St Jude Thaddeus the Patron Saint of Lost Causes
Saint Jude Thaddeus is the patron saint of desperate or impossible situations and lost causes. St. Jude Thaddeus is a highly venerated saint in the Catholic tradition. We celebrate the feast of St Jude Thaddeus on October 28, his feast day is a time of joy and joy, especially for those facing seemingly insurmountable challenges.
He is usually called St Jude Thaddeus to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. St Jude Thaddeus came from Nazareth and was the son of Mary of Cleopas, one of the three pious women who were present with Mary at Calvary next to the Cross of Jesus.
St Jude Thaddeus was Jesus’ cousin and brother of James the Less, another of the apostles. After the death and resurrection of Jesus, St Jude Thaddeus traveled widely to preach the Gospel, reaching places such as Mesopotamia and Persia. According to tradition, Judas Thaddeus was martyred alongside Simon the Zealot in Persia.
St Jude Thaddeus is represented in art with a great variety of iconographic representations. He was personified with a halberd, an axe or a sword until the 14th century, after which he was represented with a mace, which is supposed to have been the tool with which he suffered martyrdom. Also, Saint Jude Thaddeus is usually represented with a “bent ruler” which would be a stylised representation of the shamsir sabre, a weapon attributed to his decapitation. His representations frequently carry an image of Jesus in the form of a medallion on the chest, in memory of the legend contained in the book The Golden Legend, according to which this apostle would have taken the mandylion to the court of King Abgarus V of Edessa to heal him. He is also represented with a flame of fire on his head, recalling his presence at Pentecost, and a book or scroll representing the Epistle of Jude, one of the canonical books.
Prayer to St Jude Thaddeus
In many places, St Jude is revered as a powerful defender in times of great need. His image is often carried by people seeking relief and comfort in difficult times. The prayer to St Jude Thaddeus is a testament to the saint’s enduring role as a beacon of hope for those in distress.
Prayer of Consecration to St Jude
Saint Jude, apostle of Christ and glorious martyr, I desire to honor you with special devotion. I choose you as my patron and protector. To you I entrust my soul and body, all my spiritual and temporal interests, as well as those of my family. To you I consecrate my mind, so that in all things I may be enlightened by faith; my heart so that you may keep me pure and fill me with love for Jesus and Mary; my will so that, like yours, it may always be one with the will of God.
Pray for me, my holy patron and helper, so that, inspired by your example and assisted by your prayers, I may live a holy life, die a happy death and attain to the glory of Heaven, there to love and thank God forever. Amen.
Prayer to Saint Jude
Most holy Apostle St Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the name of the traitor who delivered the beloved Master into the hands of His enemies, has caused you to be forgotten by many but the Church honors and invokes you universally as the patron of hopeless cases, of things despaired of. Pray for me who am so miserable; make use I implore you, of this particular privilege accorded to you, to bring visible and speedy help, where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolations and succor of Heaven in all my necessities, tribulations and sufferings, particularly (make your request) and that I may bless God with you and all the elect forever.
May the most just, most high and most adorable Will of God be in all things done, praised and magnified, forever and ever. Amen.
Another prayer to St. Jude
Most holy Apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honors and invokes you universally as the patron of hope. Please intercede on my behalf. Make use of that particular privilege given to you to bring hope, comfort, and help where they are needed most. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven as I work with my challenges, particularly (make your request). I praise God with you and all the saints forever. Amen.
St Jude Thaddeus occupies a special place in the hearts of the faithful. Churches dedicated to his memory serve as sanctuaries where people can offer their prayers and seek his intercession. The influence of St Jude Thaddeus extends beyond religious observance. He has become a benchmark for holiness, representing the enduring human spirit that perseveres against all odds. His story inspires countless people to maintain faith and hope, even when faced with the most difficult circumstances.
St. Jude Thaddeus in the Bible
“Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, “Master, [then] what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him”” – John 14:22-23 New American Bible.
St. Jude Thaddeus is called in the Bible by two different names. While in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark they simply call him “Thaddaeus” or its variant “Lebeo.”
“The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus” – Matthew 10:2-3
However, Luke in his Gospel and in the Acts of the apostles calls him “Judas of James”.
