Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles
(Ephesians 2:19-22; Luke 6:12-16)
In today’s reading from Ephesians, St. Paul (or his
disciple) tells the people that they are no longer “sojourners.” This description contrasts with the first
Letter of Peter which calls Christians “aliens and sojourners.” The difference should not be taken as a contradiction. Rather it represents different ways biblical authors
view the Christian life.
In one sense followers of Christ are sojourners living like pilgrims
in route to heaven. They love God and
neighbor in accordance with the Savior’s command. When they gather for prayer, they find themselves
in the company of others with a similar goal and similar ways of living. In another sense, however, Christians live among
unbelievers in the world with whom they share a minimum of values. They must take care not to be influenced by the
vices of these neighbors.
Certainly, Saints Simon and Jude were fellow travelers. The celebration of their feasts seems to be
placed toward the end of the liturgical year because like so many faithful
Christians little is known of their lives.
Jude may be the most popular of the apostles, but it is not certain what
he accomplished and where he died. Simon’s
life is also obscure. He was called a “zealot”,
but no one knows exactly why. They too
gathered with believers in prayer and found themselves among hostile people at
whose hands they were martyred.
