*REFLECTION FOR THE FEAST OF STs. SIMON AND JUDE,* *APOSTLES* 

Today the Church celebrates the feast of Sts. Simon and Jude (Thaddeus) whose names occur together in the Canon of the Mass and are also celebrated on the same day. Possibly this is because they both preached the Gospel in Mesopotamia and Persia where it is said they had both been sent, but in actual fact we know nothing for certain about them beyond what is told us of their being called as Apostles in the New Testament. St. Jude is the author of a short Epistle which forms part of the New Testament. 

   The gospel (Luke 6: 12-16) presents to us the calling of the Apostles after Jesus had spent the whole night in prayer to the Father. They had special role since they were "eye witnesses" of the ministry and life of Jesus. As *apostolos* (One who is sent), they were the first missionaries and as such, St. Paul calls them in the first reading (Eph 2: 19-23) the foundation of the Church resting on Jesus, the Cornerstone. "Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the spirit". (Eph 2: 21-22)

   Dear friends, one of the four "marks" of the Church is that it is "apostolic", upon the faith of Apostles and their teaching, the foundation of the Church rests and the spread of Christianity depended. As believers, we are called to continue the work of the "apostolic Church" which entails being grounded and rooted in the biblical and apostolic tradition of the twelve apostles, and keeping to their missionary activities of spreading the Good News wherever we find ourselves. 

   I pray as we journey in life today, we will not deviate from the teaching of the Apostles as handed down to the teaching authority of the Church *(Magisterium)* . For as Jesus said to His disciples: Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me (Luke 10: 16). Do I know what the Church teaches and do I obey them? May we bear witness to Jesus in our words and deeds. Have a mission-full day!

 *@Fr Francis Onwunali*