“When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James” – Acts of the apostles 1:13
The life and legacy of St Jude Thaddeus
St Jude was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and is often depicted holding an image of Christ, or a club, indicative of his martyrdom. He is believed to have been the author of the Letter of Jude, one of the shortest books of the New Testament, and he is believed to have been martyred in Beirut around 65 AD. His association with desperate situations originated in an ancient tale in which he is said to have cured King Abgar V of Edessa through the power of faith. This miraculous event cemented his reputation as an intercessor of the hopeless and desperate.
Below is an excerpt from the book “The Golden Legend or Lives of the Saints”:
The meaning of the name Judas
Judas is as much to say as confessing or glorious; or Judas is as much to say as giving joy. For he had confession of faith, glory of reign, and glory of the everlasting joy. This Judas was called by many names. He was said Judas James, for he was brother to James the Less, and he was called Thaddeus, which is as much to say as taking a prince; or Thadee is said of Thadea, that is a vesture, and of Deus, that is God, for he was vesture royal of God by ornament of virtues, by which he took Christ the prince. He is said also in the History Ecclesiastic, Lebbæus, which is as much to say as heart, or worshipper of heart. Or he is said Lebbæus of lebes, that is a vessel of heart by great hardiness, or a worshipper of heart by purity, a vessel by plenitude of grace, for he deserved to be a vessel of virtues and a caldron of grace. And Abdias, bishop of Babylon, by the apostles ordained, wrote their passion and legend in Greek, and Tropæus the disciple of Abdias translated it out of Greek into Latin. And he was named Africanus.
History of St Jude Thaddeus.
King Abgarus
Simon Cananean and Judas Thaddeus were brethren of James the Less and sons of Mary Cleophas, which was married to Alpheus. And Jude was sent of Thomas to the king Abgarus of Edessa after the ascension of our Lord. And it is read in the History Scholastic that the said Abgarus sent an epistle unto our Lord Jesu Christ in this manner. Abgarus the son of Euchania to Jesus, blessed Saviour, which appeareth in the places of Jerusalem, sendeth salutation. I have heard of thee, and that the healths and recoverings that thou makest and dost, be without medicines and herbs, and that thou makest the blind to see by thine only word, and the lame to go, the mesels to be cured and made whole, and the dead bodies to live again. Which things heard of thee, I ween in my courage that thou art one of two, that is that thou art God that art descended from heaven for to do this, or that thou art the son of God that dost such things. Wherefore I pray thee by writing that thou wilt travail so much as to come to me and heal me of my malady, of which I have long been vexed. And I have heard say that the Jews murmur against thee and lie in await against thee. Come therefore to me, for I have a little city, but it is honest, and shall shall well suffice to us both.
Our Lord Jesus answered him by writing in these words: Blessed art thou that hast believed in me when thou hast not seen me. It is written of me, that they that see me not shall believe in me, and they that see me shall not believe. Of that thou hast written to me that I shall come to thee, me behoveth to accomplish that which I am sent for, and after to be received of him from whom I am sent. When I am ascended, I shall send to thee one of my disciples to heal thee and quicken thee.
The painting of Jesus’ face
This is written in Historia Ecclesiastica. And when Abgarus saw that he might not see God presently, after that it is said in an ancient history, as John Damascene witnesseth in his fourth book, he sent a painter unto Jesu Christ for to figure the image of our Lord, to the end that at least that he might see him by his image, whom he might not see in his visage. And when the painter came, because of the great splendour and light that shone in the visage of our Lord Jesu Christ, he could not behold it, ne could not counterfeit it by no figure. And when our Lord saw this thing he took from the painter a linen cloth and set it upon his visage, and emprinted the very phisiognomy of his visage therein, and sent it unto the king Abgarus which so much desired it.
The power of Jesus’ letter
And in the same history is contained how this image was figured. It was well-eyed, well-browed, a long visage or cheer, and inclined, which is a sign of maturity or ripe sadness. That epistle of our Lord Jesu Christ is of such virtue, that in the city of Edessa no heretic ne no paynim may live therein, ne none tyrant may grieve it. For if any people come against that city by force of arms, a child shall stand upon the gate, and shall read that epistle, and that same day either the enemies shall flee and be afraid, or they shall make peace with them of the town. And as is said: This hath been done. But this city hath been sith taken of the Saracens and touched in such wise, that for the multiplying of sins this benefit is lost.
