SAINT SIMON AND SAINT JUDE
Saints Simon the Zealot and Jude Thaddeus By Edward Matulanya Here are feast day, Missionary Work and Tradition, Martyrdom and Iconography of Saints Simon the Zealot and Jude Thaddeus. The Roman Catholic Church commemorates Saints Simon the Zealot and Jude Thaddeus on 28 October. Their names are joined in the Canon of the Mass, and their joint feast highlights the tradition that they labored in missionary work together and suffered martyrdom in the same region (Vatican News, n.d.; CatholicCulture, n.d.). In the liturgy for that day, the first reading is from Ephesians 2:19–22, and the Gospel is Luke 6:12–16. Saint Simon the Zealot (Apostle) Identity and Name Simon is identified in the Synoptic Gospels and Acts as one of the Twelve Apostles (e.g., Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). He is distinguished from Simon Peter by his epithet “the Zealot” (in Luke) or “the Canaanite / Cananaean” (in Matthew and Mark). These names likely reflect either his zealous character...