Trong Tin Mừng hôm
nay, chúng ta thấy Chúa Giêsu, sau khi cầu nguyện và tĩnh
tâm, Ngài đã chính hứ tuyển chọn chọn mười hai tông
đồ trong các môn đệ của mình. Trong khi người
môn đệ là chỉ là những người the Chúa như là một tín đồ
của Chúa Giêsu, Còn những người tông đồ được coi như là
một "sứ giả, một người đã sai."
Theo Truyền Thống Giáo Hội được kể lại cho chúng
ta biết rằng sau khi rao giảng Tin Mừng ở Ai Cập, Tông
Đồ Simon đả cùng hợp tác với Tông Đồ Giuđa (con ông
Giacôbê) , và cùng đi rao giảng Tin Mừng ở Ba Tư, Armenia và
Lebanon, nơi mà cà hai cùng được phúc tử đạo. Chúng ta có
đủ can đảm, nghị lức, và sức mạnh để loan báo Tin Mừng như hai
thánh Tông Đồ Simôn và Giuda? Các tông đồ đã khám phá
ra kho báu gì mà đã làm cho họ sẵn sàng từ bỏ cuộc sống của họ
cho việc truyền giáo? Có phải là họ đã tìm thấy ý
nghĩa trong sự đau khổ vì Chúa Kitô để dám chấp
nhận cái chết?
Bài đọc thứ
nhất cho chúng ta biết rằng nền tảng cho lòng nhiệt thành để loan báo Tin
Mừng là Chúa Giêsu Kitô, Đấng là nền tảng đức tin của chúng ta, bởi vì bất
cứ ai đã nhận Ngài sẽ không còn phải chết. Quả thật trên trái
đất , chúng ta có thể trải nghiệm sự sống đời đời khi chúng ta có Chúa Giêsu
trong trái tim của chúng ta, Ngài cũng đã trải
qua sự đau khổ và cái chết, và chính Ngài đã làm
cho chúng ta có thể được trở thành những người đồng
hương với những người của Thiên Chúa và là thành
viên trong gia đình của Chúa. Cái chết là một kẻ thù bại trận đã bị mất
quyền lực và cái nọc độc hại của nó khi Chúa
Giêsu tự sống lại từ cõi chết và lên trời.
Trong
khi chúng ta chuẩn bị cho các ngày lễ kính Các Thánh và các đẳng
Linh Hồn, chúng ta hãy cầu xin thánh Simôn và Thánh
Giuđa cầu bầu cho chúng ta để chúng ta có thể có cuộc
sống học nơi gương cha ông chúng ta là các Thánh Tử Đạo Việt Nam noi gương
như hai Thánh là biết can trường không sợ chết nữa,
để chịu đựng những đau khổ mà chúng ta sẽ phải
trải nghiệm trong cuộc sống hàng ngày để chúng ta được sống một
cuộc sống có ý nghĩa trong Chúa Giêsu Kitô, và có thể đạt
được sự sống đời đời qua mầu nhiệm phục sinh của Chúa
Giêsu Kitô, Đấng đã chiến đấu trận chiến này cho chúng ta.
Reflection October 28-Saints Simon and Jude
In today's Gospel, we see
how Jesus, after much prayer and meditation, chooses his twelve apostles from
among his disciples. While a disciple is merely a follower of Jesus, an
apostle is a "messenger, a person sent forth." Sacred Tradition tells
us that after evangelizing in Egypt, Simon joined Jude, and as a team, spread
the gospel in Persia, Armenia and Lebanon, where they were both martyred. Do
you have the strength and courage to announce the Good News like Simon and
Jude? What treasure did the apostles discover that allowed them to give up
their lives for the evangelization? Is it possible to find meaning in suffering
for Christ to the point of death?
The first reading tells us
that the foundation for the zeal to announce the gospel is Jesus Christ, who is
the cornerstone of our faith, because anyone who has received him shall no
longer die. Truly, we on earth can experience eternal life when we have Jesus
in our hearts, who himself experienced suffering and death, and who makes it
possible for us to become fellow citizens with God's people and members of his
household. Death is a vanquished adversary who has lost its power and sting
when Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. As we approach All
Saints' and All Souls' Day, let us ask the intercession of Sts. Simon and Jude.
May their lives teach us not to fear death any longer, that the sufferings we
experience can have meaning in Jesus Christ, and that eternal life may be with
us through Jesus who has fought this battle for us.
October 28- Feast of Saints Simon
and Jude, Apostles - Luke 6:12-16
Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in
prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them
he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles… Luke 6:12
Simon and Jude were among those very select few who were chosen by
Jesus Himself to be His Apostles. Today’s Simon is not the same person as Simon
Peter, and today’s Jude is not the same person as Judas Iscariot. Little is
known about these two Apostles. Simon is referred to as a zealot in the
Gospels, which could have meant he was a member of a more radical sect within
Judaism. Jude is popularly known as the Patron Saint of Hopeless Causes. Some
suggest this is because he was often the last Apostle to be prayed to by the
early Christian faithful on account of the fact that he shared a name with
Judas Iscariot, and praying to Jude reminded people of that betrayer. If that
was the case, then in God’s providence, since Jude became the last Apostle to
be prayed to, he also became the last hope for many and, thus, the patron saint
for those with truly hopeless causes.
