Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers and sisters
(there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons
in the one place). He said, “My brothers and sisters,
the Scripture had to be fulfilled
which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand
through the mouth of David, concerning Judas,
who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus.
Judas was numbered among us
and was allotted a share in this ministry.
For it is written in the Book of Psalms:
Let his encampment become desolate,
and may no one dwell in it.
and:
May another take his office.
Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men
who accompanied us the whole time
the Lord Jesus came and went among us,
beginning from the baptism of John
until the day on which he was taken up from us,
become with us a witness to his resurrection.”
So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas,
who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.
Then they prayed,
“You, Lord, who know the hearts of all,
show which one of these two you have chosen
to take the place in this apostolic ministry
from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.”
Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias.
The Word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God
REFLECTION
They prayed to God, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen. Note: they did not say, we have chosen, "so and so" , therefore, please bless our decision but instead they prayed that only God would know the hearts of Justus and Matthias and only He could choose.
Listen patiently and wait on the Lord with decisions. Become familiar with His voice, His coaxing and His Will and you cannot go wrong.
Who, indeed was Matthias, whom the Lord chose?
He was not one of the most famous apostles, yet he had faithfully followed Jesus from the beginning. He was an eyewitness to all that happened to Jesus. An eyewitness report is much better than stories handed down from one person to another. He was not chosen because of power or recognition but because of his steadfast faithfulness.
.His story teaches us that God sees the hidden devotion of the heart. Even when we feel unnoticed or ordinary, God can use our lives in extraordinary ways. Matthias answered God’s call with humility and trust, stepping into a difficult role during a fragile moment in the early Church.
Like St. Matthias, we are called to remain faithful in the small moments of daily life. God prepares us quietly, and when the time comes, He invites us to serve with courage, love, and perseverance.
PAPA is a growing apostolate and this August 2026 we will have our election conference. Please join us in prayer for Jesus to make known to us who He chooses to be our new officers— President, Secretary and Treasurer. Pray that they will be full of the Holy Spirit and will be a conduit for His work. Pray if He is calling you to be an officer of PAPA.
