The Apostles Simon and Jude

Today is the Feast Day of Simon the Zealot and Jude the Apostle. They share a feast day not because they died together, but because in life they are often associated as an evangelizing team. The most widespread tradition is that first Simon evangelized in Egypt, then joined Jude in proclaiming the Good News throughout Persia and the surrounding areas.

Simon later because Bishop of Jerusalem. Simon left everything in his previous life to follow Jesus. Following Christ’s death and resurrection, Simon remained true to The Great Commission as laid out in Matthew 28:18-20

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Jude the Apostle is known by several names. It is argued that these are different people, while still others say that Jude, Thaddeus, Thaddaeus and Judas (not Judas Iscariot) are the same person. Jude’s home town was Galilee. He is the son of Clopas, and the brother of James the Less. Some tradition holds that Jude’s mother, like Elizabeth, was a cousin of Mary, Mother of God. If that is the case, Jude and James the Less were related to both Jesus and John the Baptist. There is some debate as to where Jude died, while most scholars do agree he was martyred. Following his death, Saint Jude’s body was brought to Rome. Today he rests under the main alter of Saint Joseph in Saint Peter’s Basilica, in a tomb shared with the remains of Simon the Zealot. This could be another reason they share the same Feast Day.

What, you might be wondering, do pinwheel cookies have to do with these two saints. Pinwheel cookies are two flavors linked together in one delicious treat. That should be reason enough, but there’s more. Today is National Chocolate Day. One of my fondest memories are of the dozens and dozens of cookies Dad baked beginning in early November for the holidays. My favorites were his peanut butter cookies and the pinwheel cookies. This recipe comes from the same cookbook my dad used all those years ago. Now that Dad is living in a retirement home, I’m thinking it just might be my turn to bake for him for the holidays. If I do, you can bet these cookies will be a part of our tasty walk down memory lane.

Old Fashion Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies
2 oz Unsweetened Chocolate, melted and cooled
4 cups Flour, sifted
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Butter, soft
3/4 cup Shortening
1 cup Brown Sugar
2/3 cup Sugar
2 Eggs, well Beaten
1-1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Melt the chocolate and allow it to cool. While the chocolate cools, make the cookie dough.

Sift the flour, then measure 4 cups and place in a mixing bowl. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt. Sift again. Set aside.

Cream butter and shortening together. Add sugars gradually and continue to beat until light.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs well. Add beaten eggs to the creamed sugars, then bean in the vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients with the creamed mixture, blend thoroughly.

Divide the dough into two parts. Work the cooled chocolate into one half of the dough until completely worked in. Leave the other half plain.

Roll each half of the dough out as thin as possible to about the same rectangular size. Place one rectangle on top of the other and roll jelly-roll fashion. Cover tightly and chill overnight.

When ready to bake, heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove dough from the refrigerator, cut into thin slices with a sharp knife and place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in the hot oven 5 to 8 minutes. Let baked cookies rest on the cookie sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to a rack to cool.

Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

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Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.