✠ தீவிரவாதியாய் இருந்த புனிதர் சீமோன் ✠(St. Simon the Zealot)அக்டோபர் 28

† இன்றைய புனிதர் †

(அக்டோபர் 28)

✠ தீவிரவாதியாய் இருந்த புனிதர் சீமோன் ✠

(St. Simon the Zealot)

திருத்தூதர், மறைசாட்சி:

(Apostle, Martyr)

பிறப்பு: ----

யூதேயா

(Judea)

இறப்பு: கி.பி. 65 அல்லது 107

ஏற்கும் சபை/ சமயம்:

ரோமன் கத்தோலிக்க திருச்சபை

(Roman Catholic Church)

கிழக்கு கத்தோலிக்க திருச்சபைகள்

(Eastern Catholic Churches)

கிழக்கு மரபுவழி திருச்சபை

(Eastern Orthodox Churches)

ஆங்கிலிக்கன் ஒன்றியம்

(Anglican Union)

லூதரனிய திருச்சபை

(Lutheran Church)

காப்டிக் மரபுவழி திருச்சபை

(Coptic Orthodox Church)

ஓரியண்ட்டல் மரபுவழி திருச்சபை

(Oriental Orthodoxy)

இஸ்லாம்

(Islam)

முக்கிய திருத்தலங்கள்: 

துலூஸ்; புனித பேதுரு பேராலயம்

நினைவுத் திருவிழா : அக்டோபர் 28

பாதுகாவல்:

மரம் வெட்டுவோர், கரியர்கள்

தீவிரவாதியாய் இருந்த சீமோன் அல்லது புனித சீமோன் என்பவர் இயேசுவின் பன்னிரு திருத்தூதர்களுள் ஒருவர். இவரை தீவிரவாதியாய் இருந்த சீமோன் என்றும் கூறுவர்.

இவரைப் பற்றி விவிலியத்தில் லூக்கா நற்செய்தி 6:15 மற்றும் அப்போஸ்தலர் பணி 1:13 இல் காணக்கிடைக்கின்றது. இயேசு கிறிஸ்துவின் திருத்தூதர்களிலேயே மிகவும் குறைவான செய்தி இருப்பது இவரைப்பற்றிதான். ஒரு சில போலி உரை நூல்களே (Pseudepigraphical writings) அவரைப்பற்றி இணைக்கப்பட்டிருந்தன.

இவரின் பெயரைத் தவிற விவிலியத்தில் இவரைப்பற்றி வேறு எதுவும் இல்லை. இறையியலாளரும், திருச்சபையின் மறைவல்லுனருமான புனிதர் ஜெரோம் கி.பி. 392-393ம் ஆண்டுகளில் எழுதிய புனிதர்களின் வரலாற்று நூலிலும் (De viris illustribus) கூட இவரைப்பற்றி குறிப்பிடவில்லை.

சீமோன் என்னும் பெயர், மத்தேயு, மாற்கு, லூக்கா ஆகிய மூவரும் எழுதிய “ஒத்திவைப்பு நற்செய்திகளிலும்” (Synoptic Gospels), “அப்போஸ்தலர் புத்தகத்திலும்” (Book of Acts) காணப்படுகின்றது.:

14 அவர்கள் யாரெனில்: இராயப்பர் என்று அவர் பெயரிட்ட சீமோன், அவருடைய சகோதரர் பெலவேந்திரர் யாகப்பர், அருளப்பர், பிலிப்பு, பார்த்தொலொமேயு,

15 மத்தேயு, தோமையார், அல்பேயின் மகன் யாகப்பர், 'தீவிரவாதி' எனப்படும் சீமோன்,

16 யாகப்பரின் சகோதரர் யூதா, காட்டிக்கொடுத்தவனான யூதாஸ் இஸ்காரியோத்தும் ஆவர்.

