October 28, 2025 Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles
Daily Readings: Ephesians 2:19-22; Luke 6:12-16
On the day we celebrate the feast of the Apostles and Martyrs Simon and Jude, St. Paul tells us that we are not strangers and aliens but citizens and saints. We are all members of the household of God. The temple of the Lord is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. The cornerstone is Jesus Christ. The Church is a spiritual building. Jesus Christ holds all the members of the household of God in unity spiritually into a dwelling place for God. This passage presents two metaphors: the household of God and a holy temple of the Lord. The Ephesians are asked to transform their hearts into a holy temple where God would be pleased to dwell. It is heartening to see that the Jews and the Gentiles together make members of the Church. It is an all inclusive Church.
Jesus is found praying on the mountain. He spends the whole night in prayer. The next day he makes up his mind to choose twelve apostles from the disciples. The choice he makes is the fruit of his prayer. The moment of prayer turns into a moment of discernment. Jesus depends upon God, his Father. We have a list of names from Peter to Judas Iscariot. Jesus renames Simon into Peter while the other Simon is described as Zealot. It is said that Judas Iscariot becomes a traitor. The number ‘twelve’ is symbolic. It points to the twelve tribes of Israel. The future of Jesus’ mission is guaranteed. When Jesus and the Twelve come down to the level ground, they meet a new reality. A great multitude waits for him. Some of them come to listen to him and while others to be healed of their diseases. Jesus doesn’t disappoint anyone. All who touch him are healed.
Not much is known about these two apostles. Simon is known as Simon the Zealot or Simon the Cananean (a zealous man). Jude is popularly known as Thaddeus or ‘Judas son of James,’ the patron saint of desperate cases, hopeless causes and hospital workers. According to a tradition, both of them travelled to Persia to preach the Gospel and were eventually killed there in 65 AD.
Call to Action: However insignificant the apostles Simon and Jude are, in the eyes of God they shine among the twelve stars. They were not imposing figures and yet they bore witness to God by shedding their blood. We need not be spiritual giants. It is enough to carry out our responsibilities to the best of our ability.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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