SS. Simon And Jude, Apostles - October 28th

"O God, Who, through Thy blessed Apostles Simon and Jude, hast brought us to the knowledge of Thy name, grant that we may celebrate their everlasting glory by advancing in good works, and that we may advance in good works by celebrating their glory. Through our Lord." - Roman Catholic Daily Missal, 1962

The name of St. Simon occurs in all the passages of the Gospel and Acts, in which a list of the Apostles is given. To distinguish him from St. Peter he is called (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18) Kananaios, or Kananites, and Zelotes (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). Both surnames have the same signification and are a translation of the Hebrew qana(the Zealous). The name does not signify that he belonged to the party of Zealots, but that he had zeal for the Jewish law, which he practised before his call. Jerome and others wrongly assumed that Kana was his native place; were this so, he should have been called Kanaios. The Greeks, Copts, and Ethiopians identify him with Nathanael of Cana; the first-mentioned also identify him with the bridegroom of the marriage of Cana, while in the “Chronicon paschale” and elsewhere he is identified with Simon Clopas.

The Abyssinians accordingly relate that he suffered crucifixion as the Bishop of Jerusalem, after he had preached the Gospel in Samaria. Where he actually preached the Gospel is uncertain. Almost all the lands of the then known world, even as far as Britain, have been mentioned; according to the Greeks, he preached on the Black Sea, in Egypt, Northern Africa, and Britain, while, according to the Latin “Passio Simonis et Judae” — the author of which was (Lipsius maintains) sufficiently familiar with the history of the Parthian Empire in the first century — Simon laboured in Persia, and was there martyred at Suanir. However, Suanir is probably to be sought in Colchis. According to Moses of Chorene, Simon met his death in Weriosphora in Iberia; according to the Georgians, he preached in Colchis. His place of burial is unknown.

Concerning his relics our information is as uncertain as concerning his preaching. From Babylon to Rome and Toulouse we find traces of them; at Rome they are venerated under the Altar of the Crucifixion in the Vatican. His usual attribute is the saw, since his body was said to have been sawed to pieces, and more rarely the lance. He is regarded as the patron of tanners. In the Western Church he is venerated together with Jude (Thaddaeus); in the East separately. The Western Church keeps his feast on 28 October; 1914 Catholic Encyclopedia.

St. Jude Thaddeus was the cousin of Jesus. He spread the Catholic faith around Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia, (Iraq), and Lybia. He was martyred in Armenia that was under Persia around 65 AD.

He is represented as an Apostle with the flame of the Holy Spirit and a picture of Jesus on his chest. There are two versions as to where this picture comes from. The first is that Jesus was asked to go to Edessa to heal Kind Abaar. But instead Jesus imprinted His face on a cloth and sent it with St. Jude to heal the King. That cloth is call the Holy Mandylion and is celebrated by the Orthodox on August 10th.

The other theory is that after Jesus’ death, St. Jude took the Shroud of Turin to Edessa. It was folded so that only the face of Jesus showed on it. There is a lot of evidence that a cloth with Jesus’ face was in Edessa and that it save the city in 544 after a procession with it was made.

The name St. Jude means “giver of joy” and Thaddeus means “generous and kind”. From this it is surmised that St. Jude is generous in answering prayers and therefore is known to be the saint for impossible cases. It is also said that he encourages people to stay steadfast in his letter. So from that he encourages people going through difficult times to stay steadfast. - Father Carota, Traditional Catholic Priest, 2015

In Christ Crucified and the Most Victorious Heart of Jesus. Amen.