Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles – Feast
Gospel Luke 6:12-19
“Jesus went out into the hills to pray; and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. When day came he summoned his disciples and picked out twelve of them; he called them ‘apostles’”. Today we are celebrating the feast of the Apostles, Simon and Jude. Jude, also called Thaddaeus, is the apostle who at the Last Supper asked the Lord why he showed himself only to the disciples and not to the world. In the Gospel we see how Jesus selected his Apostle. He went to the hills to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer. Then he summoned his disciples and from them He picked up the twelve. From this narration we can understand our important was this act of Jesus. In the hills alone in prayer for the whole night and then picking up 12 from all His disciples. Because they are going to be the foundation of the Church where Christ is the corner stone. Being close to the Apostles is being close to Christ. To be close to the Apostles is to embrace their witness and teaching, which they received directly from Jesus. It is through the Apostolic tradition that we maintain our connection to the early Church and its foundation in Christ. Let’s reflect: How much do I recognize the Apostles as the foundation of the Church, and how can I stay closer to them?
Don Giorgio