The mission of St Jude Thaddeus
Also it is read in the History Ecclesiastic that when our Lord was ascended into heaven, Thomas the apostle sent Thaddeus, that was Jude, unto the king Abgarus according to the promise of our Lord. And when he was come to him, and had told to him that he was messenger of our Lord Jesu Christ, which had promised to send him one, then Abgarus saw in the visage of Thaddeus a marvellous and godly brightness. And when he had seen it he was all abashed and afeared, and worshipped our Lord saying: Verily, thou art the disciple of Jesu Christ, Son of God, which sent to me word that he would send to me some one of his disciples that should heal me and give to me life. To whom Thaddeus said: If thou believest in the Son of God thou shalt have all the desires of thine heart. And Abgarus said: I believe on him, verily, and those Jews that slew him, I would gladly slay them if it were possible to me, and had power, howbeit that the authority letteth it. And as it is read in some places and books, that Abgarus was leper, and Thaddeus took the epistle of our Saviour, and rubbed and frotted therewith the visage of Abgarus, and anon he received full health.
St Jude Thaddeus and St Simon advise Duke Baradach
Judas preached first in Mesopotamia and in Pontus, and Simon preached in Egypt, and from thence came they into Persia, and found there two enchanters, Zaroes and Arphaxat, whom S. Matthew had driven out of Ethiopia. And found there also Baradach, a duke of the kings of Babylon, which should go in battle against them of India, and could have none answer of his gods. And then they went to a temp]e nigh to the city, and there they had answer that because that the apostles that were come they might not answer. Then the duke did enquire for them, and found them, and demanded them wherefore they were come, and what they were. Which answered: If thou demand of our lineage, we be Hebrews, and if thou demand of our condition, we be servants of Jesu Christ, and if thou demand wherefore we be come, we be for your health. To whom the duke answered: When I shall return joyously from the battle I shall hear you. To whom the apostles said: It is more convenable to thee to know him now, by whom thou mayst overcome and appease them that be rebel to thee. And the duke answered: I see you more mighty than our gods; I pray you to say to us tofore the end of the battle. And the apostles said: Because that thou knowest thy gods to be liars, we command them that they give answer to that thou demandest, because that when they have we shall prove that they have lied. Then the idols said that the battle should be great, and much people should be overthrown on both sides. And then the apostles began to laugh and the duke said to them: I am afeard and ye laugh. And the apostles said: Doubt ye nothing, for peace shall be made among you, and tomorn at the hour of tierce the messengers of the Medes shall come, and shall submit them to thy puissance with peace.
The enchanters conspire
And then the bishops of the idols made a great laughter, and said to the duke: These men here would assure thee here, to the end that thou shouldst believe foolishly, and that thou shouldst be betaken of thine adversaries. And the apostles said: We say not abide a month, but one day only, and thou shalt be vanquisher all in peace. Then the duke made to be kept that one and that other, that they that said the truth should be honoured, and the liars punished. Then on the morn, like as the apostles had said, it happed, and then the duke would have burnt the bishops of the idols, but the apostles letted him that he should not slay them, for they were not come for to slay but for to quicken the dead. And then the duke much marvelled that they would not that they should be slain ne receive none of their goods, and brought them to the king and said: These be gods hid in form of men. And when he had told all to him in the presence of his enchanters, the enchanters, being moved of envy, said that they were malicious and wicked men, and purposed some malice against the realm subtly. Then the duke said to them: Now if ye dare, assay ye and dispute with them. And the enchanters said: If thou wilt, thou shalt see that they shall not now speak. We being present, make men to come hither that be eloquent and can well speak. And if they dare speak tofore us despise ye us, and say we be fools.
And then were brought tofore them many advocates, and anon they were made dumb tofore the enchanters, so that by signs they might not show that they might not speak. Then said the enchanters to the king: To the end that thou know that we be gods, we shall suffer them to speak, but they shall not mow go, and then we shall give to them their going and shall take away their sight, and yet shall their eyes be open. And when they had done all these things, the duke brought the advocates all confused unto the apostles, and when the advocates saw the apostles so evil clothed, they had of them great despite in their courage. To whom Simon said: Ofttimes it happeth that among coffers of gold wrought with precious stones be right evil things enclosed, and within coffers of tree be laid gold rings and precious stones. Promise ye that ye will forsake the idols and will worship one only God invisible, and we shall make the sign of the cross in your foreheads, and ye shall then mow confound these enchanters. And when these advocates had renounced the idols and were marked in the foreheads with the sign of the cross, they entered again to the king tofore the enchanters. Then might they not be overcome of the enchanters, but confounded them openly before the king and all the people.
