Saint Athanasius
Coptic Orthodox Church

SAINT SIMON

The Cananean
The Apostle

Saint Simon is surnamed the Cananean or Zelotes in the Holy Scriptures, words which both mean "the Zealous." Some have mistakenly thought that the first of these names was meant to imply that Simon was born in Cana in Galilee. The name refers to his zeal for the Jewish law before his call, and does not necessarily mean that he was of that particular party among the Jews called Zealots. With the rest of the twelve, he received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Saint Basil as well as at the Roman Martyrology say that after Simon preached the Gospel in North Africa, he joined Saint Jude the Apostle at Mesopotamia, and that they went as missionaries for some years in Persia, suffering martyrdom there.

May the prayer and the supplication of Saint Simon the Cananean the Apostle be with us all. Amen.



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