It was Saturday, October 28, 1032 A.D
To many people around the world, including many laities who were too busy to assist at Mass, it was a very normal day. But to the clergy and pious people, October 28 is the Festival of St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles.
In St. Peter's Basilica
After reading the Gospel, Benedict was helped by two altar servers to leave the High Altar and come to the Papal Throne, where he would conduct his sermon. Aside the white mitre, he wore nothing but red, red stole, red chasuble, red gloves, red shoes, etc.
The Young Pope sat down at the Papal Chair, and looked at the people assisting at Mass. Most were cardinals and bishops and priests, there were also a few pious laities who managed to find time to assist at Mass. Among them, there were some rich people who had nothing to do but want to show off to others that they were pious. There were also many merchants, they were here maybe to seek spiritual comfort because their businesses were not good these days.
"Brethren," Benedict opened his mouth, "today we celebrate the Festival of St. Simon and Jude the Apostles. St. Simon was but a simple Galilean, called by our Lord Jesus Christ to be His disciple and later one of the pillars of the Church He founded. He was called "the Zealot" because he possessed the zeal with which he went forth to combat sin and unbelief. St. Jude, not to be confused with Judas Iscariot the traitor, was amongst the brethren of the Lord, the brother of St. James the Lesser.
St. Jude labored for the salvation of souls first in Mesopotamia, as St. Simon did the same in Egypt. They met in Persia and went evangelize together and were martyred in Persia or Armenia. Which is the reason why We wear red today, because it's the color symbolizes for martyrdom.
And why were Ss. Simon and Jude martyrs? Not only them, but also all other Apostles, save for St. John, who was also a martyr in will, even though not in deed! It was because the hatred for our Lord, for the Roman Catholic Faith, for our Lord's beloved Spouse, the Church. The word of our Lord in today's Gospel, 'If the world hate you, know ye, that it hath hated me before you. If you had been of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.' [1]
That's the reason why the Church's persecuted. In the Apostolic Age, the Martyr Age, and so on, it was all the same. The leaders of the world killed Ss. Simon and Jude, threw the Christians in Rome to lions and let those beasts devour them, exiled St. Athanasius because they hated the fact that Jesus is God the Son and the Christians profess the Orthodox belief, and even now they consider bishops their royal subjects.
And what are the fruits of those? We won't say something that is far away. In recent years, wars were waged in provinces on this land, even bishops and abbots got involved, unrest was everywhere, goods could hardly be supplied or sold,..."
Hearing the business talk in the sermon, the merchants' ears perked up. They began to ponder. Since 8 years ago, in 1024 A.D, when Emperor Conrad II assumed the throne after the pious Emperor Henry II passed away [2], he had been in conflict with many nobles both in Germany and Italy. He waged wars against them and created unrest throughout the land.
(Of course, it was him, that damn Emperor who pushed us into this situation!)
(But what can we do? We are but merchants who have no power!)
(Maybe it's God's Will that we came here to listen to the sermon. Yes, that's right, the Pope can help us!)
Many thoughts were running through the merchants' minds.
~~~
[1] John 15:18-19.
[2] Emperor Henry II later got canonized by Blessed Pope Eugenius III in July 1147. Thus, he became known as St. Henry the Emperor and Confessor.