Saints | Saint Simon and Saint Jude | LM | 28 October

On Christ the Stone by God made sure

On Christ the Stone by God made sure,
We stand in hope secure and pure;
Though tempests sweep our island shore,
His living Church shall fail no more.

2.
Like ringed high crosses, strong and fair,
Your saints proclaim Your mercy there;
Saint Simon, Jude, through sea and land,
Still call the nations by Your hand.

3.
Your word stands fast through passing years,
Beyond our doubts, beyond our fears;
Like ancient oaks in Irish earth,
It calls Your pilgrim people forth.

4.
By holy wells and winding ways,
You call us friends through all our days;
To bear Your love through joy and strife,
And witness to Your risen life.

5.
Some smile and name these saints who steer,
The “holy motorists” drawing near;
Yet AA marks apostles true,
Who point the road that leads to You.

6.
The curlew calls above the bog,
The red deer moves through mist and fog;
Where rowan flames and blackbirds sing,
All praise our everlasting King.

Reflection

Saint Simon and Saint Jude are often remembered together, not because we know much about either of them, but because both belonged to the Twelve whom Christ chose to bear witness to his life, death, and resurrection. The readings for their feast remind us that the Church is built on a sure foundation: Christ is the chosen cornerstone, God’s word endures forever, and the apostles form part of the living structure in which God makes his dwelling.

The hymn imagines that apostolic witness through the landscapes of Ireland. Ringed high crosses stand as signs of faith across the countryside. Holy wells invite pilgrims to pause, pray, and remember God’s presence. Curlew, blackbird, rowan, oak, bog, and shore all become part of a creation that continues to proclaim its Maker’s praise. These images reflect the Celtic Christian conviction that the natural world can reveal traces of divine grace.

The final verse contains a gentle literary joke borrowed from William Mayne’s Cathedral Wednesday, part of the Choir School series. In the story, Simon and Jude are jokingly called the “holy motorists” because the initials A.A. after their names are mistaken for the Automobile Association. In church usage, however, A.A. stands for Apostles. The hymn keeps the joke but turns it toward the Gospel: far from merely being motorists, Simon and Jude guide travellers on the journey of faith, pointing them to Christ, who is himself “the way, the truth, and the life.” Thus the road sign becomes an apt symbol of apostolic ministry, directing pilgrims towards their true destination in God.

Hymn information

First line: On Christ the Stone by God made sure
Text: Michael McFarland Campbell
Metre: LM
Tune: Tallis’ Canon
Theme: St Simon and St Jude (28 October)
Scripture: Isaiah 28:14-16; Psalm 119:89-96; Ephesians 2:19-22; and John 15:17-27
NDH-359

© Michael McFarland Campbell. 2026.
Permission granted for local church or parish use with attribution. Not for commercial reproduction.

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