The enchanters were then angry, and made to come a great multitude of serpents. Then the apostles came anon by the commandment of the king, and filled their mantles with the serpents, and threw them against the enchanters, saying: Move ye not in the name of our Lord Jesu Christ but be ye to-torn and beaten, so that ye cry and bray in showing what sorrow and pain ye suffer. And then when the serpents bit and eat the flesh of the enchanters, they cried and howled like wolves, and the king and the others prayed the apostles that they would suffer them to die with the serpents. And the apostles answered that they were sent for to bring men from death to life, and not from life to death. Then made they their prayers and commanded the serpents that they should take from them again the venom that they had shed, and return again to the places that they came from. And the enchanters felt greater pain when they drew out their venom again, than they did the first time when they bit them. And the apostles said to them: Ye shall feel this pain three days, and at the third day ye shall be whole, so that ye depart from your malice. And when they had been tormented three days without meat and drink and without sleep, the apostles came to them and said: God deigneth not to have service by force, and therefore arise ye all whole and go your way, ye have power to do what ye will. And they, abiding in their malice, arose up and fled from the apostles and moved almost against them all Babylon.
The holy deacon
After, the daughter of a duke conceived a son by fornication, and at her deliverance thereof she defamed an holy deacon, and said that he had defouled her and she had conceived of him. And when the friends of her would have slain the deacon, the apostles came and demanded when the child had been born. And they said: Yesterday, the first hour of the day. And the apostles said: Bring hither the child to us, and also the deacon that ye accuse. And when that was done, the apostles said to the child: Say to us in the name of our Lord if this deacon hath done this deed, and the child answered: This deacon is chaste and an holy man, ne he never defouled his flesh. And then the parents and friends required that the apostle should demand who had done that felony. They answered: It appertaineth to us for to excuse the innocents, and not betray ne hurt them that be culpable. That time it happed that two cruel tigers, which were enclosed in a pit, brake out and devoured all them that they met and encountered, and then the apostles came to them and made them as meek and debonair, in the name of our Lord, as they had been sheep or lambs. And then the apostles would have departed thence, but they were holden by prayers so that they abode there a year and three months, and in that espace of time the king and more than sixty thousand men were baptized, without children.
Martyrdom of St Jude Thaddeus and St Simon
And the foresaid enchanters went into a city called Suamar, whereas were seventy bishops of idols, whom they moved against the apostles, so that when they came thither, either they should do sacrifice to the idols or they should be slain. And when the apostles had gone round about the province, they came to said city, and anon all the bishops and the people took them and brought them to the temple of the sun. And the devils began to cry in the simulachres: What will these apostles of the living God do to us? Lo! how we be burnt by flames in their entering into this city. And then the angel of our Lord appeared unto the apostles, and said to them: Choose ye of two things that one, that is, either that this people be suddenly dead or slain, or that ye be martyred. To whom they said: We will that thou convert them here, and lead us to the pain of martyrdom.
And they then commanded silence, and the apostles said: Because that ye shall know that these idols be full of devils, we comnmand them for to come out, and that each of them break and destroy his false image. And anon two Ethiopians, black and naked, issued out of the idols, all the people seeing which were abashed, and all tobrake their idols, and went their way, crying cruelly. And when the bishops saw this, they ran upon the apostles and hewed them to death anon. And that same hour, which was right fair weather, came so great thunder and lightning that the temple was smitten in three, and the two enchanters were turned into coals by the stroke of thunder. And the king bare the bodies of the apostles into his city, and did do make a church of marvellous greatness in the honour of them.
Excerpt from the book “The Golden Legend or Lives of the Saints” compiled by Jacobus de Voragine, Archbishop of Genoa, 1275. First edition published 1470. Translated into English by William Caxton, first edition 1483, edited by F.S. Ellis, Temple Classics, 1900 (reprinted 1922, 1931) source.
Novena to St Jude Thaddeus
The author of this novena is Charles W. Dahm, O.P. Despite little being known about the life of St Jude Thaddeus, this novena illuminate aspects of his life through various scenes taken from the gospels to which he had to attend as a privileged witness.
Day one – St Jude Thaddeus, the powerful healer
St Jude accompanied Jesus through the villages of Israel and witnessed his healing power. Perhaps, he saw Jesus cure the ten lepers, heal a woman suffering from hemorrhages, raise the dead. When the poor blind man cried out, “Son of David, have pity on me!” (Luke 18:39). St Jude probably heard Jesus answer: “Have sight; your faith has saved you” (Luke 18:42).
