Servant of the Word: Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

“Saints Simon and Jude” Iconifer and Date are UNKNOWN

Biographical Information about Sts. Simon and Jude [1]

Readings for the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude [2]

Commentary:

Commentary on Eph 2:19-22

In this passage, St. Paul describes the unity brought about among all believers in Christ. This unity is formed under a common teaching flowing from the Hebrew Prophets, through the Apostles to Christ himself who is described as the “capstone” or cornerstone. This unity of spirit becomes the Church – the “dwelling place for God in the Spirit.” The Church, in turn, is unity of all Christians, those who were formerly Jews and those who were formerly Gentiles. They are, says the apostle, joined through Christ on the same road to the Kingdom of God. They share the same foundation of faith, transmitted to them through the Apostles and held firm by Christ the “capstone”. Together they form the “Temple of the Spirit”; the essential understanding that together the Church is the mystical Body of Christ.

CCC: Eph 2:19-22 756; Eph 2:20 857; Eph 2:21 797

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 19:2-3, 4-5

R. (5a) Their message goes out through all the earth.

Commentary on Ps 19:2-3, 4-5

Psalm 19 is a hymn of praise. In these opening strophes, the psalmist rejoices in God’s visible hand, revealed in all creation which is the first of two themes expressed in the psalm (the other is in praise of the Law). While no word of God announces his presence, his glory is revealed in the creation of all things.

CCC: Ps 19:2-5 299; Ps 19:2 326

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Gospel: Luke 6:12-19

Commentary on Lk 6:12-16

This passage is the call of the Twelve Apostles from St. Luke’s Gospel. It is noteworthy that Jesus began this process with a prayer of discernment. He then names the twelve (including Judas Iscariot who was replaced after his suicide). This important event extends Jesus mission through these chosen ones (selected from the ranks of Jesus’ disciples; see Mark 3:14-15). This selection marked them with special authority (Matthew 10:1ff) and responsibility to transmit the Gospel to the world. The Lord is conscious of establishing the “New Israel” his selection of the “Twelve” is symbolic of appointing new leaders of the 12 tribes of the Hebrew people who are rejecting him as Messiah.

In addition to giving the names, we are told that once the choice had been made he immediately went on with his teaching and healing ministry with renewed vigor. All “wished to touch him” because of his power to heal mind and body. These concluding verses are a prelude to St. Luke’s “Sermon on the Plain”.

CCC: Lk 6:12-16 1577; Lk 6:12 2600; Lk 6:19 695, 1116, 1504

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Reflection:

The celebration of Sts. Simon and Jude recalls for us our own call to be an apostolic people. We’ve heard that term used, especially in the Dogmatic Constitution On The Church (Lumen Gentium). Through Christ’s call in scripture and through our own understanding of what we, as a people of God believe our call to be we recognize a special responsibility to participate in the same mission for which the “Twelve” were selected.

While it is argued that we are all given different gifts and aptitudes by God and therefore we are not all cut out to go into the world verbalizing God’s call to holiness to each person we meet, we are all called to do our part in this great work. We believe this is not optional. We cannot simply say “I believe in God and that Jesus came as God’s Only Son. Therefore, because I accept him as my personal Savior (He did not come for just one person), I am saved.” No, our faith, breathed in through Sacred Scripture, breathed in through the sacraments, breathed in through prayer, must be breathed out in actions, a living witness that testifies to our faith.

The Apostles were taken aside by Jesus and given a special authority, special gifts that would allow them to take Jesus’ message into the world so that all might hear the message and live. He did not restrict this truth to his followers; somehow inferring this was a secret or special insight given to them alone! Rather he gave his followers the mission of taking that message to all the corners of the earth.

The world to Jesus was a giant canvas with which he painted using the brushes of the Apostles in bold strokes. But much of what they (the Apostles) could do was also passed on. The blank pieces of canvas to be filled in by those they touched and then further by those touched by students of the students of the Twelve, and so on until at last the brush is handed to us, so that every speck can be coated with the love of Christ.

We celebrate today the great work of Simon and Jude, Apostles. In their lives and missions we see the hand of God reach out to the world, inviting all to come and live. We see also in their call, our own invitation to participate in this great apostolic work of the Church in the world. We pray today for all who work to spread God’s message. We pray also for ourselves, that we might accept the call to witness the love of Christ in all we do.

Pax

In Other Years: Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

[1] The picture is The picture is “Saints Simon and Jude” Iconifer and Date are UNKNOWN

[2] S.S. Commemoratio