Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

Today's Mass Readings

Today we celebrate the feast of two apostles, Saints Simon and Jude. Two Simons are named in today's Gospel reading from the Gospel of St. Luke, but the first one named is Peter. Today's feast honors the second Simon who is known as a Zealot. Likewise there are two Judes, or Judases, named in this reading. Today's feast honors the first Jude, the son of James. In today's first reading from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul explains that we are now fellow citizens and members of God's household. God's household is built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets. Today's feast, although only singling out two of the 12 apostles, is, in many ways, a celebration of our Church's foundation.

The apostolicity of the Church survives to this day not only in the form of its historical succession from the apostles themselves, but also in the teaching office of the pope and bishops, the successors of the apostles. This is one of the most unique facets of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, that Catholic and Orthodox bishops are the legitimate historical successors to the apostles.

In the antiphon for today's responsorial psalm, we hear about their message going out through all the earth. This is what Jesus commissioned His apostles to do. He commissioned them to bring God's message throughout the whole world. We too must take up this task. Let us think about ways to bring God's message to the ends of the earth, starting in our own homes and families.

Jeff Morrow