this week's feasts
Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles
This Tuesday, Oct. 28, is the feast of Sts. Simon and Jude. The Scriptures give us very little information about Sts. Simon and Jude, though Church tradition gives us much to reflect upon.
Simon is not Simon Peter but Simon the Zealot. The Zealots were a fourth philosophy within Judaism. The first three were the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes. The Zealots were not a religious movement within the Jewish people but were a violent political group whose goal was to drive the Romans from their homeland. They did this by assassinations and guerilla activity.
At some point Simon, who was a member of this group, encountered Jesus. We are not told when or where or how this encounter took place, but he became a member of Jesus’ company of Apostles, renouncing the violence that he embraced as a Zealot. He is often identified as Simon the Zealot, to distinguish him from Simon Peter. There are many conflicting traditions about when and where and how Simon died. Some traditions state that Sts. Simon and Jude served together as a missionary duo.
St. Jude shared his name with Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. Because the name Judas had become so toxic in early Christian life, he became known as St. Jude. There are a few different Judes listed in the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. There is also the Epistle of Saint Jude. There have been strong disagreements among scholars about who each of these Judes might be, and if there is more than one Jude involved here.
In Matthew and Mark, the name of Jude is not included in the list of the Apostles, but they include the name of Thaddeus, not listed in the other Gospels. Most scholars believe that Jude and Thaddeus are the same person. Most Jews of that time had a Jewish name and a Greek name. Christian tradition tells us that Jude was the son of Clopas and Mary of Clopas, who was the sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Tradition tells us that Jude was martyred either in Beirut or Armenia.
After his death, pilgrims would travel to the site of Jude’s burial and experienced the powerful intercession of the saint. Because of this, he became known as “the saint for the hopeless and despaired.” St. Bridget of Sweden and St. Bernard both had visions from God declaring Jude to be the saint of the impossible. He is mostly known as the saint of hopeless causes.
Simon is not Simon Peter but Simon the Zealot. The Zealots were a fourth philosophy within Judaism. The first three were the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes. The Zealots were not a religious movement within the Jewish people but were a violent political group whose goal was to drive the Romans from their homeland. They did this by assassinations and guerilla activity.
At some point Simon, who was a member of this group, encountered Jesus. We are not told when or where or how this encounter took place, but he became a member of Jesus’ company of Apostles, renouncing the violence that he embraced as a Zealot. He is often identified as Simon the Zealot, to distinguish him from Simon Peter. There are many conflicting traditions about when and where and how Simon died. Some traditions state that Sts. Simon and Jude served together as a missionary duo.
St. Jude shared his name with Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. Because the name Judas had become so toxic in early Christian life, he became known as St. Jude. There are a few different Judes listed in the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. There is also the Epistle of Saint Jude. There have been strong disagreements among scholars about who each of these Judes might be, and if there is more than one Jude involved here.
In Matthew and Mark, the name of Jude is not included in the list of the Apostles, but they include the name of Thaddeus, not listed in the other Gospels. Most scholars believe that Jude and Thaddeus are the same person. Most Jews of that time had a Jewish name and a Greek name. Christian tradition tells us that Jude was the son of Clopas and Mary of Clopas, who was the sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Tradition tells us that Jude was martyred either in Beirut or Armenia.
After his death, pilgrims would travel to the site of Jude’s burial and experienced the powerful intercession of the saint. Because of this, he became known as “the saint for the hopeless and despaired.” St. Bridget of Sweden and St. Bernard both had visions from God declaring Jude to be the saint of the impossible. He is mostly known as the saint of hopeless causes.