Our Lady of Guadalupe

Date: October, 28

Sts. Simon and Jude were Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. After many years of evangelizing after Jesus’ death and Resurrection, these men are said to have suffered martyrdom together after having gone as missionaries to Suanis, a city of Persia. Because of this, they are honored on the same day. 

Simon the Zealot is a different man than Simon Peter. Saint Simon the Zealot is mentioned three times in the Gospels, but only once to list his name alongside the other twelve disciples. According to Acts 1:13, he was present in the upper room of Jerusalem with the 11 apostles after Christ ascended to heaven.

Simon matured into an apostle during his three years of ministry with Jesus, able to spread the gospel in truth and love to all nations. Although there are various versions of his death, it is likely that he served as a missionary in Persia with zeal and eventually died as a martyr.

Saint Jude, known as Thaddaeus, was a brother of Saint James the Less, and a relative of Our Saviour. He was one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus.

Biblical scholars agree Saint Jude was the son of Alpheus, the brother of St. Joseph, while his mother, Mary Cleophas, was a cousin of the Virgin Mary. Saint Jude is not the same person as Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Our Lord and despaired because of his great sin and lack of trust in God’s mercy.

Jude was the one who asked Jesus at the Last Supper why He would not manifest Himself to the whole world after His resurrection. Little else is known of his life. Legend claims that he visited Beirut and Edessa and could have been martyred with Saint Simon in Persia.

Catholics invoke Saint Jude when in desperate situations because his New Testament letter stresses that the faithful should persevere in the environment of harsh, difficult circumstances -just as their forefathers had done before them; therefore, he is the patron saint of desperate cases.

There are two mentions of Jude in the New Testament: Luke 6:16 and Acts of the Apostles 1:13. When the apostles are listed in Matthew 10:3 and Mark 3:18, Jude’s name does not appear but “Thaddeus” does. This occurrence led early Christians to believe Jude was known as both “Jude” and “Thaddeus,” the latter of which could have been a sort of nickname.

“Thaddeus” may have become a popular nickname for Jude following Judas Iscariot’s betrayal. To add further confusion to Jude’s second name, the name Thaddeus is often indistinguishable from Thaddeus of Edessa, one of the Seventy Disciples.

PRAYER: 

Saints Simon and Jude, you were both privileged to learn from Jesus Himself. After His Ascension, you were among the first to receive the Holy Spirit and ordination as bishops. God used you to then go forth and fulfill His command to share the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

Please pray for me, that I will more fully understand my mission within the Body of Christ and will fulfill my duties with diligence and love. Saints Simon and Jude, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.