The Resting Place of Sts. Simon and Jude

The relics of Sts. Simon and Jude are buried in St. Peter's Basilica, in the Left Transept beneath the Altar of St. Joseph. They were moved here from the old Basilica in 1605 by P. Paul V.

(source)

The new artwork over the altar was commissioned by P. John XXIII. A 1961 painting of St. Joseph by the Cubo-Futurist Achille Funi was converted into the full-size mosaic installed in 1963. Prior to that, the altar had been decorated with a mosaic copy of Guido Reni's "Crucifixion of St. Peter" since 1822. This itself had replaced a 1630 painting of Sts. Simon and Jude by Agostino Ciampelli.

The two Apostles are now reduced to mosaic ovals on either side of the altar. While the new artwork is generally considered to be a failure, there is some pleasure in seeing Joseph installed over two of his sons.

The saints' porphyry sarcophagus, taken from the mausoleum of Santa Costanza in 1606.

The apostolic relics have presumably resided in Rome since the early centuries of the Church, having been translated from Syria as fellow-martyrs, and their bones commingled within their tomb. St. Jude is usually depicted with an axe or sword, and St. Simon with a saw—the instruments of their deaths.

Their entry in the Golden Legend is quite detailed.

For more about the liturgical and devotional celebrations of Sts. Simon and Jude, see His Traddiness' short post on the matter.

St. Jude and the Hopeless Cause of Clerical Corruption

source: Echoes from the Vault

Largely forgotten outside of the popular “Hopeless Causes” devotion, St. Jude Thaddeus—one of the Twelve and brother of Our Lord and of St. James—wrote a short but effective epistle against the doctrinal and moral corruption of false teachers in the Church. While the exact identification of these heretics is uncertain (Fr. Haydock seems unreasonably certain that they are the Nicolaites and the disciples of Simon Magus), the moral attributes of these errant teachers are common even today.

For certain men are secretly entered in, (who were written of long ago unto this judgment,) ungodly men, turning the grace of our Lord God into riotousness [Latin: luxuriam], and denying the only sovereign Ruler, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (v. 4) 

As Sodom and Gomorrha, and the neighbouring cities, in like manner, having given themselves to fornication, and going after other flesh, were made an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire. In like manner these men also defile the flesh, and despise dominion, and blaspheme majesty. (v. 7-8) 

But these men blaspheme whatever things they know not: and what things soever they naturally know, like dumb beasts, in these they are corrupted. (v. 10) 

These are murmurers, full of complaints, walking according to their own desires, and their mouth speaketh proud things, admiring persons for gain’s sake. (v. 16) 

In the last time there should come mockers, walking according to their own desires in ungodlinesses. These are they, who separate themselves, sensual men, having not the Spirit. (v. 18-19)

They entered in secretly, encouraging lust, and denying the kingship of Christ. They participate in the sins of Sodom and Gomorrha, and despise the celestial hierarchy, which even the great St. Michael would not do against Satan. Whatever these teachers do not understand, they mock. What they know, they corrupt. They complain ceaselessly, speaking constantly about their own greatness, and flattering others for their own good. These are mockers, and unspiritual schismatics.

Now of course there are many other interesting things in the Epistle of St. Jude, including references to unbiblical (but not untraditional) stories of Sts. Enoch and Moses, as well as some very colorful language about the punishments awaiting the false teachers. What interests me are the unavoidable parallels between the descriptions of these teachers and the false teachers we are afflicted with today. I will not belabor these parallels, as they are obvious to anyone who has been reading Catholic news sources for the last few years or even months, but it is somehow comforting to know that Christians have always suffered under the weight of deceivers who twist doctrine to suit what the brobdingnagian apologist Mark Shea frequently calls “pelvic issues.”

