Simon is mentioned in Sacred Scripture and has been identified as one of the “brothers of the Lord.” Of course, Simon was not a blood brother of Jesus, but because the Aramaic and Hebrew language does not have a word for a close relative such as cousin, the word brother is often used. St. Simon, it seems, was a cousin to our Lord. Scripture says that Cleophas is his father, and his mother, or at least her sister, was the Blessed Mother. Simon is therefore Jesus’ first-cousin. Simon’s brother, called James the Less, was bishop of Jerusalem, and when he was martyred the Apostles met together and chose Simon to take his brother’s office of Bishop.
In the year of 66 civil war broke and Christians fled Jerusalem, believing that they had been warned by Jesus (Mt.24:16). The majority of Christians fled with Simon and settled on the other side Jordan in a tiny city called Pella. The Christians later returned after Jerusalem was burned and lived among the ruins of the city until Hadrian completely razed it. Eusebius wrote in his Church history that the saints performed many great miracles and…
