Oct 28 – Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles
St. Simon was an apostle called the Cananean or Zealot because of his zeal for the Jewish law. He was not from Cana, nor a member of the Zealot party. Like all the Apostles, he was a convert, and was trained by St. Peter the Apostle. He evangelised in Egypt and Mesopotamia, though there are traditions of him being in several other locations. Several places claim to have been the site of his martyrdom – Abyssinians claim he was crucified in Samaria; Lipsius says he was sawn in half at Suanir, Persia; Moses of Chorene writes that he was martyred at Weriosphora in Iberia.
- Patron Saint Index
St. Jude Thaddeus was the son of Cleopas, who died a martyr, and Mary who stood at the foot of the Cross and who anointed Christ’s body after death. He was the brother of St. James the Lesser, and nephew of Mary and Joseph. He was the blood relative of Jesus Christ, and was reported to look a lot like him. He may have been a fisherman, and was an apostle.
He was the writer of a canonical letter. He preached in Syria, Mesopotamia, and Persia with St. Simon. He was a healer and an exorcist, and could exorcise pagan idols, which caused the demons to flee and the statues to crumble. He was beaten to death with a club, then beheaded post-mortem in 1st century Persia.
His patronage of lost or impossible causes traditionally derives from confusion by many early Christians between Jude and Judas; not understanding the difference between the names, they never prayed for Jude’s help, and devotion to him became something of a lost cause.
- Patron Saint Index
Eph 2:19-22
Lk 6:12-19
You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations…
One of the features of any church or school which I have visited is the presence of a heritage trail or gallery. There is an emphasis on the historical origins of the school and how the beliefs and virtues of the founders are embodied in the institution’s practices and beliefs. Today’s feast reminds me of the importance of being part of a church which has the apostles as its origins.
I’d like to focus on St Simon, as not much has been written about him. He belonged to the group known as the Zealots, which sought to seek an independent Jewish nation from the Roman colonial powers. The Zealots were known for the use of violence in achieving their aims. Yet, Jesus called Simon, and Simon responded by being part of the twelve apostles who journeyed with Jesus through every step of Jesus’ earthly ministry. For me, Jesus’ invitation comes to us just as we are, without any conditions. This is very beautiful as the world expects, and holds us to, certain standards which we may not be able to meet. Perhaps we are not supposed to meet these standards but instead, should consider what is the purpose of our life and how it can be aligned with what Jesus asks us to do.
The foundation of the church is built on the apostles who were very flawed individuals. Jesus called these individuals to follow Him, and the manner in which we could navigate these challenges will provide us with the example to handle the issues we face in life. Each of us is going through various struggles and there may be a tendency for us to worry about the ways to navigate them. As we enter into the weekend, perhaps we could take time to offer all our struggles to God and ask Him to show us the way. Once we have offered our concerns, let us then release ourselves from the anxieties with these matters.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
Prayer: Jesus, we offer to you the struggles in our life and ask that you grant us the wisdom to handle them.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Lord, for all the saints you have put in our lives.
OXYGEN 
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