Sts. Simon and Jude - Feast Day October 27

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 Apostles 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 implying 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. 

To Jesus, the world was a giant canvas upon 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 were to be filled in by those they touched, and then further by those touched by students of the students of the Twelve, continuing 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 Saints 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.

TY to Deacon Jim Miles for sharing this reflection!