Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles
St. Jude, also called Thaddeus, is author of an Epistle to the Churches of the East. Tradition holds that he evangelized in Judea, Samaria, Syria and Mesopotamia; he is also honoured as the Apostle to the Armenians. It is believed that St. Simon, a Canaanite called the Zealot, carried the message of the Gospel to Egypt and Mesopotamia before joining St. Jude in Persia, where both were martyred.
Mass Readings
First Reading – Eph 2:19-22
Brothers and sisters: You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. 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.
Responsorial Psalm – Ps 19:2-3, 4-5 (R.5a)
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge. R.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message. R.
Gospel – Lk 6:12-16
Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Featured Saints
St. Faro, bishop (†670). From a noble Burgundian family. Persuaded by his sister, St. Fara, he abandoned court life to serve God alone. Appointed Bishop of Meaux, France, he dedicated himself to the evangelization of pagans, establishing parishes and founding monasteries.
St. John Ðat, priest and martyr (†1798). Beheaded in Cho-Ra, Vietnam.
St. Rodrigo Aguilar, priest and martyr (†1927). Condemned to be hanged for being a faithful priest during the religious persecution in Mexico, he died crying out: “Long live Christ the King and Our Lady of Guadalupe!”
St. Germain, abbot (†eleventh century). Founded and directed the Priory of Talloires, France.
St. Vincent, St. Sabina and St. Cristeta, martyrs (†circa 305). Three siblings who, during the reign of the Emperor Diocletian were cruelly martyred in the Spanish city of Avila. A basilica was later built over their tombs.
St. Ferrutius, martyr (†c. 300). He left a military career to better and more feely serve Christ. He was martyred in Mainz, Germany.
Blessed Salvador Damian Enguix Garés, martyr (†1936). Member of Catholic Action and founder of Perpetual Adoration in Alzira (Spain), he was killed in this same city during the Spanish Civil War.
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