Year A
Ephesians 2:19-22
Psalm 19:1-2.3-4ab (R. 4a)
Luke 6:12-19
BECOMING LIKE LOVE
Today is the feast of Saints Jude (Judas) and Simon. The names of Simon and Jude appear in New Testament lists of the apostles but little else is known about either. Because there are two apostles named both Simon and Judas (Luke 6.14-16 and Acts 1.13), the distinction between them is by adding what this Simon was or comes from and call him Simon the Zealot and similarly with Judas by adding his brother's name and hence called Judas the brother of James. Thus they are distinguished from Simon Peter and Judas Iscariot. Jude is also referred to as Thaddeus.
Simon is surnamed the Cananaean or the Zealot, names which refer to his zeal for the Law. Jude (Judas) is also called Thaddeus (Matthew 10.4 and Mark 3.18); the one mentioned of him outside of the lists is in John (14.22-23) where he is referred to as “Judas (not Iscariot)”.
Both of them spread the gospel and were Martyred together in Persia. Today's first reading reminds us that they as part of the Apostles are the foundation of the Church, which is the Body of Christ, and Christ Jesus as the cornerstone is the head of the Church and in him we are all nit together.
Since we know that Jesus Christ is God and God is Love, Simon who was part of the zealots was zealous for God and was willing to die for God. But there is one interesting fact about Jude that I will like us to reflect on. The brother of Jude was James another Apostle of Jesus Christ, and both of them were relatives of Jesus Christ. Their mother was also called Mary and their Father called Cleopas.
In fact according to the surviving fragments of the work "Exposition of the Sayings of the Lord" of the Apostolic Father Papias of Hierapolis, who lived c. 70–163 AD, Mary the wife of Cleophas or Alphaeus would be the mother of Judas the brother of Jesus that Papias identifies with Thaddeus:
Mary the wife of Cleophas or Alphaeus, who was the mother of James the bishop and apostle, and of Simon and Thaddeus, and of one Joseph...(Fragment X)
What I will like us to reflect on is how Jude resembled Jesus Christ. He is always drawn holding a medallion with the image of Jesus Christ.
Why is St. Jude holding a medallion with Jesus's face?
The medallion is an impression of Jesus, known as “The Image of Edessa.” King Abgar of Edessa (now part of Turkey) was suffering from a serious illness. He had heard of Jesus healing others and called for Jesus to heal him. He asked Jesus to come and cure him of leprosy. Jesus as his mission was to the Jews first said he will send one of his apostles to him. King Abgar of Edessa sent an artist to bring him a drawing of Jesus. Impressed with Abgar’s great faith, Jesus pressed his face into a cloth and gave it to St. Jude to take to Abgar. Upon seeing Jesus’ image, The King was cured and he converted to Christianity along with most of the people under his rule. The interesting part is that the King taught the one who was holding the picture is the one in the picture. Thus he saw that St.Jude resembles Jesus Christ and in fact taught it was Jesus Christ himself who visited him.
As Christians we are called to resemble Jesus Christ, we are called to be like Jesus Christ, Love. The saints are those who really live according to the commandments of Loving God and Neighbors, becoming like Love.
By Sylvester Amakye-Quayson
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