Hello everyone and
welcome to Saint Study Episode #106 – “St. Simon The Apostle”
Thank you for
joining us – maybe we can all learn enough today that by the end of
the program we will say, “I didn’t know that” (But now I do!)
What is a saint?
A Canonized Saint is someone recognized by the Church as having led a
life of great charity & heroic virtue. Their example of how to conquer
any sin imaginable is so important that it was worth recognizing these
men & women in a significant way. Anyone (canonized or not) whose soul
was cleansed in Purgatory and now resides in Heaven is a Saint.
We always begin our
learning by inviting the Holy Spirit to be with us…
In the Name Of The
Father, Son & Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Heavenly
Father we ask you to be with us as we hear about the lives of your
Saints. We ask that our minds be open and that you may fill us with
the knowledge that was so loved by the men and women who lived lives
of heroic virtue and great charity. Allow us to understand and emulate
these Saints who we now know are in your company. In your name we
pray, Amen.
Let’s look at The
Saint for this weeks study St. Simon The Apostle …
Saints Birth, Life,
Death, Feast Day,
Early life unknown
Known as Simon the
Zealot (because of his intense zeal for God and Jewish law)
To distinguish him
from St. Peter he is called Kananaios, or Kananites, and Zelotes
(Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13).
His name is listed
when all the apostles are listed together (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18)
Was trained by St.
Peter
Evangelized in Egypt
& Mesopotamia but tradition tells us he likely taught in more.
Martyr for the Faith
The Abyssinians
relate that he suffered crucifixion as the Bishop of Jerusalem,
after he had preached the Gospel in Samaria.
His usual attribute
is the saw, since his body was said to have been sawed to pieces.
Some of St. Simon’s
relics are in Rome.
They are venerated
under the Altar of the Crucifixion in the Vatican.
The Western Church
keeps his feast on October 28 along with St. Thaddeus (Jude) who was
closely related with St. Simon.
Patronage
is the patron
saint for
Curriers – Sawman –
Sawyers - Tanners
Conclusions –
Interesting notes about their life or sainthood
St. Simon must have
been an effective evangelist.
He irritated the local
officials enough that they sawed his body up.
Likely the reason his
relics are spread out and his burial place unknown
Given the Apostles we
have discussed so far, it appears God is showing us that we can work
together through Him and overcome unthinkable differences for a common
goal.
I.E. Peter & Andrew
– Fisherman
Matthew the Tax
Collector (Enemy of the Jews)
Simon the Zealot
Is there a pattern?
Lets find out as we continue to discover the Wisdom of Saints.
Preview of next episode
Episode #107 – St.
Thaddeus The Apostle (AKA St. Jude)
…Always be ready to give an
explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it
with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that,
when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may
themselves be put to shame.
Hebrews 5: 13, 14
Everyone who lives on milk
lacks experience of the word of righteousness, for he is a child. But
solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties are trained by
practice to discern good and evil.
This is what we are doing
by exploring our Catholic Faith as deep as we can!
