Brief Background:

St. Simon the Zealot was one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus. He was called “the Zealot,” possibly because of his religious fervor. According to tradition, he preached the Gospel in Persia alongside St. Jude, where they were eventually martyred. He is the patron saint of tanners and sawyers (woodcutters).

St. Jude Thaddeus was also one of the Twelve Apostles and is often confused with Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. According to tradition, he preached the Gospel in Mesopotamia and Persia. He is best known as the patron saint of hopeless causes and desperate situations, reminding us that nothing is impossible with God.

REFLECTION:

Have you ever noticed that wherever we go in life, people always want to know where we come from? Especially here in Hawaiʻi! Someone asks, “Eh, where you from?” And you say, “I'm from Waipahu.” Then comes the next question, “Oh, what school you went?” And before you know it, they're trying to figure out if they know your parents, your cousins, or somebody in your family!

Growing up in Samoa, it's the same thing. When someone asks where you're from, they're not just asking about a place. They're asking about your village, your family, your genealogy. They're asking about your identity, where you belong.

Think about our students. When they put on their school uniform and go out into the community, they represent their school. Whether they like it or not! Their actions reflect not only on themselves but also on the school they belong to.

Even at work, when someone sends us out to represent a company or organization, we first have to belong to that organization.

Before we are sent, we must first belong. And I think that's the beautiful connection between our two readings today.

In the Gospel, Jesus spends the entire night in prayer before choosing his twelve apostles, including Saints Simon and Jude, whose feast we celebrate today.

Now, the word apostle means "one who is sent." But notice something. Before Jesus sent them out, he first called them to himself. Before they became apostles, they were disciples. Before they could represent Jesus, they had to know Jesus. They had to belong to him.

And in our first reading, St. Paul reminds us exactly where we belong. He says, "You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God."

Members of the household of God! That's our identity. That's where we belong.

Saints Simon and Jude eventually went out to proclaim the Gospel. According to tradition, they traveled to distant places and gave their lives for Christ. But what gave them the courage to go? They knew whom they belonged to. They belonged to Jesus Christ.

And Friends, the same is true for us.

Through our baptism, we belong to Christ. And every time we leave our homes, our church, or our community, we are being sent into the world to represent him.

But here's the question: When people encounter us, can they recognize the One to whom we belong? Just as a school uniform identifies which school a student belongs to, what identifies us as Christians?



It's not simply the cross around our neck or the Catholic label we carry. It's how we love, how we forgive, how we treat others, and how we live our faith. Because we can wear the uniform without living the values. And we can call ourselves Christians without always living like Christ.

So today, as we celebrate Saints Simon and Jude, let us remember: Our families remind us where we come from. Our schools and workplaces remind us whom we represent. But our baptism reminds us whose we are. And wherever life sends us today, may our words and actions reflect the One to whom we belong. Because before we are sent, we must first belong.