Gospel Reading of the Day Reflection

Today, we celebrate two of the Twelve Apostles, namely, Simon the Cananaean and Jude Thaddeus. 

There is little information about them in the New Testament. However, it is worth noting that Luke qualifies Simon as Zealot, which refers to a movement of Jewish nationalism. It was very likely that this Simon was an ardent partisan of the Jewish identity and its Law. If we take another apostle like Matthew for instance. He was on the contrary a tax collector and had probably good relationship with the Roman Empire. This shows us that Jesus called his disciples from varied social and religious backgrounds!

Let me suggest that it was not always the “entente cordiale” among the Apostles! Benedict XVI highlights in a general audience that the group of the Twelve is the prefiguration of the Church, where there must be room for all charisms, peoples and races, all human qualities that find their composition and unity in communion with Jesus.

As far as Jude is concerned, one of the few things we know about him is that he asked this question to the Lord Jesus: Lord how is it that you will manifest yourself to us and not to the world? And Jesus answered: if a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him (Jn 14:22-23).

In a sense, both Simon and Jude lead us to a new reflection on sanctity: Simon, a passionate of God with strong identity, and Jude, who recognized in Jesus the Messiah, the Word of God become flesh. Sanctity is all about that: loving God and his Word, welcome Jesus in one’s home, being transformed in a way of being
passionate, and flourishing in one’s charism, which could be challenging for others.

But Jesus himself will bring us all together, as the cornerstone of the building. Probably he knows what he is doing better than we do! Let us pray that Simon and Jude guide us in our journey!