seek attention, praise, recognition, and improve approval. Teach us instead to desire holiness, humility, and perseverance. Help us just to remember faithful during during seasons of waiting, and give us the strength to continue following you, even when our life feels unnoticed or we're discouraged. Teach us to just trust you in your timing instead of demanding our own, and remind us that no prayer, no sacrifice or hidden act of love is ever wasted in your kingdom. Same with eyes, pray for us and help us to follow Jesus with faithful and humble hearts. We ask all this through Christ our Lord. Amen. In the name of the Father and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen. Well a little rough there, making it through that first part by Thursday morning. More coffee. To really understand the significance of Saint Matthias, we first have to understand the painful situation surrounding what's going on, his calling. After the resurrection of Jesus, you know, all the apostles have gathered together as the early church prepared for its mission. But there was an obvious wound among them because Judas Iscariot was gone after betraying Christ. Now sometimes we rush past that part of the story because we already know what happens next. But imagine in the disciples' shoes how devastating that betrayal must have felt for the for them. These guys, these men had spent years together traveling, praying, and preaching, eating together, witnessing miracles together, side by side. And one of their own had turned on him. Judas' betrayal was not merely a scandal or just a disappointment, but it was the deep it was already in the church a deep spiritual and emotional wound within the very heart of the apostolic community. Peter understood the mission Christ entrusted to the apostles needed to continue. And so he stood before the believers and explained that another man would need to take Judas' spot, please. Among the twelve. However, the call qualifications for this role were very specific. The apostles were not simply looking for a talented leader or a popular speaker. They wanted someone who had faithfully followed Jesus from the beginning of his public ministry and who had witnessed the resurrection. That requirement is important because it tells us something remarkable about St. Matthias. He had already been there the entire time. Again, they wanted someone who was there in the beginning of his public ministry and someone who had witnessed the resurrection. Now, that probably is not going to be many people. But he had been there. St. Matthias had been there an entire time.

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Matthias had followed Jesus quietly, faithfully, and long before publicly recognizing him. He witnessed Christ's teachings and miracles and all the suffering and death and the resurrection, and yet we're not it's not brought to our attention, and he's not largely known ab about about it. He was not one of the apostles constantly mentioned in scripture, and he spent years serving faithfully without receiving public acknowledgement. And honestly, that really speaks directly into our modern life today. Because many faithful Christians know exactly what it feels to serve quietly without being noticed. Parents sacrifice for their children every single day without applause. Parish volunteers show up early and stay late without any recognition. Ordinary believers continue praying and serving, forgiving, and loving others, even when no one else sees their efforts. But Saint Matthias reminds us that hidden faithfulness still matters deeply to God. Alright, God looks at the heart. The apostles eventually narrowed the candidates down to two men, Joseph called Yes, Barsibus and Matthias. Before making the decision, however, they stopped to pray, saying, Lord, you know everyone's heart. And that line may be one of the most important parts of the entire story because it reveals the difference between the way human beings judge people and the way God sees them. Human beings are naturally drawn toward outward appearances. We notice charisma, influence, popularity, talent, success, personality, and all these things. The modern culture especially encourages people to measure value through visibility, attention, and recognition. Social media has only intensified this mindset because people are constantly pressured to present impressive versions of themselves or pseudo-selves in order to gain approval from others. But God looks deeper, he looks inside of the cup instead of the appearances. I'm off today in pronunciation. I'd have no idea. I don't enough not enough coffee. God sees our motives though, the intentions, the humility, perseverance, and the hidden faithfulness, while the world often celebrates whoever is the loudest or the most visible. And this is very true in many aspects in our life. The kingdom of God frequently grows through quiet obedience and unnoticed sacrifices. After praying that the apostles cast lots and Saint Matthias was chosen to join the twelve apostles. Imagine how overwhelming that moment must have been. One day he was simply a faithful disciple standing quietly among the other believers and with everyone else, and next day he's entrusted with one of the greatest responsibilities in the history of the church. Yet the beautiful part of the story is that Matthias has already spent years preparing for that moment through quiet faithfulness. And honestly, this is often how God works in our own lives. Many people spend the years hidden in seasons where the notion or the feeling, the feeling of maybe I'm unnoticed or unimportant or overlooked comes into play. But God may be preparing you in ways that you can't understand yet. The waiting season is not just a meaningless season. God frequently informs people privately and patiently before calling them publicly. And this value of quiet faithfulness is basically what one reason I think St. Matthias resonates so strongly today is because with modern culture constantly teaches people to chase attention while Christianity teaches people to pursue holiness instead. Everywhere we look, people are encouraged to build platforms, gain followers, increase influence, and constantly promote themselves. Visibility has become one of the primary ways modern society