~ லூக்காஸ் 6:14-16

சுமார் கி.பி. 67ம் ஆண்டு, ரோமப் பிரதேசமான “சிரியாவின்” (Syria) “லெபனான்” நாட்டு தலைநகரும், பிரதான துறைமுகமுமான “பெய்ரூட்” (Beirut) நகரில் இவரும், இவரது நண்பரான புனிதர் “யூதா ததேயு’வும்” (St. Jude the Apostle) மறைசாட்சியாக கொல்லப்பட்டனர். இவர் இரம்பத்தால் இரண்டாக அறுக்கப்பட்டு மறைசாட்சியாய் மரித்தார் என்பர்.

இவரின் திருப்பண்டங்கள் புனித பேதுரு பேராலயத்தில் இடப்பக்கம் உள்ள புனித யோசேப்பு பீடத்தின் அடியில், புனிதர் யூதா ததேயுவின் கல்லரையோடு அடக்கம் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது.

† Saint of the Day †

(October 28)

✠ St. Simon the Zealot ✠

Apostle, Martyr, Preacher:

Born: ---

Judea

Died: 65 or 107 AD

place of death disputed. Possibly Pella, Armenia; Suanir, Persia; Edessa; Caistor

Venerated in:

Roman Catholic Church

Eastern Orthodox Churches

Oriental Orthodoxy

Eastern Catholic Churches

Anglicanism

Lutheran Church

Major shrine:

Relics claimed by many places, including Toulouse; Saint Peter's Basilica

Feast: October 28

Patronage:

Curriers; Sawyers; Tanners

Saint Simon the Zealot or Simon the Canaanite or Simon the Cananaean was one of the most obscure among the apostles of Jesus. A few pseudepigraphical writings were connected to him, and the theologian and Doctor of the Church, Saint Jerome, does not include him in De viris illustribus written between 392–393 AD.

This apostle, in the catalogue of our Lord’s chosen disciples, is styled “Simon the Canaanite,” whence some are of the opinion that he was born at Cana in Galilee; and it is generally thought that he was the bridegroom mentioned by St. John, at whose marriage our blessed Saviour turned the water into wine.

Simon the Zealot, one of Jesus Christ's 12 apostles, is a mystery character in the Bible. We have one tantalizing bit of information about him, which has led to the ongoing debate among Bible scholars.

In some versions of the Bible (such as the Amplified Bible), he is called Simon the Cananaean. In the King James Version and New King James Version, he is called Simon the Canaanite or Canaanite. In the English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, New International Version, and New Living Translation he is called Simon the Zealot.

To confuse things further, Bible scholars argue over whether Simon was a member of the radical Zealot party or whether the term simply referred to his religious zeal. Those who take the former view think Jesus may have chosen Simon, a member of the tax-hating, Roman-hating Zealots, to counterbalance Matthew, a former tax collector, and employee of the Roman empire. Those scholars say such a move by Jesus would have shown that his kingdom reaches out to people from all walks of life.

Another odd aspect of Simon's appointment was that the Zealots generally agreed with the Pharisees, as far as the legalistic observance of the commandments. Jesus frequently clashed with the Pharisees over their strict interpretation of the law. We might wonder how Simon the Zealot reacted to that.

The Zealot party had a long history in Israel, formed by men who were passionate about obeying the commandments in the Torah, especially those that banned idolatry. As foreign conquerors imposed their pagan ways on the Jewish people, the Zealots sometimes turned to violence.

One such offshoot of the Zealots as the Sicarii, or daggermen, a group of assassins who tried to cast off Roman rule. Their tactic was to mingle in crowds during festivals, slip up behind a victim, then kill him with their Sicari, or short curved knife. The effect was a reign of terror that disrupted the Roman government.

In Luke 22:38, the disciples tell Jesus, "See, Lord, here are two swords." When Jesus is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter draws his sword and cuts off the ear of Malchus, the high priest's servant. It's not a stretch to assume that the second sword was owned by Simon the Zealot, but ironically he kept it hidden, and Peter turned to violence.

