Saints Simon and Jude were two of the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, known for their missionary work and martyrdom in spreading the Gospel.
Saints Simon the Zealot and Jude Thaddeus were among the twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus Christ, playing a foundational role in the early Church's mission to proclaim the good news. Simon is traditionally identified as a member of the Zealots before his calling, while Jude is often invoked as the patron of lost causes due to a misinterpretation of his epistle, which encourages perseverance in faith. Both Apostles are believed to have preached the Gospel in various regions, including Persia and Mesopotamia, and are traditionally thought to have suffered martyrdom together, thereby offering a powerful witness to their unwavering devotion to Christ and their commitment to the Church's evangelizing mission.
Saints Simon and Jude, two pillars of the early Church, hold a revered place among the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. While less prominent in the Gospel narratives than figures like Peter or John, their unwavering commitment to Christ and their tireless missionary efforts laid foundational stones for the spread of the Christian faith. Their feast day, traditionally celebrated on October 28th, unites them in commemoration, reflecting a long-standing tradition of their joint ministry and martyrdom. Their lives serve as powerful testaments to the transformative power of divine calling and the enduring courage required to bear witness to the Gospel in a hostile world.
Saint Simon is frequently identified as "Simon the Zealot," a designation that distinguishes him from Simon Peter. The epithet "Zealot" suggests a background rooted in a fervent, often militant, Jewish nationalist movement that resisted Roman rule and sought strict adherence to Mosaic Law. If this identification is accurate, Simon's transformation from a zealous nationalist to a follower of a Messiah who preached peace and love for enemies is particularly striking. His zeal, once directed towards earthly liberation, was undoubtedly rechanneled into an ardent commitment to the spiritual kingdom of God, making him a powerful evangelist for the new covenant established by Christ. Tradition holds that after Pentecost, Simon embarked on extensive missionary journeys, possibly preaching in Egypt, North Africa, and even as far as Britain, though these accounts vary.
Saint Jude, also known as Thaddeus, is another of the twelve Apostles, often distinguished from Judas Iscariot to avoid confusion with the betrayer. He is traditionally identified as a relative of Jesus, possibly a cousin or brother of James the Less, the first Bishop of Jerusalem. This familial connection underscores his intimate relationship with the Lord. Jude is famously the author of one of the New Testament epistles, the short but powerful Letter of Jude. In this epistle, he passionately urges believers to "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 1:3), warning against false teachers and exhorting Christians to persevere in prayer, charity, and hope in the mercy of Christ. His epistle highlights his pastoral concern for the purity of Christian doctrine and the steadfastness of believers in the face of spiritual dangers.
The most widely accepted traditions assert that Simon and Jude ministered together, particularly in Mesopotamia and Persia. Ancient accounts, such as the *Passion of Simon and Jude*, detail their joint evangelical efforts in these regions, where they confronted pagan priests and converted many to Christianity through their preaching and miraculous works. Their collaborative ministry underscores the unity and shared purpose among the Apostles, even as they spread out to different parts of the world. They faced immense opposition from local authorities and those entrenched in polytheistic practices, yet they persevered, demonstrating immense courage and fidelity to their divine mission.
The climax of their joint ministry is traditionally believed to be their martyrdom in Persia. According to legend, they were martyred in the city of Suanir, now modern-day Iran, for refusing to worship pagan idols. Simon is said to have been sawn in half, while Jude was clubbed to death and then beheaded. These brutal forms of execution underscore the extreme sacrifices early Christians made for their faith. Their shared martyrdom serves as a powerful symbol of their unbreakable bond in Christ and their ultimate witness to the truth of the Gospel, solidifying their place among the Church's most revered martyrs.
Today, Saints Simon and Jude continue to be profoundly important figures in the Catholic Church. Saint Jude, in particular, has become widely venerated as the patron saint of lost causes and desperate situations, a patronage that grew from the perception that his name was so similar to the betrayer Judas that people were reluctant to invoke him, making him a last resort for those in dire need. This unique patronage speaks to his powerful intercession for those who feel abandoned or without hope. Simon, though less frequently invoked for specific patronage, is still honored for his apostolic zeal and his foundational role in the Church. Together, Saints Simon and Jude remind believers of the call to evangelize, to contend for the faith, and to remain steadfast even unto death, offering an enduring example of apostolic courage and fidelity for all generations.
