By Bishop Gregorios of Mesaoria
Today our Church celebrates the memory of Saint Judas the Apostle, brother of Jesus, also known as Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus.
Saint Judas the Apostle is also variously called Judas Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus. However, he is clearly distinguished from Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus prior to his crucifixion.
He was the son of Joseph, the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and brother of James, the brother of the Lord, first hierarch of Jerusalem. He was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.
He was one of the Twelve Apostles (not to be confused with the Thaddeus of the Seventy Apostles, whose memory is celebrated on August 21).
After the Ascension and the Pentecost, Judas he preached the Gospel in Palestine and Mesopotamia. He suffered many persecutions and hardship and eventually martyred for his faith in Edessa, Syria.
Among the Catholic Epistles of the New Testament, he is an author of one epistle that, despite its brevity, is distinguished by the simplicity and the thorough theological knowledge of its content.
SOURCE: Church of Cyprus
