21 September - St. Matthew

Weather - St. Matthew's day bright and clear, brings good wine in the next year   [Come on, sunshine!]

on the other hand

St. Matthew's rain fattens pigs and goats     [Hmmmm... bacon? or wine?... Come on, sunshine!]

St. Matthew makes the days and nights equal    [as does St. Benedict in another six months]

St. Matthew
Brings the cold dew     [which will turn into frost soon enough]

After St. Matthew you will not see many fine days... [pessimist]

however

A south wind today indicates that the rest of the autumn will be warm   [which is a nice thought for those of us in the northern tier, but for my amiga in Texas who is tired of warm, I hope your wind is out of the north]

St. Matthee,
Shut up the bee    [don't want the little dears to get cold. We'll need them again next spring]

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Woodcut from the Golden Legend, c.1489

Today is the Feast of Saint Matthew the Apostle, Evangelist and Martyr, writer of the first gospel, and patron of those who deal with money: accountants, bankers, bookkeepers, customs officers, stock brokers, and, of course, Tax Collectors, of which he was one.  His neighbors considered him much as we think of our own IRS agents - complete with horns, tail and a pitchfork - with the added bonus that he Collaborated With The Enemy (that is, Rome).

And this is one of the guys Our Lord chose as a disciple?  Yep.  Comforting thought.  There's hope for us, yet.