In the vibrant lands of Persia, where ancient gods held sway and their temples gleamed with gold, two humble fishermen, now mighty Apostles of Christ, arrived to sow the seeds of truth. Saints Simon and Jude, bound by their shared mission, found themselves amidst a people enthralled by the cunning deceptions of two powerful pagan priests, Zaroes and Arfaxat. These priests, masters of illusion and dark arts, held sway over the populace through their idols, which seemed to speak and perform wonders, drawing countless souls into their false worship.
Upon witnessing this widespread idolatry, the hearts of Simon and Jude burned with apostolic zeal. They boldly stepped forward, challenging the pagan priests before the king and his court. “These gods you worship,” declared Saint Jude, his voice resonating with divine authority, “are but mute stone and wood, animated by deceitful spirits! They are not gods, but demons who mock you and keep you from the true Creator.” The priests, enraged by this direct affront, scoffed and called upon their idols to demonstrate their power, expecting the usual display of feigned miracles.
But the Apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, were unafraid. Saint Simon, with unwavering faith, commanded the very demons that inhabited the idols to reveal themselves and confess their deception. A hush fell over the assembly as a chilling groan echoed from within the grand idols. Suddenly, cracks appeared on their ancient surfaces, and from within them, dark, shadowy forms, shrieking in agony, were seen fleeing into the air, revealing themselves as the malevolent spirits that had long tormented the people. The magnificent idols, now devoid of their animating power, crumbled and shattered into dust before the astonished eyes of the king and his court.
The sight was utterly overwhelming. The air, once thick with the scent of incense and the murmur of false prayers, was now filled with gasps of awe and fear. Many, witnessing this undeniable manifestation of God’s power, fell to their knees, their hearts opening to the message of Christ. The king himself, overcome by the miraculous event, renounced his former gods and embraced the faith preached by Simon and Jude, leading many of his nobles and subjects to conversion.
Yet, the defeated pagan priests, their pride wounded and their influence shattered, refused to yield. They incited a furious mob, stirring up hatred against the Apostles who had exposed their deceit. The angry crowd, manipulated by the priests, surged towards Simon and Jude, demanding their lives. The Apostles, though facing certain death, stood firm, their faces radiant with heavenly peace, refusing to renounce the Christ they had served so faithfully.
In a final, brutal act of martyrdom, Saints Simon and Jude offered their lives as a testament to the truth of the Gospel. Simon is traditionally said to have been sawn in half, while Jude was clubbed to death and then beheaded. Their blood, shed on Persian soil, became the seed of new Christians, sealing their unwavering faith and courage. Their story stands as a powerful reminder that true power belongs to God alone, and that His Apostles, though humble in origin, were instruments of His might, unafraid to confront darkness and proclaim the liberating light of Christ, even unto death.
c. 60-68 AD
Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept safe for Jesus Christ: may mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance.
Beloved, I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation when I found it necessary to write and exhort you to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. For there have stealthily entered in among you certain men, long ago destined for this condemnation, ungodly men who pervert the grace of our God into wantonness and deny our only master and lord, Jesus Christ.
I wish to remind you, though you know all this, that the Lord who once saved a people from the land of Egypt later destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but forsook their own dwelling, he has kept in everlasting chains in darkness, reserved for the judgment of the great day. Likewise Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which in the same manner as these indulged in sexual immorality and practiced unnatural vice, are set forth as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire.
In the same way, these dreamers defile the flesh, disregard authority, and revile glorious beings. When Michael the archangel was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, he did not dare to bring a condemnatory judgment against him but said, “May the Lord rebuke you!” These men, however, revile what they do not understand, and what they know by instinct like irrational animals, by these things they are corrupted. Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and have perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are stains on your love feasts, as they carouse fearlessly, feeding themselves. They are waterless clouds swept along by winds; fruitless trees in autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.
It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord has come with his countless holy ones to execute judgment on all and to convict every soul of all the impious deeds that they have done in their impiety, and of all the harsh words that godless sinners have spoken against him.” These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own passions; their mouths utter bombastic words, and they flatter people for the sake of gain.
But you, beloved, remember the words spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, who told you that in the last days there would be scoffers who would follow their own godless passions. These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. On those who waver, have mercy; save others by snatching them out of the fire; on others, have mercy with fear, detesting even the tunic defiled by their flesh.
To the one who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished and exultant, in the presence of his glory, to the only God, our savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority from before all ages, now, and for ages to come. Amen.