St Jude was one of the disciples to whom Jesus “Gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal [the sick]” (Luke 9:1-2). He sent them two by two, and they were amazed because “They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them” (Mark 6:13).
Maybe we doubt that God wants the best for us. We may sometimes think that our suffering or illness is God’s punishment for our sins. We forget how Jesus worked tirelessly to heal the sick. When Jesus healed the man who was born blind, he explained: “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him” (John 9:3).
St Jude understood that the Lord’s desire was to heal people. After Jesus’ ascension, St Jude and the other apostles “Went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs” (Mark 16:20). Jesus’ words during the Last Supper were fulfilled in St Jude, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father” ( John 14:12).
Prayer
St Jude, you witnessed the healing power of our Lord, Jesus. You saw his compassion for the sick and dying. You yourself touched the sick, shared the pains of the afflicted, and encouraged the disconsolate. You received the authority and power from Jesus to do wonders, heal the incurable, and restore the disabled. We ask that you intercede with our brother, Jesus, to send his grace to heal the sick and afflicted, to raise fallen spirits, and to give hope to desperate hearts. Amen.
Commitment
I promise that somehow I will bring the good news of God’s love to a sick person.
Second day – St Jude Thaddeus, Apostle of Prayer
Jesus taught St Jude how to pray and how to pray with a faith that can move mountains. His prayer was inspired by the words of Jesus: “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Luke 11:9-10).
Sometimes we think that God has abandoned us or that our prayers were not heard. St Jude, on the contrary, prayed with the confidence instilled by the teaching of Jesus: “Notice how the flowers grow. They do not toil or spin. But I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass in the field that grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? As for you, do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not worry anymore. All the nations of the world seek for these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these other things will be given you besides” (Luke 12:27-31).
Although we do not fully understand the ways of God, we place ourselves in his hands with great confidence, as Jesus himself did. St. Jude was with Jesus the night the Lord prayed in the garden. There, in his agony of prayer, Jesus taught his apostles how to pray: “He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39).
When we are insistent but confident in our prayer, we allow our prayer to transform our lives. We open our hearts to the spirit of God, accepting the challenges God sends us and generously committing ourselves to imitate Jesus. St Jude understood the words of the Lord: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
Prayer
St Jude, through prayer you praised God for the wonderful works of Jesus. You asked God for the strength to face the challenges of your apostolate. You put your trust in God’s mercy, firmly believing that God loved you and understood your sorrows and joys, your dreams and fears, your triumphs and failures. You understood that nothing is impossible for God. We ask you to pray for us before the Almighty so that he fills us with his strength, we understand his will for us, and with great confidence we place ourselves in his loving hands. Amen.
Commitment
I commit again to pray with more confidence so that God’s will will always be done in me.
Third Day – St Jude Thaddeus, Patient in Suffering
Like the other apostles, St Jude suffered martyrdom for his commitment to carrying out the mission of our Lord, Jesus Christ. He accepted Jesus’ challenge, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
St Jude shared his sufferings with the Lord. He heard him say, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
St. Jude believed that his sufferings were united to those of Jesus Christ and, therefore, had redemptive value. St Paul declared, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church” (Colossians 1:24).
St Jude was human. He felt pain like us. But he remembered Jesus’ suffering, his sense of abandonment on the cross when he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). These memories helped him endure the pain because he knew that he suffered in communion with the Lord.
In our sufferings we reflect on those of our Savior, Jesus Christ. They spat on him, he was whipped, crowned with thorns and nailed to the cross where he hung for three hours. Perhaps the most painful suffering that went through his heart was the rejection by the town leaders and the abandonment by his friends. However, Jesus remained faithful to the end when he cried out, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46).
Prayer
St Jude, you remained faithful to the Lord until death. You gave your life so that others could live. You endured physical pain and spiritual abandonment. But, you were glad to be able to unite your sufferings with those of our Savior Jesus, and thus you shared in the redemption of the world. Now we ask that you intercede with our brother, Jesus Christ, so that we too may be faithful in our sufferings. Help us to trust God and put our lives in his hands. Amen.
Commitment
I will join all my sufferings and pains to those of Jesus Christ for the redemption of the world and
Fourth day – St Jude, Champion of Justice and Peace
By accompanying Jesus and listening to his teaching, St Jude learned how to fight for justice and peace. He heard the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus taught, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God”, “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven” (Matthew 5:9. 11-12).
