New Testament

The Gospel of Matthew

The Gospel of Matthew is the first of the 27 books of the New Testament: 28 chapters and 1,070 verses.

About Matthew · Gospel

Matthew tells the life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus for readers steeped in the Old Testament, presenting him at every turn as the fulfillment of Israel's story — the new and greater Moses teaching from the mountain. Ancient tradition names the apostle Matthew, the converted tax collector; scholars note the Gospel also draws on Mark and dates it a generation or more after the events. It was written to teach a mixed church how to live as disciples, gathering Jesus' words into five great discourses, and it alone among the Gospels speaks of the Church by name.

Matthew in Bless
Testament	New Testament — book 1 of 27, 47 of 73 in the Bible
Canon	Protocanonical (in every Christian canon)
Chapters	28
Verses	1,070, as Bless numbers them
Latin	Clementine Vulgate, every chapter
Bp. Challoner	Summaries of all 28 chapters · 75 notes
Catechism	302 paragraphs cite it

Chapter by chapter

All 28 chapters, in brief.

Bishop Richard Challoner’s summary of each chapter, from his revision of the Douay-Rheims (1749–52). Open a chapter for the full text.

Matthew 1
25 verses
The genealogy of Christ: he is conceived and born of a virgin.
Matthew 2
23 verses
The offerings of the wise men: the flight into Egypt: the massacre of the Innocents.
Matthew 3
17 verses
The preaching of John: Christ is baptized.
Matthew 4
25 verses
Christ's fast of forty days: He is tempted. He begins to preach, to call disciples to him, and to work miracles.
Matthew 5
48 verses
Christ's sermon upon the mount. The eight beatitudes.
Matthew 6
34 verses
A continuation of the sermon on the mount.
Matthew 7
29 verses
The third part of the sermon on the mount.
Matthew 8
34 verses
Christ cleanses the leper, heals the centurion's servant, Peter's mother-in-law, and many others: he stills the storm at sea, drives the devils out of two men possessed, and suffers them to go into the swine.
Matthew 9
38 verses
Christ heals one sick of palsy: calls Matthew: cures the issue of blood: raises to life the daughter of Jairus: gives sight to two blind men: and heals a dumb man possessed by the devil.
Matthew 10
42 verses
Christ sends out his twelve apostles, with the power of miracles. The lessons he gives them.
Matthew 11
30 verses
John sends his disciples to Christ, who upbraids the Jews for their incredulity, and calls to him such as are sensible of their burdens.
Matthew 12
50 verses
Christ reproves the blindness of the Pharisees, and confutes their attributing his miracles to Satan.
Matthew 13
58 verses
The parables of the sower and the cockle: of the mustardseed, etc.
Matthew 14
36 verses
Herod puts John to death. Christ feeds five thousand in the desert. He walks upon the sea, and heals all the diseased with the touch of his garment.
Matthew 15
39 verses
Christ reproves the Scribes. He cures the daughter of the woman of Canaan: and many others: and feeds four thousand with seven loaves.
Matthew 16
28 verses
Christ refuses to shew the Pharisees a sign from heaven. Peter's confession is rewarded. He is rebuked for opposing Christ's passion. All his followers must deny themselves.
Matthew 17
26 verses
The Transfiguration of Christ: He cures the lunatic child: foretells his passion; and pays the didrachma.
Matthew 18
35 verses
Christ teaches humility, to beware of scandal, and to flee the occasions of sin: to denounce to the church incorrigible sinners, and to look upon such as refuse to hear the church as heathens. He promises to his disciples the power of binding and loosing: and that he will be in the midst of their assemblies. No forgiveness for them that will not forgive.
Matthew 19
30 verses
Christ declares matrimony to be indissoluble: he recommends the making one's self an eunuch for the kingdom of heaven; and parting with all things for him. He shews the danger of riches, and the reward of leaving all to follow him.
Matthew 20
34 verses
The parable of the labourers in the vineyard. The ambition of the two sons of Zebedee. Christ gives sight to two blind men.
Matthew 21
46 verses
Christ rides into Jerusalem upon an ass. He casts the buyers and sellers out of the temple, curses the fig tree and puts to silence the priests and scribes.
Matthew 22
46 verses
The parable of the marriage feast. Christ orders tribute to be paid to Caesar. He confutes the Sadducees, shews which is the first commandment in the law and puzzles the Pharisees.
Matthew 23
39 verses
Christ admonishes the people to follow the good doctrine, not the bad example of the scribes and Pharisees. He warns his disciples not to imitate their ambition and denounces divers woes against them for their hypocrisy and blindness.
Matthew 24
51 verses
Christ foretells the destruction of the temple, with the signs that shall come before it and before the last judgment. We must always watch.
Matthew 25
46 verses
The parable of the ten virgins and of the talents. The description of the last judgment.
Matthew 26
75 verses
The Jews conspire against Christ. He is anointed by Mary. The treason of Judas. The last supper. The prayer in the garden. The apprehension of our Lord. His treatment in the house of Caiphas.
Matthew 27
66 verses
The continuation of the history of the passion of Christ. His death and burial.
Matthew 28
20 verses
The resurrection of Christ. His commission to his disciples.

Bp. Richard Challoner · chapter summaries

In the comments

What the saints said.

47 quotations from 28 saints linked to passages of Matthew in Bless. Each names the work it comes from.

St. Cyprian · on Matthew 6:7

On this verse

Let our speech and petition when we pray be under discipline, observing quietness and modesty. Let us consider that we are standing in God's sight.