measures value. As a result of this, many ordinary people quietly begin feeling invisible because of their lives do not seem impressive compared to what they constantly see online. But the life of St. Matthias reminds us that holiness is not measured by the public recognition of anyone. Some of the holiest people in the world would n will never become famous. Some of the greatest acts of Christian love happen quickly, quietly, in the kitchen, the hospitals, the classrooms, small town churches and family homes where no one else notices them except God. The grandmother faithfully praying a rosary every night matters. The father, who works long hours to provide for his family, matters. The volunteers preparing meals for grieving families matters. The elder elderly parishioner praying silently in the back pew pews matters. And heaven sees all of it. Tradition tells us that Saint Matthias became an apostle. He courageously pre preached the gospel and eventually gave his life as a martyr for Christ. While scripture doesn't provide many details about the later ministry, the church remembers him as a man who remained faithful until the very end. And that consistency matters because many people begin the Christian life with enthusiasm but struggle. Struggle to preserve and persevere through difficulty, discouragement, suffering, waiting, and loneliness. Saint Matthias reminds us that faithful endurance is deeply valuable in the eyes of God. Waiting on God. That's where that's where we're at right now. Waiting on God, because perhaps one of the most relatable parts of St. Matthias's story is really that he waited faithfully for years in the ministry, in Jesus' ministry watching, and before even being called to a greater role. And who even knows if it ran through his bold mind whether or not he could even possibly be in a position like that one day. Imagine watching the other apostles become widely recognized while you quietly remain in the background. Imagine hearing Saint Peter preach powerful sermons, watching St. John develop a unique friendship with Jesus, and seeing the other apostles sent out on important missions, or you simply continue just following Christ faithfully without any recognition. That kind of waiting that we're talking about this podcast can easily produce bitterness, jealous jealousy, uh a whole can of discouragement or resentment, but yet scripture gives no indication that Saint Matthias became bitter or walked away. Instead, he remained faithful until the moment God called him forward. And honestly, many people listening right now are probably living through some kind of waiting season themselves. Some are waiting for healing, others are waiting for direction and purpose, reconciliation, perhaps, or answered prayers. Waiting can feel frustrating because modern culture trains us to expect immediate results in every area of our life instantly. But spiritual growth rarely happens instantly. Rarely happens instantly. God often works slowly, quietly, patiently within people over long, long periods of time. Just as seeds grow, just as seeds grow underground long before harvest appears above the surface, holiness often develops invisible before its fruits become obvious. And St. Matthew's reminds us that waiting seasons are not wasted seasons. God is still present there, still forming our hearts, still building perseverance and still preparing people for the work he has planned for them. What does it all mean? What does it all mean today for Catholics in Saint Matthias's story? First, he reminds us that the hidden faithfulness matters when no one else notices. Second, he reminds us that God sees the heart more clearly than the world ever can. The world can't see it clearly. The world doesn't want to see it the way God wants to see it. Third, he teaches us that waiting on God's timing is difficult but deeply important for spiritual growth. But maybe most importantly, in all this, St. Matthias reminds us that the ordinary people can become saints. Holiness is not reserved for people with perfect lives. Extraordinary talents, massive influence with in with huge influencers. Holiness grows through a daily faithfulness. It's the steady prayer, it's the humble acts, it's the humble service, it's the repentance, the perseverance, and the trust in God through ordinary life. And honestly, honestly, that should encourage every single one of us because most people will never become famous. But every single person is still called to become holy. Saint Matthias never became important because he chased recognition. He became important because he remained faithful to Jesus Christ. And maybe that's exactly the r reminder that modern Catholics need most right now. Less performance, particularly online, more faithfulness, less self-promotion, again, less online and more prayer, less comparison and more trust in God. The simple faith, the southern roots in the saints in the making. Let us pray, y'all. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lord Jesus, thank you for the example of Saint Matthias and for the reminder that quiet faithfulness still matters in your kingdom. Teach us to trust you during seasons of waiting and help us to remain faithful even when life feels ordinary and unnoticed or just difficult for us. Give us humble hearts that seek holiness instead of attention. And help us to reminder that every prayer, sacrifice, and act of love offered for your glory has eternal value. When we feel discouraged or forgotten, Almighty God, please remind us that you see us fully and love us completely. Saint Matthias, pray for us in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank you guys for listening to the Saints and the Six. If this episode encourages you, share it with a friend, someone in the parish group, or someone that you may think really needs it, and it's a reminder that quiet faithfulness still matters more than the world realizes it. And maybe this week, take a moment to thank God for the hidden faithful people in your life. Because the quiet saints often hold families. They often hold the churches, entire communities together through the steady love and perseverance. But remember, you're not alone in this. Keep running the race. Come on back next time to Saints in the Sticks. Peace be with you.