Next time you are feeling blamed for something you didn't do - ponder awhile on these two saints. Both bottom out tradtional lists of Apostles and both have the same name as a more famous (or infamous) Apostle.
Simon gets confused with the famous Simon Peter but this is a different person - as if this was not annoying enough St. Jude gets confused with Judas. They do both have the same name - we have anglicized Jude to help with the confusion.
St. Jude is the patron saint of helpless causes - somewhere along the line he became the Apostle of last resort, the one to ask is all the others had failed.
In many ways this is unfortunate - Jesus, after all, warned against hierarchies and issued the same call to all his followers. These Apostles who we know so little about should remind us of the unspoken way in which most of us live out our discipleship - we are not famous, but yet we have the same call as all who have ever followed Christ. Not knowing everything about these men helps me to keep in perspective that quietness of life to which we are called - and the fairness of God in calling.
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