Daily Gospel Reflection
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October 28, 2024
Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,
Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Today’s gospel recounts a critical point in Jesus’ public life, assembling his 12 Apostles—the immediate heirs to leading his kingdom after he was to depart. He climbs a mountain to get away, think, and pray about his decisions. It’s a rather eclectic group to be his closest followers—fishermen, a tax collector, a Jewish zealot, among others.
Jesus no doubt had his reasons for choosing this diverse group. He knew their strengths and weaknesses, the fact that none of them had a background in preaching, yet from among them sprang the first pope and bishops of his church.
On this, the 75th anniversary of my birth, I can sort of relate to Jesus climbing that mountain and reflecting on his decisions. No, my decisions are obviously small compared to those Christ made, and the only mountain I’ll be climbing is if I slice my tee shot too far right. However, to family and close friends, they are nonetheless decisions with consequences.
Have I been as good a husband as possible during our 52 years together? Did I set a good example for my daughters? Have I always been there to help a friend in need? Did I give my best effort professionally? During my 29 years as a grade school basketball coach, did I teach those kids more than how to dribble and shoot? I wonder if Jesus ever doubted his choices. I certainly have regrets about some of my decisions, but I hope and pray that in the most important ones, I’ve been able to model myself after him.
Prayer
Christ, before you called the Apostles, you went alone to the mountain to pray to the Father. When we face important decisions, give us the courage to approach our Father as you did. Confident in God’s love for us, we know that God will inspire us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Like Saints Simon and Jude, may we be tireless in our proclamation of your kingdom to all we encounter. We ask in your holy name. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Sts. Simon and Jude are often confused for more prominent characters in the Gospel narratives, so, unfortunately, we know comparatively little about them. Despite knowing little biographical information, we do know their most distinctive identity: they were faithful followers of Jesus.
St. Simon is known as the “zealous” (to distinguish him from Simon-Peter). The name is thought to either refer to his righteous zeal for the law or for his association with a Jewish political faction. Simon is mentioned only among the lists of the twelve Apostles in Matthew 10:4, Mark 3:18, and Luke 6:15. He is also mentioned in Acts, at the selection of Matthias to replace Judas (Acts 1:13), but he fades from the narrative after Pentecost.
The Apostle Jude also goes by the name of Thaddeus (as distinguished from Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Jesus) and was the brother of St. James the Lesser. Like Simon, Jude is mentioned in the Gospels usually as only a name in the list of followers of Jesus, although, unlike Simon, he is mentioned in the Gospel of John, at the Last Supper, and gets a speaking role, asking Jesus: "Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?” (John 14:22) Similar to Simon, Jude is not mentioned in Acts after the events of Pentecost.
The most prominent traditions of these two saints in the Western Church tell us that Simon preached the Gospel in Egypt and Jude in Mesopotamia. The two met and traveled to Persia to spread the good news and were martyred there—thus, they are honored together, on the same feast day, in the Roman Catholic Church. Among Eastern Christian churches, different traditions hold that Simon was killed in Persia, in Samaria, and in Edessa. Thus, the saints are honored on different feast days in Eastern Christian churches.
There is a short letter in the New Testament that is attributed to a writer named Jude, but this author and St. Jude Thaddeus are not the same person. The author of the letter is purportedly a different Jude—a relation of Jesus, through either Mary or Joseph (Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3).
St. Jude is honored as the patron of impossible causes, possibly because he was often confused with Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus and fell into despair. Another possible reason he is the patron of desperate situations could follow from people confusing him with the author of the Letter of Jude, which encourages the faithful to persevere through difficult situations and persecution. Because of his association with lost causes, St. Jude is often invoked in hospitals and among those facing life-threatening illness.
The account of St. Simon's martyrdom attributes his death to having been sawed in two. Thus, Simon became the patron saint of woodcutters.
Two statues of St. Jude stand on campus—one in between the Basilica and Corby Hall and the other in the chapel in Siegfried Hall. Relics of both Sts. Simon and Jude rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
St. Jude, patron of impossible causes and desperate situations, and St. Simon, the zealous—pray for us!