Accomplishments of Simon the Zealot:

Scripture tells us almost nothing about Simon. In the Gospels, he is mentioned in three places, but only to list his name with the 12 disciples. In Acts 1:13 we learn that he was present with the 11 apostles in the upper room of Jerusalem after Christ had ascended to heaven.

Church tradition holds that he spread the gospel in Egypt as a missionary and was martyred in Persia.

Strengths:

Simon left everything in his previous life to follow Jesus. He lived true to the Great Commission after Jesus' ascension.

Weaknesses:

Like most of the other apostles, Simon the Zealot deserted Jesus during his trial and crucifixion.

Life Lessons From Simon the Zealot:

Jesus Christ transcends political causes, governments, and all earthly turmoil. His kingdom is eternal. Following Jesus leads to salvation and heaven.

References to Simon the Zealot in the Bible:

Matthew 10:4, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:15, Acts 1:13.

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. His feast day is October 28th.

"St. Simon" redirects here. For other uses, see Saint-Simon (disambiguation).

Simon the Zealot (Acts 1:13, Luke 6:15) or Simon the Canaanite or Simon the Canaanean (Matthew 10:4, Mark 3:18; Greek: Σίμων ὁ Κανανίτης; Coptic: ⲥⲓⲙⲱⲛ ⲡⲓ-ⲕⲁⲛⲁⲛⲉⲟⲥ; Classical Syriac: ܫܡܥܘܢ ܩܢܢܝܐ‎)[3] was one of the most obscure among the apostles of Jesus. A few pseudepigraphical writings were connected to him, but Saint Jerome does not include him in De viris illustribus written between 392–393 AD.[4]

Identity

Saint Simon the Zealot with his attribute of a saw

The name Simon occurs in all of the Synoptic Gospels and the Book of Acts each time there is a list of apostles, without further details:

Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

— Luke 6:14–16

The Zealot

To distinguish him from Simon Peter he is called Kananaios or Kananites, depending on the manuscript (Matthew 10:4 Mark 3:18), and in the list of apostles in Luke 6:15, repeated in Acts 1:13, Zelotes, the "Zealot". Both titles derive from the Hebrew word קנאי qanai, meaning zealous, although Jerome and others mistook the word to signify the apostle was from the town of קנה Cana, in which case his epithet would have been "Kanaios", or even from the region of כנען Canaan.[citation needed] As such, the translation of the word as "the Cananite" or "the Canaanite" is traditional and without contemporary extra-canonic parallel.[citation needed]

James Tissot – Saint Simon – Brooklyn Museum

Robert Eisenman has pointed out contemporary talmudic references to Zealots as kanna'im "but not really as a group — rather as avenging priests in the Temple".[5] Eisenman's broader conclusions, that the zealot element in the original apostle group was disguised and overwritten to make it support the assimilative Pauline Christianity of the Gentiles, are more controversial. John P. Meier points out that the term "Zealot" is a mistranslation and in the context of the Gospels means "zealous" or "jealous" (in this case, for keeping the Law of Moses), as the Zealot movement did not exist until 30 to 40 years after the events of the Gospels.[6] However, neither Brandon,[7] nor Hengel [8] support this view.

Other identifications

Statue of St. Simon in the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran by Francesco Moratti.

In the Gospels, Simon the Zealot is never identified with Simon the brother of Jesus mentioned in Mark 6:3:

Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.

The Catholic Encyclopedia suggests that Simon the Zealot may be the same person as Simeon of Jerusalem or Simon the brother of Jesus. He could perhaps be the cousin of Jesus or a son of Joseph from a previous marriage.[9]

Another tradition holds that this is the Simeon of Jerusalem who became the second bishop of Jerusalem, although he was born in Galilee.[10][11]

Later tradition

St. Isidore of Seville drew together the accumulated anecdotes of St. Simon in De Vita et Morte.

