Feast Day of Sts Simon & Jude - 28 October
28th October 2021
Feast Day of Sts Simon the Zealot & Jude Thaddeus - 28 October
Simon was a simple Galilean, a brother of Jesus, as the ancients called one's close relatives — aunts, uncles, first cousins; he was one of the Saviour's four first cousins, with James the Less, Jude and Joseph, all sons of Mary, the wife of Alpheus, or Cleophas, either name being a derivative of the Aramaic Chalphai. The latter was the brother of Saint Joseph, according to tradition. All the sons of this family were raised at Nazareth near the Holy Family. (See the Gospel of Saint Matthew 13:53-58.) Simon, Jude and James were called by Our Lord to be Apostles, pillars of His Church, and Joseph the Just was His loyal disciple.
Saint Simon the Zealot or the Zealous, was the name this Apostle bore among the twelve. He preached in Egypt, Mauritania (Spain), and Libya, leaving behind him the fertile hills of Galilee, where he had been engaged in the healthful cultivation of the vineyards and olive gardens. He later rejoined his brother, Saint Jude, in Persia, where they labored and died together. At first they were respected by the king, for they had manifested power over two ferocious tigers who had terrorized the land. With the king, sixty thousand Persians became Christians, and churches rose over the ruins of the idolatrous temples.
But when the two Apostles went elsewhere the pagans commanded them to be sacrificed to the sun. Both Apostles, just before that time, had seen Our Lord amid His Angels. Simon said to Jude, "One of the Angels said to me, 'I will take you out of the temple and bring the building down upon their heads.' I answered him, 'Let it not be so; perhaps some of them will be converted.'" They prayed for mercy for the people and offered their lives to God. Saint Simon told the crowd that their gods were only demons, and ordered them to come out of the statues, which they did, revealing themselves under hideous forms. But the idolaters fell on the Apostles and massacred them, while they blessed God and prayed for their murderers.
Saint Jude has left us a short but powerful epistle, written after the death of his brother James, bishop of Jerusalem, and addressed to the new Christians being tempted by false brethren and heretics. St Jude was also known as “Jude Thaddeus.” People used this formal title so that he was not confused with Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus and handed him over to be arrested. Jude is the patron saint of hopeless cases and desperate situations. People often pray to Jude when they feel that there is no one else to turn to. They ask Jude to bring their problem to Jesus. Because Jude had such great faith, we know that nothing is impossible for those who believe in the Lord.
Prayer to Sts Simon & Jude
O God, who by the blessed Apostles have brought us to acknowledge your name, graciously grant, through the intercession of Saints Simon and Jude, that the Church may constantly grow by increase of the peoples who believe in you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen. 🙏💖
Sources: sanctoral.com and saintsresource.com