EPHESIANS 2:19-22; PSALM 18; LUKE 6:12-19
Today’s gospel recounts how Jesus chose and named his Twelve Apostles. Jesus spent time in prayer before he chose his apostles. We too should pray before we make important decisions or choose our partners. Today the Church celebrates two of these apostles; St. Jude Thaddeus and St. Simon the Zealot. These apostles served the Lord and were completely faithful to him even to the point of death. Jude was beaten to death with a club, and then beheaded post-mortem in Persia. Simon was supposedly martyred; he was cut in half with a saw. These apostles gave sincere expression to the message of Christ throughout their ministry. In the first reading, St Paul says the faith of the Apostles gave a sure foundation to the faith of each of us. He also reminds us that we are not strangers to God but close friends through the faith handed on to us. We too should not take this faith for granted.
LET US PRAY
O God, who by the blessed Apostles have brought us to acknowledge your name, graciously grant, through the intercession of Saints Simon and Jude, that the Church may constantly grow by increase of the peoples who believe in you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
