A Special Saint . . .

Several people have commented on Pope Benedict's recent remarks encouraging us all to develop a devotion to a particular saint.

I've often heard people mention that they have a devotion to a particular saint and I've always thought to myself, 'but how do you choose just one?!'

The Holy Father suggests perhaps taking our example from the saint that we are named after. A bit difficult in my case as my first name is a 'real pagan name' as my mother once remarked (why on earth did she agree to it then, I wonder?). In her defence, she did give me the best of all saints' names as a middle name - yes, you guessed it, even in our non-Catholic school, there were still quite a few girls called Mary, and more who had Mary as a second name.

Well, I would hope we all have a special devotion to Mary; so then I think maybe I should look to the Saint whose feast day falls on my birthday. In my case it's two saints - Saint Simon and Saint Jude, so I've decided to find out a bit more about them.

All I know about them really is that Simon was called 'The Zealot' and Jude is sometimes referred to as Thaddeus. Of course, we all know St Jude is the saint of desperate causes, the saint of last-resort.

They were both martyred; Simon in Persia and Jude in Armenia, although some writers say they were both martyred in Persia or that Jude died peacefully elsewhere.

One little snippet I read today says Simon was born in Cana and some accounts say he was the bridegroom at the Wedding at Cana. I'd like to think that was true.

O God, we thank you
for the glorious company of the apostles,

and especially for Simon and Jude;

and we pray that, as they were faithful

and zealous in their mission,

so we may with ardent devotion

make known the love and mercy

of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,

who lives and reigns with you

and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Footnote:

I've always had great regard for Saint Monica, whose feast day we celebrate today. As a mother, I think we can all identify with her frustration with her wayward son, St Augustine. Most parents would agree that even the best of children 'have their moments' and most of us will have shed a few tears over our offspring at some time or another but what a shining example of perseverance St Monica is to us all - it may have taken 17 years but she got there in the end! And the moral of the story is . . . keep praying and never give up.