Holy Apostle Jude, Brother of the Lord According to the Flesh.
Polyeleos Feast. Apostles’ Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
Jude 1:1-10. John 14:21-24.
Read Jude 1:1-10
Today we commemorate the Holy Apostle Jude the Brother of the Lord. He was a descendant of King David and Solomon, and was one of the twelve apostles of Christ. He was the son of Righteous Joseph the Betrothed by his first wife. Initially, Jude and his brothers did not believe in Jesus’s divine nature, as mentioned in the Gospel of John: “… for even his brethren did not believe in him.” (John. 7:5). Tradition states that when Joseph attempted to divide his possessions, including giving a share to Jesus, Jude and the other brothers objected because Jesus was born of another mother. Only James, who later became known as “The Brother of God”, offered to share his inheritance with Jesus.
Eventually, Jude recognized Jesus as the Messiah and became one of His apostles. Despite being called the Lord’s brother, Jude humbly referred to himself only as James’s brother in his Epistle. His lack of faith, resistance to Jesus and his lack of charity towards Him made him feel unworthy. He was also known by other names such as Lebbaeus, Thaddeus, and Barsabas, reflecting the custom of that time.
Following Jesus’s Ascension, Jude spread the Gospel across various regions, including Judea, Galilee, Samaria, Idumaia, Arabia, Syria, and Mesopotamia. He completed the evangelical work in Edessa that was started by Saint Thaddeus of the Seventy. Tradition holds that he also went to Persia, where he wrote his Epistle in Greek.
Jude’s Epistle addresses profound theological truths, including the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation, the nature of angels, and the Last Judgment. He exhorts believers to avoid impurity, maintain diligence in prayer, faith, and love, convert the lost, and beware of heretical teachings. He emphasizes that true faith must be accompanied by good works, citing the punishment of rebellious angels and men by God. Saint Jude ultimately died as a martyr around the year 80 near Mt. Ararat in Armenia, where he was crucified and pierced by arrows.
St. Jude gives us a beautiful example of a person who is willing to humbly admit his wrongs. Early in his life he opposed Jesus, was uncharitable towards Him and even thought Jesus was out of His mind. At some point he came to the realization that Jesus is the Messiah. This took a lot of courage and humility to admit he was wrong and to change his view at the expense of public ridicule. When we humble our heart we give the Lord the ability to shape us into something beautiful. He became an Apostle and an amazing instrument of God’s grace. This would not have been possible without an act of humility. Do we approach the Lord is a with a humble submissive heart, or with pride and arrogance? This will determine how the Lord can shape us.