Today is the feast day of the Apostle, St. Matthias, whose election to replace Judas Iscariot established “apostolic succession” as a doctrine of the Church. St. Matthias is a patron of alcoholics by virtue of certain writings attributed to him while he was preaching in Egypt and Ethiopia.
While preaching the Gospel message, Matthias emphasized the importance of self-control. In order to experience the peace and joy that God intends, Matthias said, people must subordinate their physical desires to their spiritual desires.
The physical body is only temporary and subject to many temptations to sin and illnesses, while the spiritual soul is permanent and able to discipline the body for good purposes. Matthias preached that the Holy Spirit will empower people to exercise self-control over their unhealthy physical desires so they can experience good health in both body and soul.
Source: Hopler, Whitney. “St. Matthias the Apostle, Patron Saint of Alcoholics.” Learn Religions, Mar. 4, 2021, learnreligions.com/st-matthias-the-apostle-124663.
Here are some novenas to St.Matthias. I know I’m late, as these should be prayed from May 5th-13th. Just keep them in mind for next year. However, you needn’t pray a novena during the liturgical period for it; you can always pray them any time you feel compelled to. Given that he is an Apostle, I doubt he’d mind. If you stiill prefer to keep to a schedule and can’t wait for next May, in the Catholic Church’s pre-1970 Calendar his feast day was February 24th (February 25th in leap years.) The Eastern Orthodox honor him on August 9th.
St Matthias Apostle Novena from Intercede: a Catholic Novena app.
St. Matthias Novena from Pray More Novenas
Here is a video novena that you can use to pray to him
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