One tradition states that Saints Simon and Jude are linked
together in the Roman Canon and also share the same feast day because they were
both martyred together on the same day, possibly in Syria, Lebanon, or Persia.
However, the true details of their missionary journeys and martyrdom is
unclear. The one thing that is certain about these Apostles, however, is that
they were Apostles. They were chosen by our Lord and appointed by Him as two of
the first bishops of our Church and were given a mandate to share the Gospel to
the ends of the earth.
From our perspective today, being one of those chosen Twelve is an
incredible privilege. The effect of their ministry in establishing the first
Christian communities has resulted in our worldwide universal Catholic Church.
These men most likely did not realize the impact that their faithful service
would have upon the world.
As we honor these two Apostles, we are also reminded that each one
of us is called to go forth to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We
each do so in a way specific to the calling and mission that Christ has
entrusted to us. We are each called to make an eternal difference in the lives
of those whom we serve. And if we are faithful to our mission, we can be
certain that the effects of our apostolic service will be felt in the lives of
countless others until the end of the world.
Reflect, today, upon Jesus choosing these two men and appointing
them as Apostles. As you do, listen to God’s voice as He also speaks to you. Do
not underestimate the importance of accepting the mission that Jesus gives to
you. Say “Yes” to Him in imitation of these two Apostles and know that your
choice to serve our Lord in this way will not only have a great effect in your
life, it will also have an effect in the lives of many others for all
eternity.
My glorious Lord, You called these two ordinary men, Simon and
Jude, to be Your Apostles. You filled them with Your grace, taught them with
Your Word, and sent them forth to preach to the ends of the earth. Please also
send me, dear Lord, to whomever You choose. Use me as Your instrument and help
me to always remain faithful and zealous, reaching out to those in need,
especially to those who lack faith and hope in their lives. Saints Simon and
Jude, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You.
October 28-Saints Simon and
Jude 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, bring me
more deeply into the unity of your family, the Church. Guide my actions,
thoughts, and prayers so that I may imitate your Son’s holy Apostles. Help me
overcome evil in my life and in my community, and extend your reign in the
world around me.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Three Tasks of an Apostle: Today’s liturgy
for the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude is an invitation to meditate on the
vocation of an apostle, the makeup of the community of the apostles, and some
of the themes contained in the Letter of Jude. The Gospel of Luke indicates that
an Apostle was someone chosen by Jesus after prayerful dialogue with God the
Father. We learn in the Gospel of Mark that the Apostles were chosen for three
tasks (Mark 3:13-15). The first task of an apostle is to be with Jesus, to
center their lives on him, and to live with him. This leads not only to
imitation of Jesus but also to identification with him. Second, an apostle is
sent out to preach. The message of an Apostle is the same as that of Jesus
Christ – the Kingdom of God. When the Apostles proclaim the Kingdom of God,
they proclaim God’s dominion and lordship. They proclaim the mystery of Jesus
Christ, who came to save us and dwell with and in us. And they are proclaiming
the mystery of the Church as the beginning and seed of the Kingdom. In brief,
they proclaim God’s plan for humanity: “God, infinitely perfect and blessed in
himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in
his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God
draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all
his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the
unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time
had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior. In his Son and through him,
he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus
heirs of his blessed life” (CCC, 1). Third, an apostle is given
authority to cast out demons. This means especially overcoming the power of
evil and the reign of the devil with the sacramental power of the Kingdom of
God.
2. The Makeup of the Community of the
Apostles: The Gospel of Luke tells us that the Apostle Simon was called a
Zealot. Pope Benedict remarked that even if Simon “was not exactly a member of
the nationalist movement of Zealots, he was at least marked by passionate
attachment to his Jewish identity, hence, for God, his people, and divine Law”
(Benedict XVI, October 11, 2006). The Pope notes that if this was Simon’s case,
he was worlds apart from Matthew, who worked as a tax collector for the Romans.
What this shows us is that Jesus called his disciples and collaborators from
the most varied backgrounds. “It was people who interested him, not social
classes or labels! And the best thing is that in the group of his followers,
despite their differences, they all lived side by side, overcoming imaginable
difficulties: indeed, what bound them together was Jesus himself, in whom they
all found themselves united with one another” (Benedict XVI, October 11, 2006).
This is an invitation to all of us not to give into the temptation of
superficial labels and promoting polarizing divisions within the Church:
conservative vs. liberal; doctrinal vs. pastoral; traditional vs. progressive;
sacramental vs. missionary; and so on. Unity is not uniformity. Like the
Apostles, though, we are called to be of one mind and heart, united in Christ
and through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14).
