Today we celebrate the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude. These two saints 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 St. Simon-Peter. The name is thought to either refer to his righteous zeal for the law or for his association with a particular Jewish political faction of the time. 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, where he 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 in the Western Church for these two saints tell us that Simon preached the Gospel in Egypt and Jude in Mesopotamia. The two later met and traveled to Persia together to spread the Good News. They 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 or in Samaria, or 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, likely because he is confused with the author of the Letter of Jude, that 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. (Who comes up with these ideas about how to kill someone?) Thus, Simon became the patron saint of woodcutters (What?!!!).
We celebrate the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude on October 28th.
May God Bless You and Grant You His Peace!