Wednesday 28 October 2020

Psalm 117

Background

Today is the feast day of Saint Simon and Saint Jude. Our week-long reflections on faith, as aided by the Letter to the Hebrews, is therefore interrupted, but this is not to say that these two venerated and close disciples of Jesus have nothing to say to us about Christian faith. Today’s reading from John’s Gospel is one that is traditionally read in relation to Simon and Jude, and Jesus is talking about persecution of his followers for no other reason than they will be associated with himself. He says: “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you.”(John 15:20).

 Although legends abound, not a lot is definitively known about Simon and Jude, and they are not mentioned at all in the New Testament after the Day of Pentecost. The Letter of Jude is almost certainly not the work of Jude the apostle. Most stories that concern Simon and Jude say that they both travelled to Mesopotamia and Persia (modern-day Iran) and boldly preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this they were both killed, martyred for their faith, on the same day. Thus, they are remembered together, today being their Saints’ Day.

 So returning to our theme for this week, the faith of these two saints meant so much to them that they were unable to stop proclaiming the death and resurrection of Jesus and were willing to die rather than denounce their master. It begs a question for all believers down through the ages and even today: to what ends are Christians willing to go, in order to be true to their faith in Jesus? Simon and Jude had obviously been with Jesus when he spoke of persecution and they would also have heard these words from their Lord: “You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.”(v.27)

Although promised the power and help of the Advocate (Holy Spirit) in verse 26, are we , like Simon and Jude, willing to be ridiculed or even persecuted when we stand up for our Christian faith today?

To Ponder:

• Do you think that saints and other Christian role models are essential for today’s Church? If someone asked you to name a modern-day saint, how would you reply?
• The hymn 746* in Singing the Faith gives thanks for saints through the ages and links with this week’s theme, specifically in verse 2:

       “For all the saints who loved your name,
        whose faith increased the Saviour’s fame,
        who sang your songs and shared your word,
        accept our gratitude, good Lord.”

Use the hymn today as a prayer of thanks for saints through the ages, even our own times.

*Copyright 1996 The Iona Community, and used with permission. www.ionabooks.com