3. The Letter of Jude: The Letter of Jude
tells us something about him as an Apostle: one of his main concerns was that
Christian communities fight for the true faith against deceivers (Jude 3-4); he
cautioned against those who introduce division into the Church (Jude 8); he desired
that Christians deepen in their understanding of apostolic doctrine (Jude 2);
he appealed that Christians wait prayerfully and patiently for the Lord; and he
gave instruction to steady the faith of those who wavered in doubt and were
overcome by deception. Jude goes so far as to compare those who spread false
doctrine to the fallen angels and those who walk in the way of Cain (Jude 11).
On the night of the Last Supper, Jude learned the importance of encountering
the Risen Christ: “The Lord does not appear as a thing. He desires to enter our
lives, and therefore his manifestation is a manifestation that implies and
presupposes an open heart. Only in this way do we see the Risen One” (Benedict
XVI, October 11, 2006). Saints Simon and Jude, then, not only offer us a model
of Christian unity but also exhort us to deepen in this mystery by welcoming
Jesus into our lives. They intercede before God for us, asking that we may see
the Risen One with eyes of faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, keep ourselves in
the love of God, and wait for the mercy of Jesus Christ unto eternal life (Jude
20-22).
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, help me to
imitate your apostles today. Show me where I can spend more quality time with
you. Send me out to extend your kingdom. Vanquish any evil in my heart, my
family, and my community.
October 28-Saints Simon and
Jude
Encountering Christ:
Called by Name: St. Luke points
out that after a long night of prayerful discernment, Jesus called his
disciples to himself, and from them, he chose Twelve, whom he also named
Apostles. The Christian life is a response to a call. Jesus draws us to
himself, and he does so personally, as St. Luke makes abundantly clear by
listing each of remain (John 15:16). In
a secular world, this is hard to remember. We must keep going back to it. Our
lives are not our own. We are Christians, friends and followers of Christ. We
have been called and chosen, set apart for a mission, given an eternal destiny.
This vision of our deepest identity is vibrant and adventurous. Is that how I
live? Or have I fallen into the trap of viewing my faith as a checklist of dos
and don’ts, as a burden, as an optional extra dimension to a life being led for
this world only? It’s worth thinking and praying about.
Do You Remember? The Twelve
Apostles would have remembered this day, the day Jesus called them to be
members of his inner circle, for the rest of their lives. It was a special day.
They would never reduce their relationship with Jesus to that moment of
encounter and calling, but that moment would have had a special resonance in
their hearts throughout their lives. It probably came back to them and provided
encouragement in moments of difficulty and trial. We know St. Paul often began
his letters with a reference to the moment of his call, and we can imagine that
the Twelve would have often alluded to their moment of call as they too bore
witness to the Gospel. Today’s saints, Simon and Jude, suffered martyrdom
together in Persia (modern-day Iran) at the end of their earthly mission. We
know very little of their missionary adventures, but we can rest assured that
their unforgettable experience of being called by Christ was a sure anchor amid
the storms they encountered throughout their lives. And what about us? How
vivid is our awareness of Christ having called us? Do we often think back on
those powerful experiences of his grace, those times when we knew–when we
truly, experientially knew–that God was acting in our lives, nudging us,
calling us, strengthening us? God often rebuked his chosen people in the Old
Testament for forgetting about his many powerful interventions in their lives.
May the Lord never rebuke us for such spiritual negligence!
Our True Identity: In today’s first
reading, St. Paul painted a compelling, beautiful picture of the Church. First,
he told the Ephesians that they were no longer strangers or sojourners. That is
the state of anyone who has not discovered and embraced their identity as
children of the one true God, a state the Ephesians had experienced poignantly
during their pre-Christian pagan phase of existence. Then St. Paul contrasted
that state of uncertainty and insecurity with their new state: you are fellow
citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the
foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the
capstone. In Christ, through our membership in the Church, our true identity
has been given and revealed. We have a place in the universe. We belong. We
have brothers and sisters who will be with us for all eternity. We are not
wandering aimlessly through a random cosmos hoping blindly that some kind of
meaning will stumble upon us. We know where we came from: the loving,
all-powerful heart of God. We know where we are: on a pilgrimage through this
fallen world, spreading the good news of the Gospel and growing in grace,
virtue, and friendship with Christ. We know where we are going: to the Father’s
House, to everlasting life in the company of Christ himself and all the saints
and angels. Is this such a small thing, knowing all of this? Amid life’s hustle
and bustle, we often act as if it were just a small thing. In truth, however,
it is the biggest thing. And our daily life will only benefit if we treat it
that way.
Conversing with Christ: When I stop to think
about the miracle of your Church, of this massive community of believers
spanning twenty centuries and the entire globe, a community united today by the
same Gospel and the same sacraments and the same apostolic authority that has
united it since the time of your own Incarnation, I am overwhelmed. I am filled
with awe. You are faithful. You are redeeming the world by unfolding your new
creation. And you have called me to enter into this amazing story, chosen me to
participate actively in the spread of your Kingdom, the only kingdom where
salvation can be found. Thank you, Lord, thank you.
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