Saints Simon and Jude were members of the twelve apostles of Christ. They were low-key members and were overshadowed by the other better known apostles.
But as much as they may not be as famous as the others, both Sts. Simon and Jude contributed to the growth of the early Church as tireless missionaries. Both, however, paid for their faith with their lives. They died as martyrs.
Saint Simon was a member of the Zealots, reputedly the militant anti-Roman sect. Saint Jude was a local man from Israel who ended up as a traveling missionary. He reportedly went as far as Armenia to preach the Good News. Both men are examples of Jesus’ selection of fine, ordinary and at times, seemingly misfit men who eventually became the pioneering members of the Church.
Ordinary as their origins may have been, after knowing Jesus, these men were transformed into extraordinary models for all Christians in the way they lived their missionary lives. May we realize our potentials as disciples of God and we ask, through the intercession of Sts. Simon and Jude, for the Lord’s continuing inspiration to make us faithful, humble, and active missionaries of the Christian faith in our everyday lives.