According to the Golden Legend, which is a collection of hagiographies, compiled by Jacobus de Varagine in the thirteenth century "Simon the Cananaean and Judas Thaddeus were brethren of James the Less and sons of Mary Cleophas, which was married to Alpheus." [12][13]

In the apocryphal Arabic Infancy Gospel a fact related to this apostle is mentioned. A boy named Simon is bitten by a snake in his hand; he is healed by Jesus, who told the child "you shall be my disciple". The mention ends with the phrase "this is Simon the Cananite, of whom mention is made in the Gospel."[14]

In later tradition, Simon is often associated with Saint Jude as an evangelizing team; in Western Christianity, they share their feast day on 28 October. The most widespread tradition is that after evangelizing in Egypt, Simon joined Jude in Persia and Armenia or Beirut, Lebanon, where both were martyred in 65 AD. This version is the one found in the Golden Legend. He may have suffered crucifixion as the Bishop of Jerusalem.

One tradition states that he traveled in the Middle East and Africa. Christian Ethiopians claim that he was crucified in Samaria, while Justus Lipsius writes that he was sawn in half at Suanir, Persia.[13] However, Moses of Chorene writes that he was martyred at Weriosphora in Caucasian Iberia.[13] Tradition also claims he died peacefully at Edessa.[15]

Another tradition says he visited Roman Britain. In this account, in his second mission to Britain, he arrived during the first year of Boadicea's rebellion (60 AD). He was crucified 10 May 61 AD by the Roman Catus Decianus, at Caistor, modern-day Lincolnshire, Britain.[16]

According to Cardinal Baronius and Hippolytus, Simon's first arrival in Britain was in the year A.D.44, during the Claudian war. Evidently his stay was short, as he returned to the continent. Nicephorus, Patriarch of Constantinople, and Byzantine historian, A.D.758-829, writes:

"Simon born in Cana of Galilee who for his fervent affection for his Master and great zeal that he showed by all means to the Gospel, was surnamed Zelotes, having received the Holy Ghost from above, travelled through Egypt, and Africa, then through Mauretania and all Lybia, preaching the Gospel. And the same doctrine he taught to the Occidental Sea, and the Isles called Britanniae." [17]

Another tradition, doubtless inspired by his title "the Zealot", states that he involved in the First Jewish–Roman War (66-73 AD).[7][8]

The second century Epistle of the Apostles (Epistula Apostolorum),[18] a polemic against gnostics, lists him among the apostles purported to be writing the letter (who include Thomas) as Judas Zelotes. Certain Old Latin translations of the Gospel of Matthew substitute "Judas the Zealot" for Thaddeus/Lebbaeus in Matthew 10:3. To some readers, this suggests that he may be identical with the "Judas not Iscariot" mentioned in John 14:22: "Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Our Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?" As it has been suggested that Jude is identical with the Apostle Thomas (see Jude Thomas), an identification of "Simon Zelotes" with Thomas is also possible. Barbara Thiering identified Simon Zelotes with Simon Magus; however, this view has received no serious acceptance. The New Testament records nothing more of Simon, aside from this multitude of possible but unlikely pseudonyms. He is buried in the same tomb as St. Jude Thaddeus, in the left transept of the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, under the altar of St. Joseph.

In art, Simon has the identifying attribute of a saw because he was traditionally martyred by being sawn in half.

Sainthood

St. Simon the Zealot's (Simon Kananaios) cave in Abkhazia, Georgia

Simon, like the other Apostles, is regarded as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Eastern Catholic Churches, the Anglican Church and the Lutheran Church.

Islam

Muslims accept Jesus as a prophet of Islam. The Qur'an also speaks of Jesus' disciples but does not mention their names, instead referring to them as "helpers to the work of God".[19] Muslim exegesis and Qur'an commentary, however, names them and includes Simon amongst the disciples.[20] Muslim tradition says that Simon was sent to preach the faith of God to the Berbers, outside North Africa.[21]

In the Gospel of Barnabas, a book dated to the late 16th century that recounts a life story of Jesus from an Islamic perspective, a list of the twelve apostles is registered. In this list the only apostle that does not match with one of the traditional apostles of Christianity is Simon the Zealot, naming in his place a person who identifies himself as Barnabas, who appears as author of the book.[22]