We may take some further comfort in Jude’s exhortation of how we ought to bear living under the weight of these wicked men, and how to comport ourselves while waiting for their judgment:

But you, my beloved, building yourselves upon your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto life everlasting. And some [of these heretics] indeed reprove, being judged: but others save, pulling them out of the fire. And on others have mercy, in fear. (v. 20-23)

source: The Met

Ss. Simon and Jude

Ss. Simon and Jude in Persia

We hear a lot about our Lady, Ss. Peter and John, and St. Paul in the Gospel and Acts of the Apostles, but for information on the other Apostles we tend to rely upon secondary sources, traditions, and martyrologies. Today we celebrate the feast of Ss. Simon and Jude—transferred after the feast of Christ the King superseded it yesterday—one of those days whose Apostolic saints requires a look beyond the Gospel and Acts.

From the Roman Martyrology:

Simon the Canaanite, called also Zelotes, went through Egypt preaching the Gospel, while as the like was done in Mesopotamia by Thaddaeus, called also in the Gospel Jude the brother of James, and the writer of one of the Catholic Epistles. They met together afterwards in Persia, where they begat countless children in Jesus Christ, spread the faith far and wide in those lands, amid raging heathens, and glorified together by their teaching and miracles, and, in the end, by a glorious martyrdom, the most holy name of Jesus Christ.

In St. Jude's epistle he exhorts the Church to hew to the faith given to believers, as the Jews received faith from God during tribulation in Egypt, and expel those who contaminate it with their perverse belief and lax reverence:

1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James: to them that are beloved in God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.
2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and charity be fulfilled.
3 Dearly beloved, taking all care to write unto you concerning your common salvation, I was under a necessity to write unto you: to beseech you to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints.
4 For certain men are secretly entered in, (who were written of long ago unto this judgment,) ungodly men, turning the grace of our Lord God into riotousness, and denying the only sovereign Ruler, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

5 I will therefore admonish you, though ye once knew all things, that Jesus, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, did afterwards destroy them that believed not:
6 And the angels who kept not their principality, but forsook their own habitation, he hath reserved under darkness in everlasting chains, unto the judgment of the great day.
7 As Sodom and Gomorrha, and the neighbouring cities, in like manner, having given themselves to fornication, and going after other flesh, were made an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire.
8 In like manner these men also defile the flesh, and despise dominion, and blaspheme majesty.

9 When Michael the archangel, disputing with the devil, contended about the body of Moses, he durst not bring against him the judgment of railing speech, but said: The Lord command thee.
10 But these men blaspheme whatever things they know not: and what things soever they naturally know, like dumb beasts, in these they are corrupted.
11 Woe unto them, for they have gone in the way of Cain: and after the error of Balaam they have for reward poured out themselves, and have perished in the contradiction of Core.
12 These are spots in their banquets, feasting together without fear, feeding themselves, clouds without water, which are carried about by winds, trees of the autumn, unfruitful, twice dead, plucked up by the roots,
13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own confusion; wandering stars, to whom the storm of darkness is reserved for ever. (Epistle of St Jude, 1:1-13)

 St. Jude is also the patron saint of lost causes!—such as St. Jude's parish in the delightful BBC sitcom Bless Me, Father, a pun on 1950s Irish Catholicism in England written by heretical ex-priest Peter DeRosa.

In this episode, one of my favorites, Fr. D tries to beat the Anglican curate to the burial of a dead seaman in order to collect the deceased's insurance policy!

St. Jude was venerated in Armenia from ancient days until the Mohammadan persecutions in the 19th century. He still enjoys veneration in Spain and Italy.

O most holy apostle, Saint Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honoureth and invoketh thee universally, as the patron of hopeless cases, and of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, who am so miserable. Make use, I implore thee, of that particular privilege accorded to thee, to bring visible and speedy help where help was almost despaired of. Come to mine assistance in this great need, that I may receive the consolation and succor of Heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly (here make your request) and that I may praise God with thee and all the elect throughout eternity. I promise thee, O blessed Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favour, to always honour thee as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to thee. Amen.