Today we celebrate the feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, whose names occur together in the Canon of the Mass and are celebrated together. Actually, we know nothing for certain about them except they were called as Apostles to our Lord and that they preached the Gospel throughout Mesopotamia (referred to in modern times largely as Iraq), Syria, and Persia (now Iran).
“Jude” is named by Luke and in the Acts of the Apostles and is probably the most recognizable of these two Apostles because of his great celestial influence. Matthew and Mark called him Thaddeus. Jude had the same name as Judas Iscariot and apparently because of the disgrace of that name, it was shortened to "Jude" and consequently, his friends called him Thaddeus. St. Jude is especially known as the rescuer of desperate causes. St. Jude is the patron of desperate situations, forgotten causes, hospital workers, hospitals, impossible causes, lost causes, and the diocese of St. Petersburg, Florida. His most recognizable symbol is a small flame above his head. St. Jude also has a special nobility, far surpassing all earthly titles, that of being nephew to St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary and cousin to Our Lord and Savior. Jude was one of those, so called by their companions, to be the brothers of Joseph’s Son.
St. Simon is sometimes called "the Zealot." The Zealots were a Jewish sect that represented extreme Jewish nationalism. Our modern connotation of “zealous” is surely derived from this group. St. Simon’s well known symbol in art is the carpenter’s saw, the instrument of his martyrdom. St. Simon is the patron of curriers, sawmen, sawyers, tanners. The exact manner of his death is not known, but it is certain he was martyred.
A modern-day tribute to St. Jude is an interesting story of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. St. Jude’s founder was entertainer Danny Thomas, who some of us remember from early television. More than 70 years ago, Danny Thomas prayed to St. Jude Thaddeus and asked the saint to “help me find my way in life, and I will build you a shrine.” In the years that followed, he remembered his pledge to St. Jude and the idea was born of creating a unique research hospital devoted to curing catastrophic diseases in children. Thomas started raising money for his vision, and by 1955, local business partners had joined his cause. In the decades since, St. Jude’s has enabled striking improvements in the care of pediatric leukemias and numerous forms of solid tumors. St. Jude—which now has a daily operating cost of nearly $1.5 million—has brought about improved health care for children all over the world. From a pledge to the fulfillment of a dream, Danny Thomas lived to see St. Jude’s become an international beacon of hope for the catastrophically ill children of the world.
Also worthy of note, Danny Thomas called upon his fellow Arabic-speaking community in the U.S. to help fund St. Jude in appreciation for the freedoms given their immigrant parents. The community responded and founded an organization called ALSAC, which assumed full responsibility for all the hospital’s fundraising efforts, raising hundreds of millions annually through benefits and solicitation drives among Americans of all ethnic, religious and racial backgrounds. Perhaps St. Jude Thaddeus, like his apt namesake, is a beacon of hope to our troubled world today.
Blessings to all on this special commemoration. Debbie Athas, 15 Promises Rosaries
