Saints Simon & Jude - Oct 28th

 

Today, Oct. 28^th, celebrates the feast of Saint Simon and Saint Jude, who were two of Jesus’ 12 apostles.

St. Simon was a Zealot party member. Zealots sought to overthrow Rome by force and violence if necessary. He was one of the original followers of Christ. Western tradition is that he preached in Egypt and then went to Persia with St. Jude, where both suffered martyrdom. St. Simon is believed to have died by being sawed in half.

St. Jude, patron of the impossible, also called St. Thaddeus, was the brother of St. James, the less. He is believed to have written the Letter of Jude, one of the shortest books of the Bible, and is thought to have been martyred in Beirut, Lebanon, around 65 AD. He is typically depicted with a club or axe, symbolizing the way he died, as well as with a flame above his head which refers to Pentecost. Although Jude is not mentioned much in the Bible and only had one quote attributed to him in the Gospel of John (14:22), this quiet apostle is extremely popular among Catholics today. St. Jude’s popularity probably stems from his patronage of lost causes. An experience Jude had while in the city of Edessa is said to be the reason why St. Jude is associated with lost causes.

According to the ancient church historian Eusebius, while Jesus was still alive, the ruler Abgar V of Edessa was afflicted with an incurable and painful disease. He had heard of the miracles of Jesus and wrote him a letter requesting a visit. Jesus responded that he would send one of his disciples. After Jesus’ Ascension into heaven, Jude went to evangelize near the city of Edessa and went to visit Abgar. Jude laid his hands on the sick ruler and he was instantly healed. Many people choose to carry the image of St. Jude on a medal or as a pendant on a necklace for comfort and call on him in their time of need and healing. 

Let us pray the bishops of today, who are the apostles of the Church, will teach and preach the Catholic faith, even to the point of giving their lives, as saints Simon and Jude.