On the Lord's Prayer, 4, c. 252

St. Cyprian · on Matthew 6:11

On this verse

After the supply of food, pardon of sin is also asked for, that he who is fed by God may live in God.

On the Lord's Prayer, 15, c. 252

St. John Chrysostom · on Matthew 25:35

On this verse

Do you wish to honor the body of Christ? Do not ignore Him when He is naked. Do not pay Him homage in the temple clad in silk only then to neglect Him outside where He suffers cold and nakedness.

Homily on Matthew, 50, c. 390

St. Ambrose · on Matthew 26:26

On this verse

The Word of Christ made out of nothing what was not; can it not change the things that are into what they were not?

On the Mysteries, 9, c. 390

St. John the Baptist · on Matthew 3:2

On this theme

Repent. For the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.

Matthew 3:2 (CPDV), c. 30

St. Peter Damian · on Matthew 4:2

On this theme

Fasting is the guardian of chastity, the mother of purity, the teacher of virtue.

Letter to Leo of Sitria, c. 1060

41 more, on the chapter pages

Matthew 5:8St. Peter Damian
Matthew 5:10St. Lawrence · attributed
Matthew 5:14St. Catherine of Siena · attributed
Matthew 5:16St. Charles Borromeo
Matthew 5:44St. Ambrose
Matthew 5:44St. Maria Goretti · attributed
Matthew 6:1St. Peter Chrysologus
Matthew 6:6St. Teresa of Ávila
Matthew 6:6St. Anselm
Matthew 6:10St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Matthew 6:20St. Dominic
Matthew 6:24St. Augustine of Hippo
Matthew 6:28St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Matthew 6:34St. Teresa of Ávila
Matthew 6:34St. Francis de Sales
Matthew 7:21St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Matthew 9:37St. Francis Xavier
Matthew 10:37St. Benedict of Nursia
Matthew 11:28St. Augustine of Hippo
Matthew 11:29St. Francis de Sales
Matthew 16:24St. John of the Cross
Matthew 16:24St. Rose of Lima
Matthew 18:3St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Matthew 18:20St. Ignatius of Antioch
Matthew 19:21St. Francis of Assisi
Matthew 22:21St. Thomas More
Matthew 22:37St. Augustine of Hippo
Matthew 22:37St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Matthew 22:37St. Alphonsus Liguori
Matthew 22:39St. Catherine of Siena
Matthew 22:39St. Vincent de Paul
Matthew 23:8St. Augustine of Hippo
Matthew 25:31St. John of the Cross
Matthew 25:35St. Benedict of Nursia
Matthew 25:36St. Francis of Assisi
Matthew 25:40St. Vincent de Paul
Matthew 26:39St. Alphonsus Liguori
Matthew 28:6St. John Chrysostom
Matthew 28:19St. Ignatius of Loyola · attributed
Matthew 28:19St. Francis Xavier
Matthew 28:20St. Alphonsus Liguori

Coming up

Read at Mass.

From October 29, 2026 to October 28, 2027, Matthew is read at the principal Mass on 141 days in the US calendar. The next 8 readings:

Date	Celebration	Reading	Citation
Sat, Oct 31, 2026	Saturday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time	Alleluia	Matthew 11:29ab
Sun, Nov 1, 2026	All Saints	Gospel	Matthew 5:1-12a
Sun, Nov 1, 2026	All Saints	Alleluia	Matthew 11:28
Mon, Nov 2, 2026	The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed	Alleluia	Matthew 25:34
Tue, Nov 3, 2026	Tuesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time	Alleluia	Matthew 11:28
Thu, Nov 5, 2026	Thursday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time	Alleluia	Matthew 11:28
Sun, Nov 8, 2026	Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time	Alleluia	Matthew 24:42a, 44
Sun, Nov 8, 2026	Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time	Gospel	Matthew 25:1-13
Sun, Nov 15, 2026	Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time	Gospel	Matthew 25:14-30
Sun, Nov 22, 2026	The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe	Gospel	Matthew 25:31-46
Mon, Nov 23, 2026	Monday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time	Alleluia	Matthew 24:42a, 44
Mon, Nov 30, 2026	St. Andrew, Apostle	Alleluia	Matthew 4:19
Mon, Nov 30, 2026	St. Andrew, Apostle	Gospel	Matthew 4:18-22
Wed, Dec 2, 2026	Wednesday of the First Week of Advent	Gospel	Matthew 15:29-37
Thu, Dec 3, 2026	St. Francis Xavier, Priest	Gospel	Matthew 7:21, 24-27
Fri, Dec 4, 2026	Friday of the First Week of Advent	Gospel	Matthew 9:27-31
Sat, Dec 5, 2026	Saturday of the First Week of Advent	Gospel	Matthew 9:35—10:1, 5a, 6-8
Wed, Dec 9, 2026	Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent	Gospel	Matthew 11:28-30
Thu, Dec 10, 2026	Thursday of the Second Week of Advent	Gospel	Matthew 11:11-15
Fri, Dec 11, 2026	Friday of the Second Week of Advent	Gospel	Matthew 11:16-19
Mon, Dec 14, 2026	St. John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church	Gospel	Matthew 21:23-27
Tue, Dec 15, 2026	Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent	Gospel	Matthew 21:28-32
Thu, Dec 17, 2026	Thursday of the Third Week of Advent	Gospel	Matthew 1:1-17
Fri, Dec 18, 2026	Friday of the Third Week of Advent	Gospel	Matthew 1:18-25

Citations as published in the USCCB liturgical calendar (principal Mass, first option). Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.