James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James son of Alpheus and Simon
called the Zealot; Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who would be the traitor.
Reflect:
Fr. James Martin, in his book My Life with the Saints, reveals that as a kid, he learned that St. Jude
was the patron saint of hopeless cases. He managed to procure a little statue of the saint. Whenever
his prayers to God failed, he would turn to St. Jude. In his little mind he reasoned that if God could
not answer prayer, it must be a hopeless case; and St. Jude, being patron of hopeless cases, must
surely be more powerful than God and would get things done. Though the logic was pretty off the
mark, St. Jude does seem to be a powerful intercessor before God, given his popularity. Yet, in the
gospels, he passes off as pretty ordinary. He is not in the closest circle of Christ; nor is he seen doing
anything remarkable. One may consider him the “least” of the disciples. But how powerful and popular
intercessors he has become for us! God does raise the lowly and the humble, and make the last first.
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