Today we celebrate the feast of the apostles Simon and Jude, two of the the twelve “foundation stones” of the new Jerusalem, the Church (cf. Rev 21:14). And although so little is known about these two apostles, what we proclaim in today’s psalm response is true: “Their message goes out through all the earth.” And what is the message of Simon and Jude—and all the other apostles, for that matter? That the Lord Jesus is risen from the dead (Acts 1:21–22), and that now, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the forgiveness of sins and the resurrection of the dead are open to all who believe in him.
Today, let us go back to the heart of this apostolic proclamation, perhaps by meditating on that ancient baptismal creed known as the Apostles’ Creed. And as we reflect on these fundamentals of our faith, let us ask the grace of the Holy Spirit to be rooted firmly in that spirit of mission and zeal which led Simon, Jude, and the rest of the twelve apostles to go to the ends of the earth (as it was known then) to share the Good News.