The Feast of Saints Simon and Jude.

"Jesus departed 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." (Luke 6: 12 - 13).

Wednesday 28th October 2020, 30th Week in Ordinary Time is also the feast of Saints Simon and Jude who are among the 12 Apostles called by Jesus in today's Gospel. Both Apostles suffered martyrdom. St Jude is a very popular Saint. He is the patron saint of lost and impossible causes.

Jesus spent a long night of prayer and discernment before He chose the 12. Why 12 and not 9 or 13? Because Jesus was already thinking of the Church and wanted the association with the 12 tribes of Israel. But the Apostles were to be different from the 12 founding Fathers of Israel. First, they will all be drawn from the eyewitnesses who knew Jesus from His Baptism to His Ascension. Secondly, they will constitute a tight knit Apostolic College. Last but not least, there will be a system of succession for vacancies that occur as a result of death.

It is the mind of Christ, the Church He founded would be built on the foundation of Apostles and Prophets. What are the characteristics of this Church by which she can be recognized all over the world? There are four marks. As we profess every Sunday, the Church is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. What do these words mean?
#1 One = One faith, one Baptism, one Shepherd.
#2 Holy = The Holy Spirit that indwells the Church is the source of her holiness. The Holy Spirit continually cleanses the Bride of Christ from defilements.
#3 Catholic = Universal. Found in all the countries of the United Nations and every other place of human habitation.
#4 Apostolic = Every Bishop is directly traceable to the original 12 Apostles who were constituted in today's Gospel. Many Bishops would have their lines run through Saints Simon and Jude, our saints of today.

"Simon and Jude are the holy men
whom the Lord chose in his own perfect love; to them he gave eternal glory." (Cf Entrance Antiphon).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com