St. Simon and St. Jude.

 

We are built upon the foundation of apostles.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, the Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, Saturday 28th October, 2023
Texts: Ephesians 2:19-22; Psalm 19:2-5; Luke 6:12-19 

We celebrate, today, two Apostles of Jesus Christ, St. Simon and St. Jude. What we know about Simon in Scripture is that he is an apostle of Jesus Christ. It was St. Jude who asked Jesus why he revealed Himself only to the apostles and not to the world. Though Scripture might contain little or no information about them, we can know them by our own very lives. This is because St. Paul tells us, in today’s first reading, that we bear witness to their faith.  

We are built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone. Having been built on their foundation, we are no longer strangers and sojourners but fellow citizens with the saints. Our association with them makes us members of the household of God. Following the faith of the apostles we unite with Christ and with one  another and grows into a holy temple.  

It is an encounter that binds us to the Church

We learn from the apostles integrity of faith and faithfulness to the gospel of Christ. They challenge us to pass on the faith undiluted. Living by our faith people should be able to encounter Christ, an encounter that binds us to the Church. St. Paul testifies today that living by the faith of the apostles is an encounter with Jesus Christ. It is an encounter that binds us to the Church and makes us dwelling places of God in the Spirit.  

We see, in today’s gospel reading, how Jesus Christ called His apostles. He prayed throughout the night before calling the apostles. We read,  “And when it was day, he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles; Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.” 

Prayer 

O God, who by the blessed Apostles have brought us to acknowledge your name, graciously grant, through the intercession of Saints Simon and Jude, that the Church may constantly grow by increase of the peoples who believe in you. Amen 

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke