Simon
"He appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) that they might be
with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority
to drive out demons: (he appointed the twelve:) Simon, whom he named
Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he
named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the
Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him." (Mark 3:14-19)
Simon the Zealot/Simon the Cananean. “The Zealots, as we must translate the Aramaic word “Cananaean” of Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18, were a half-revolutionary party formed in A.D. 6-7 to resist the census ordered by Quirinius; it survived as a nationalistic anti-Roman faction. Armenian tradition claims Simon as one of its evangelizers” (Edgar J. Goodspeed. The Twelve, The Story of Christ’s Apostles. New York: Collier Books, 1962. p. 53).
The Apostle Simon, whose feast is celebrated on October 28 is often
called Simon the Zealot to distinguish him from Simon Peter. He
shares a feast with St Jude as they were thought to be companion
teachers of the Gospel. The manner of his death is difficult to
authenticate. He is thought to have been stoned, crucified upside
down and sawn in half. In this window Simon is seen holding a
stone and a staff.
In the lower picture
is the upside down cross of his martyrdom and a fish atop the Bible
symbolizing he was a fisherman by trade who was chosen to become a
fisher of men through the Gospel. The top window depicting
symbols of recollection remind us of our Baptism when God became
present in our souls through the Gift of His Love. Recollection
helps us grow ever more attentive to that Presence within us. (Compiled
by Phyllis Evans)
Simon and Jude, General Audience, Pope Benedict XVI, 10/11/06
-
Apostolic Vocations
-
Vocations
-
Media