A reflection on Ephesians 2:19–22 for the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude.
It is nice to arrive at Mass and know that I do not have to make everything up. The prayers are there. The readings are there. I join people who have come to worship God, as Catholics have done for centuries. The Mass is the same prayer in Spanish and English. I belong to this Church.
On the feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Paul describes a household built on the foundation of the apostles, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone. I think about how much I have received from people whose names I will never know. The faith reached me because others taught it, practiced it, and kept passing it on.
I am thankful for that. I love our Catholic prayers and the Mexican traditions that help my family celebrate the faith. But gratitude comes with responsibility. If I want my children to understand what they receive, I need to keep learning too.
“Because that is what we do” sometimes explains a family custom. But it is not a satisfying answer for questions about faith.
If one of my children asks why we seek a saint’s prayers, I want to give an answer that helps. If they ask about something at Mass, I need to see their curiosity as a longing to grow. Sometimes I have to say, “I don’t know. Let’s find out.” It is better to admit that than give them an answer I have not thought through.
Simon and Jude remind me that the Church’s foundation reaches much further back than my own experience of the faith. My family’s customs are important, but I also share this faith with Catholics whose homes and celebrations are very different than ours.
Paul says we are being built together into a dwelling for God. I have a place in that household, and so do my children. I want to help them see it, with room for their questions and patience while we learn together.
Lord Jesus, thank you for the apostles and for everyone who helped bring your Gospel to me. Help me understand the faith I love. Give me humility when I do not know an answer and patience with my children’s questions. Through the prayers of Saints Simon and Jude, help our family grow in faithfulness to you. Amen.