St.
Jude, known as Thaddaeus, was a brother of St. James the Less, and a relative
of Our Saviour. He was one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus and his attribute is a
club. Images of St. Jude often include a flame around his head, which represent
his presence at Pentecost, when he accepted the Holy Spirit alongside the other
apostles.
Saint
Jude is not the same person as Judas Iscariot, who betrayed
Our Lord and despaired because of his great sin and lack of trust in God's
mercy.
Jude
was the one who asked Jesus at the Last Supper why He would not manifest
Himself to the whole world after His resurrection. Little else is known of his
life. Legend claims that he visited Beirut and Edessa and could have been
martyred with St. Simon in Persia.
Following
his death, St. Jude's body was brought to Rome and left in a crypt in St.
Peter's Basilica. Today his bones can be found in the left transept of St.
Peter's Basilica under the main altar of St. Joseph in a tomb he shares with
the remains of the apostle Simon the Zealot
Simon
was surnamed the Zealot for his rigid adherence to the Jewish law and to the Canaanite law. He was one of the original
followers of Christ. Western tradition is that he preached in Egypt and then went to Persia with St. Jude,
where both suffered martyrdom. Eastern tradition says Simon died peacefully at
Edessa.
