The Scriptures we hear today from the letter to the Ephesians and the Gospel of Luke provide us with a framework to appreciate the significance of the two Apostles, Saints Simon and Jude, whose feast we celebrate every October 28th.
In Ephesians, St. Paul reminds us that as believers, we are no longer strangers and sojourners. Instead, we are fellow citizens with the holy ones, members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. We no longer belong to the world, but to God. This imagery evokes a sense of belonging and community, of being intricately woven into the fabric of God's divine plan.
So who were Simon and Jude? Simon, known as the Zealot, was likely a member of a group determined to resist Roman occupation. His zeal for his people’s freedom suggests a passion for justice and a deep commitment to God's covenant. If only we could have the same zeal to be loyal to God, right? Yet, when Simon followed Jesus, he delved even deeper into the life of virtue by transforming that zeal into a passion for the kingdom of God that Jesus preached, focusing his energy not on rebellion but on building faith. He began to understand that God’s kingdom does not come to us through some empire that is seen, but rather it is the dominion and presence of God within us. In a world that often pits us against one another, Simon reminds us that we can learn to redirect our zeal toward love and reconciliation, extending God’s kingdom through our actions and relationships. Hence, the Roman was no longer an enemy, but a person to be loved. This is what threw even a Saint John the Baptist for a loop. When he saw that Jesus was embracing the Romans even, in love, he had to pause and ask whether or not Jesus was indeed the long awaited. In their minds, the Messiah was to liberate them from the oppressive yoke of Roman domination, but, God’s ways are not our ways. We sometimes want the annihilation of our enemies. God wants their transformation - two very different approaches to the problem of evil inherent in human nature. This doesn’t mean however, that we do not strive to better our society and implement social justice and battle for the right causes which are dear to God.
And so let me just say to my catholic brothers and sisters listening to this who are preparing for a new president next week in the United States, and even beyond the States, whether it be Canada, Russia, the Uk, Australia… anywhere you are called to the sacred duty to vote, remember… the democrat or the republican, the blue or the red, nationalist or labour party supporter down the street, whoever they may be, is not your enemy that you pray God annhilates, but rather someone to be loved, for God’s kingdom is not of this world. Vote your conscience while remembering, that in all things and at all times, we must love one another as Christ has loved us, for the kingdoms of this world come and go. Empires last but hundreds of years. God’s Kingdom is eternal… it has no end. Vote your conscience, always placing the sanctity of life as your number one priority, for all other rights have no meaning if we do not first allow a human being to be born and live in the first place. Hence, make sure your conscience is well-formed according to the teaching of the Church. The Apostles spread the Gospel of Life throughout the entire world—the Gospel of Life, and not the culture of death—and we must do likewise if we are citizens of heaven.
As to getting our priorities straight when it comes to social justice, I’m only reiterating the Teaching of the Magisterium of the Church, for in the Post-synodal apostolic exhortation “Christifideles Laici” of his holiness Saint John Paul II in 1998, which addressed the vocation and the mission of the lay faithful in the world, we find this all-important guideline to getting our priorities in order if we hope to have a correct conscience. He says this, “Above all, the common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights-for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture- is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition for all other personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination” (Art. 38). Vote your conscience, but make sure it’s a well-formed conscience. While we extend mercy and compassion to all, Catholic teaching is very clear on abortion and can be read at your leisure in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, from Article 2270-2275. My heart goes out to all the mothers and fathers who have conceived a child that they deem problematic, or an “intruder” of sorts, especially when it comes to rape or incest which a lot of people wrongly deduce provide exceptions to the rule of safeguarding a life within the womb.
Nevertheless, we must see in that life a helpless, vulnerable human being, just as helpless as any victim of the aweful crimes of rape. Again, Saint John Paul II also will invite you to consider this in the 19th article of Evangelium Vitae: “While it is true that the taking of life not yet born or in its final stages is sometimes marked by a mistaken sense of altruism and human compassion, it cannot be denied that such a culture of death, taken as a whole, betrays a completely individualistic concept of freedom, which ends up by becoming the freedom of "the strong" against the weak who have no choice but to submit.” That tiny life within you would beg for a chance to be born, and yet it has no voice, but only the voice of God within you. Be strong, sister, brother.
Do the right thing, and God will bless you infinitely for it. If you want social justice, start with the first right, the most fundamental right, without which none of the others make sense. Okay, all that came from Simon and his zeal for social justice which was transmuted into a zeal for all that is holy and helps to build up one’s faith in God so as to defend all things sacred. See? I can break off into a tangent sometimes, but one which I think truly pertains to our theme today. And now to Jude.
Jude, sometimes referred to as Thaddeus or Judas, the son of James, like all the other apostles, and like ourselves, had to journey through his lack of knowledge and continue to trust in Jesus. In John’s Gospel, we see a moment where he uniquely questions Jesus during the Last Supper, asking why Jesus would reveal Himself to the disciples and not to the world (John 14:22). Jude’s question reflects a deep yearning for clarity and connection—a reminder that in our spiritual journey, we too may grapple with doubts and seek understanding. Yet, he remained steadfast, demonstrating a silent, powerful faith that speaks volumes about being present even when we don’t have all the answers.
These men, with their unique stories and personalities, remind us that our journey as Christians is not about having all the answers but about forming a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. They were chosen by Him from among His disciples, reflecting His desire to build His Church on humble, devoted lives.
In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus going up the mountain to pray before naming the Twelve Apostles. This moment emphasizes prayer's importance in discernment and decision-making. Our spiritual lives cannot flourish without prayer, just as the early Church and its leaders leaned on it. Simon and Jude, along with the other Apostles, devoted themselves to prayer, to preaching, to forming the community of believers into God-fearing, virtue-seeking pilgrims of faith in the world.
Like Simon and Jude, we too have been called to this great adventure. God wishes to do in us, and through us, amazing things for his kingdom. If we stay close to him, as these two did, the fruits of the spirit will spring forth from our lives like water that irrigates a field. That field is the world around us, and oh how Jesus wishes that we continue to labour in his vineyard, in love, compassion, unity and the freedom of the sons and daughters of God, free from sin, and unfettered by earthly pursuits. Simon and Jude were shown that they were created for more than just this world… that they were in the world, but not of the world and God desires to show each of us the same thing.
My brother and sister, you have been chosen. Now, go out there into that field and work for his glory, and know always, that the Queen of Heaven accompanies you, as does the glorious angel God has given to protect you on your journey, and all the angels and saints, and may you be blessed always, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
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