Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles
Reflection
Happy feast day of Saints Simon and Jude, faithful apostles of Jesus. We also give thanks for the other apostles and disciples past and present who have given and continue to labor as faithful servants in our church today.
In our first reading of Ephesians, Saint Paul reminds the people of Ephesus, as well as all of us today, of the great need and, moreover, our obligation to recognize all our brothers and sisters as fellow citizens and members of the household of God. It is Christ Jesus who is the capstone leader who watches over this household of God to which we belong. God continually calls us to step back and reflect on the ways we are living up to our responsibility of taking care of the members of our greater family.
We are living in challenging times marked by unrest, strife, fear and feelings of despair. Our days are often marred by reports of our brothers and sisters who are suffering at the hands of leaders who have succumbed to greed and out-of-control powermongers.
What is the answer to the sense of hopelessness and righteous anger that overwhelm us at times? For me and so many other believers, the words of hope found in our first reading today:
“Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
In these times it is good to remember that because of God’s love for us, we are a temple of the Holy Spirit where we will find peace and security amid the uncertainty that surrounds us. As a temple of the Holy Spirit, we are called to work for justice, to challenge our lawmakers to work for a better system of equality and fairness for the poor and suffering. We are called to take part in peaceful demonstrations that focus on promoting peace over discord. We are called to make time to serve at the local soup kitchen and to gather food, clothing and medicines for those who are in need due to government restrictions.
Saints Simon and Jude gave their life in service as they preached the gospel in the regions of Egypt and Mesopotamia. Saints Simon and Jude, give us wisdom and strength as we seek to spread Jesus’ message of peace and hope so desperately needed in our time and place. Amen.
