Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles | USCCB
Jesus
called his disciples to himself, and from those he chose Twelve, whom he named
Apostles
Today we commemorate two of the Apostles of Jesus Christ: Simon and
Jude. Jude
is so named by Luke and Acts. Matthew and Mark call him Thaddeus. He is not
mentioned elsewhere in the Gospels, except of course where all the apostles are
mentioned. Scholars hold that he is not the author of the Letter of Jude. Actually, Jude had the
same name as Judas Iscariot. Evidently because of the disgrace of that name, it
was shortened to “Jude” in English.
Simon is mentioned on all four lists of the apostles. On two of them
he is called “the Zealot.” The Zealots were a Jewish sect that represented an
extreme of Jewish nationalism.
We, like the Simon, Jude, and the other Apostles and disciples of
Jesus Christ, are called to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to all those we
encounter. We’re not called to travel to various places, like the apostles, to
go and preach. Further, we’re more than likely are not called to be martyred
for our Faith in Jesus Christ as all the apostles were, with the exception of
John, the beloved disciple. But we’re called to be visible witnesses to the those
in our family and friends that we’re followers of Jesus Christ. St. Paul, in
the first reading today, tells us that we are “fellow citizens and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus as the capstone.” We are to bring Christ to those in our
lives who may not know the love of Christ and the salvation He brings to
everyone.
Nothing is known of Simon and Jude beyond what we read in the
gospels. But we can be certain that they fulfilled their call to bring Christ
to the world beyond Jerusalem and eventually were martyred for their faith in
Jesus Christ.
Let us, like Simon, Jude, and the other apostles, have the courage
to share our faith in Christ Jesus, even when it seems to be not welcomed by
those we encounter. And let us turn to St. Jude, patron of the impossible, to
pray for those who may reject faith in Jesus Christ so that they, too, will
come to faith in the love and salvation that the Lord has for them.
From Arlene B. Muller
ReplyDeleteMost of us will not become famous in this life for all the good we do, & only GOD knows to what extent what we have said & done will have a "ripple effect" that extends beyond the people we have personally encountered. Hopefully in eternity we will see to what extent we have borne good fruit thst is greater than we ever realized & hear Our LORD say to us "Well done, good & faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your LORD."
However, each of us is called to be a good witness for the LORD & His love & His Church, primarily by the witness of how we live our lives & treat people and then by willingly sharing our faith as the reason for our hope & for the good things we say & do.