Saturday – Sts Simon and Jude

Gospel – Luke 6:12-16

Hey Jude!

Renewal of Baptism Vows, Jordan River

Today we celebrate the Feasts of Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles!  Simon, but not Peter!  Jude but not Judas!  Except for Simon being called a Zealot and Jude speaking to Jesus at the Last Supper, we have very little details about their life and mission.  One apocryphal text has them preaching and being martyred in Persia.

So what do we know?  Jesus spent the night on the mountain to pray.  He calls each of the Twelve by name!  And he gives them a mission, to be apostles – to hear His words and teachings and then to spread that same word.

Sounds a lot like Baptism!  Hopefully, those of us who are parents spent time praying and preparing for the Baptism of our children, reflecting on the meaning of becoming a child of God and the demands of raising that child in the faith – teaching them and praying with them,   Then at the beginning of the Rite, the priest/deacon asks “what name do you give your child?”  And then he calls them by name and welcomes them.

And then the mission!  Parents and godparents are reminded of their responsibility to raise their child in the faith!  They are called to renew their Baptismal promises to believe in God and to reject Satan and all his works.  The child is given a new white garment, blessed with sacred oils as strength for the journey, and the parents are given a candle to be kept burning bright so that their child may be enlightened by Christ.

And so today as we celebrate the moment when Simon and Jude were called by name and given their mission, let’s also reflect on our own Baptism where God called us by name to be His adopted child, to live in the light and to spread the Word!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  Sunday – 13 th Sunday in Ordinary Time   revisited Gospel – Matthew 10:37-42 The Cost/Rewards of Discipleship Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem I’m holding in my hand a simple piece of paper, barely bigger than an index card.   It’s a mini-golf scorecard and it’s 47 years old.   At the time, the game itself probably cost only about $6.   Certainly a lot less than you would pay today.   So the cost today doesn’t seem like much.   But for me all that time ago, it was a wealth of money.   So it cost me a lot.   But the rewards of the card?   Well, that is priceless.   This was one of the first dates Ginger and I went on.   And who would have guessed how that would turn out?   All the memories we have shared, painful and joyful.   All the times we have shared together and the people who have touched our lives!   Priceless! Cost and reward!   Two vastly different concepts but they play a key role in all of today’s readings.   In the first reading, a rich woman goes out of her way t
Read more
Image
  14 th Sunday in Ordinary Time   revisited Gospel – Matthew 11:25-30 The “Little Ones” Open Market, Jerusalem There’s a story about a rather eccentric teacher who was always looking for creative ways to test (torture) his students.   Sometimes it was crazy project and sometimes it was a wacky exam that tested not just their knowledge but also their experience. So one day he hands out a test, typical normal test, Q/A, except this was the last question.   What’s the name of the school janitor?   One of his students looked at the question and thought – I know he’s short, wears glasses and has light brown hair but how in the world would I know his name?   So he left it blank and turned in his paper. When class was over, he went up to the teacher and asked whether that last question would count in the test grade.   Absolutely, said the teacher.   Throughout your whole life, you will find that every person you cross paths with is important, significant.   They deserve you
Read more
Image
  16 th Sunday in Ordinary Time   revisited Gospel – Matthew 13:24-30 Be Patient, My Child Tied Up in Knots! Many years ago, I remember one summer when it was time for our daughter Jaime to learn how to ride a bicycle.   So I took off the training wheels, she climbed onto the bike and proceeded to take off.   I followed close behind, holding onto the back bumper, trying to keep the bike upright and trying to make sure she didn’t fall.   It was exhausting for both of us.   I thought I was being a good dad by doing everything I could to keep her from falling.   But it didn’t work.   We were both getting frustrated.   Finally, she had had enough and she banished me to sit on the front porch while she worked it out on her own.   It took time and it took a lot of patience, something neither one of us had much of at the start of the process. I was getting impatient with the process and she was getting impatient with me.   Patience was in short supply.   But in the end, patience w
Read more