The Gospel according to Luke (6:12-16)
Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,
Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Reflection:
Today, we remember Saints Simon & Jude, Apostles. I suppose we can put them in the “third” rank of Apostles – the first being Peter, James and John; the second being the others who actually have words recorded as spoken by them in the Gospels: Philip, Bartholomew (or Nathaniel), Matthew, and Thomas; and the third being the rest: James (the “Less”), Simon the Zealot and Judas son of James (also known as Jude Thaddeus). And, I guess we would add Matthias to this last group, since he took over the position of Judas Iscariot. We don’t know a lot about Simon and James, but we can certainly make a few observations about them.
First, each was chosen to be an Apostle by Jesus. As John records at the end of his Gospel account, we don’t know what all Jesus said and did in His three years of earthly ministry. What we have recorded is to teach us about Jesus, and so that we may have salvation through our belief in His Name. Jude and Simon clearly had some qualities that caused Jesus to choose them.
A second thing we know about them is that we know that Jude & Simon were among the disciples sent out by Jesus during His ministry, and we are told that they carried the Gospel to the world after Jesus returned to heaven.
And, a third truth is that, as with just about all of the Apostles, both Simon and Jude suffered martyrdom. They laid down their lives for Jesus and the faith.
Most of that would be considered historical facts or knowledge, and if that were all, it would still be an impressive testimony for both Simon and Jude. But, as Catholics and as Christians, we also know that their place as chosen Apostles means that they wielded the power of God as part of their lives and they wield special grace in heaven, as they pray for each one of us.
I feel blessed that I am reasonably well known in our home parish of St Rita, and in Sierra Madre, but I expect that, outside that fairly small geographic area, most folks would never have heard of me. What better witness could there ever be for my life than for folks to remember that I was a follower of Jesus, and one who tried to shine His light however I could.
That’s the witness we have to Saints Simon & Jude, and it’s the call for each one of us, knowing that it’s not about earthly renown – it’s the fact that God knows what we do for His Kingdom, and He is the one who will reward us when our earthly journey is over.
Saints Simon & Jude, pray for us.
Action for the Day:
Let us all pray that we may be faithful witnesses of God’s presence today in our lives like Sts Simon and Jude, and may we ask that He help us to make Him known by our actions!
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