Saint Matthias
The first successor to an Apostle. After our Lord’s Ascension, as recorded in Acts 1, Peter sought for the Church to fill the vacancy left by Judas. They sought one among them who had “accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection” (Acts 1:21-22, NRSV). Two men were nominated, but with prayer and discernment, Matthias was chosen. Some traditions hold that Matthias went on to preach the Gospel in the areas of modern day Turkey and Georgia. Matthias died a martyr for the Gospel he proclaimed, possibly by stoning and beheading.
Prayer
O God, who assigned Saint Matthias a place in the college of Apostles, grant us, through his intercession, that, rejoicing at how your love has been allotted to us, we may merit to be numbered among the elect.