St Matthew wrote his great account of the life of Jesus for the early Judaeo-Christian community, sharing with them teachings that are still foundational to the Christian faith today, including the Sermon on the Mount, the words of the Lord’s Prayer, and the ‘Great Commission’ of Christ to spread the Gospel to all the world.

This special edition of the Gospel of Matthew, with an introduction by Fr Javier Ruiz-Ortiz, is published to mark the introduction of the ESV-CE translation in the new Catholic lectionary for England, Scotland and Wales. This book allows the reader to read and contemplate the words of the Gospel precisely as it is proclaimed at Mass in Year A of the lectionary cycle.