The Festival of St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles
Posted on October 28, 2025 by under
Scripture: St. John 15:17-21 (NKJV)
15:17 “These things I command you, that you love one another.
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.”
Devotion
Today’s text follows Jesus’ beautiful figure of the vine and the branches, which emphasizes the nature of the disciples’ communion with their Teacher and Lord. He initiates that communion (verse 16), they are forever dependent on Him, and they can bear fruit only by virtue of their continuing union with Him. Jesus’ comment on the figure makes clear that their union with Him is not their conscious, personal choice. Jesus, who loves His own, has assured His disciples that they can continue in His love as surely as He Himself abides in the Father’s love.
It is His love for them that forewarns them of the world’s hatred, and forearms them against it. It is that love for you that forewarns you of the world’s hatred, and forearms you against it. By faith we are identified with Christ, as He is identified with the Father. His choice of us has made us alien to the world; the world will hate us. As surely as we are servants of the Lord, so surely will we inherit the hatred of the world which persecuted Him and ignored His Word.
Collect: O Almighty God, Who hast built Thy Church upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Head Cornerstone: Grant us to be joined together in unity of spirit by their doctrine, that we may be made a holy temple acceptable unto Thee; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
O Almighty and most Merciful God, of Thy bountiful goodness keep us, we beseech Thee, from all things that may hurt us; that we, being ready, both in body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish those things that Thou wouldest have done; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