1866
ST. SIMON is surnamed the Cananean, and the Zealot, to distinguish him from St. Peter, and St. Simon, brother of St. Jude, and from others. Cananean, is a word which equally signifies a Cananæan, or a Zealot, or a native of Cana; but the Evangelist St. Luke, calling him Simon Zelotes, makes it clear that he had been one of that particular religious sect of the Zealots among the Jews, who were so called from their pretended extraordinary zeal for God’s honour, and the purity of religion. They were a hot-headed, unruly set of men, that upon all occasions were for fire and sword, and by their seditious principles threw the Jewish state into the utmost disorder and confusion. They looked upon themselves as the only true Israelites, and children of Abraham, and were for reforming all abuses among the people, according to their own wild and violent notions, and by the method of zeal, as they called it, which was a furious and ungoverned enthusiasm. They carried knives under their cloaks, and when they met with any that did not come up to their humour, they immediately dispatched them without any further process. It is not to be imagined that St. Simon, after his conversion, retained any of these furious principles, which were contrary to the spirit of the Gospel, and which he had been taught by his divine Master to abhor. It is true, he still retained the name of Zealot, but in a sense becoming the change of his life and manners; for he was eminent for his fervent love of God, and an eager desire to advance his glory, and the salvation of mankind.
St. Jude, in the Greek, is called Thaddeus, or Lebbæus, both which names signify a man of understanding and courage, to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot. He was brother to St. James the Less, and son to Alpheus, or Cleophas, who was brother to St. Joseph, and husband to Mary, sister to the Blessed Virgin. So that St. Jude was a cousin-german to our Saviour. He was one of the twelve Apostles, and the author of the catholic or general epistle which bears his name. In this he exhorts the faithful to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints, and to beware of heretics and false teachers, whom he describes in lively colours. He quotes a passage from the apocryphal book of Enoch, and another from a traditionary saying of the archangel Michael, which some critics have made a difficulty of; but the Fathers and councils have always received this epistle as canonical, and it is certain that the Apostles, in their preaching, often made use of common traditions and apocryphal writings, as far as they contained important truths.
The Apostles, after the descent of the Holy Ghost, preached the Gospel in different parts of the world. St. Simon is said to have preached in Egypt, Cyrene, and Mauritania, and other parts of Africa; and from thence to have gone to Britain, where he suffered martyrdom. But the more common opinion is, that he preached in Mesopotamia, and then joined St. Jude in Persia, where they suffered martyrdom together. St. Jude preached in Mesopotamia, and then went into Persia, where he met St. Simon. They were both put to death by the idolaters, for having confounded the magicians, and converted a great number of people to the faith of Christ. Their bodies were brought to Rome, and deposited in the church of St. Peter, where they are still honoured with great devotion. Their festival is kept on the 28th of October.
These two glorious Apostles, by their indefatigable labours and constant preaching, established the church in many parts of the world, and sealed their testimony with their blood. Their zeal for God’s glory, their love for mankind, and their contempt of the world, are shining examples to us. Let us imitate their virtues, and pray to God, through their intercession, for the grace to be zealous in his service, to love our neighbour, and to despise the fleeting enjoyments of this world, that we may be worthy to partake with them in the glory of the saints in heaven. Amen.
A widespread popular devotion to Saint Jude Thaddeus as the patron saint of lost causes and desperate situations, leading many to invoke his intercession in seemingly hopeless circumstances.
This patronage is believed to have developed because his name was often confused with Judas Iscariot, causing him to be less invoked and thus seen as a 'last resort' for those in dire need.
The universal liturgical celebration of their feast day on October 28th, with specific Mass readings and prayers honoring their apostolic witness and martyrdom.
This is an official commemoration recognizing their foundational role as two of the twelve Apostles and their ultimate sacrifice for the Christian faith.
Veneration of the relics of Saints Simon and Jude, notably within St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, where their remains are traditionally believed to be enshrined.
As Apostles and martyrs, their relics are considered sacred and objects of veneration, reflecting a long-standing practice of honoring the physical remains of saints.
Iconographic depictions often portray Saint Simon with a saw, symbolizing his traditional martyrdom by being sawn in half, and Saint Jude with a club or axe, representing his martyrdom, or a medallion of Christ's face, referencing a legend involving the Image of Edessa.
These symbols serve to visually identify the Apostles and recall their unique stories, particularly their instruments of martyrdom and their connection to Christ.