St Jude wrote in his letter, “Beloved, although I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I now feel a need to write to encourage you to contend for the faith that was once for all handed down to the holy ones” (Jude 1:3). St Jude did fight for everything that Jesus tried to establish. Like Jesus, St Jude was sent “To bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free” (Luke 4:18).
Sometimes we resist the Lord’s challenge to fight for the kingdom of justice and peace. We fear criticism and conflict; We seek comfort and convenience. St Jude was not like that. He worked for justice with great enthusiasm because he understood that without justice, there is no true peace.
For his commitment to the kingdom of justice and peace, St Jude suffered precisely as Jesus had predicted, “You will be hated by all because of my name” (Matthew 10:22). However, he enjoyed the peace that Jesus promised at the Last Supper, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you” (John 14:27).
Prayer
St Jude, you very bravely preached the Word of God in the most difficult situations. Like Jesus, you defended the poor and oppressed and challenged the rich and powerful. When you were threatened with death, you did not resort to violence or despair but instead remembered Jesus’ words about peace and forgiveness. Hear our prayer for peace and justice in the world. Ask the Lord to give us the courage to stand up for what is right. Pray that we will be effective peacemakers like you, especially where there is war and oppression, in our communities where there is violence and conflict, and in our families where there are arguments and fights. Amen.
Commitment
I promise to raise my voice and act against injustice and work for peace wherever I am.
Fifth Day – St Jude Thaddeus, Servant of the People of God
St Jude had the privilege of accompanying Jesus daily. He learned from the Lord how God loves us and how we should love each other.
Sometimes we want others to serve us, to do what we want and to attend to our needs. Like St Jude, we must learn from Jesus who said, “Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20, 26-28).
At the Last Supper Jesus showed St Jude and the other apostles how they should serve. He washed their feet and then said, “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do” (John 13:15)
St Jude was not looking for a reward for doing good. Rather, he lived what Christ taught: “When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do’” (Luke 17:10).
St Jude fulfilled the commandments indicated by Jesus as the most important: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind”, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37. 39). Jesus wants us to love each other as he loves us: “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).
Prayer
St Jude, although you were chosen by Jesus as one of the apostles, you learned not to be proud, nor to seek honors or the highest places. On the contrary, you humbled yourself in his service to your sisters and brothers. We ask that you help us serve with a more generous heart and sacrifice our own self-interest for the good of others. Intercede for us with our crucified Christ, who humbled himself on the cross, who sacrificed his life so that we may have life. May we imitate him with a life of service to others, a dedicated and selfless life. Amen.
Commitment
I promise to fulfill a service to those who need it most or to those who do not expect it.
Sixth Day – St Jude Thaddeus, Compassionate Reconciler
Although he was an apostle, St Jude was human like all of us, and forgiveness did not come easily to him. But, he learned from his Teacher, our Lord, how to forgive. He was probably surprised to hear Jesus say, “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you”, “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:44. 48).
Like St Paul, St Jude preached, “Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger” (Ephesians 4:26). And “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother” (Matthew 5:23-24).
Do we forgive people who have offended us? And how many times should we forgive them? When Peter asked Jesus that question, perhaps St Jude heard his response: “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:22).
When Jesus was teaching St Jude and the other apostles how to pray, he explained, “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you” (Matthew 6:14). For this reason we pray with the words that Jesus taught us, “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”.
Prayer
St Jude, apostle of mercy and reconciliation, help us to forgive one another. You understand the depth of God’s compassion and our resistance to forgiveness. You learned from Jesus, the son of God, how to be merciful. He taught him how to forgive those who persecuted him and killed him. He intercedes for us before our compassionate God so that we can forgive people who have wronged us. Help us remove every vestige of hatred, bitterness or resentment from our hearts. May we have the strength to forgive as God forgives us. Amen.
Commitment
I will forgive someone who has offended me and try to reconcile with that person.
Seventh day – St Jude Thaddeus, Preacher of the good news of the Kingdom of God
Jesus trained St Jude and sent him and the others to distant villages to preach the good news and to work for the kingdom of God. After the ascension of Christ, St Jude dedicated himself to continuing the work of the Lord and remembered his command, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).
Sometimes we think that we are not called or sent; We mistakenly think that we have nothing to offer the world or that we lack enough knowledge or power to change things. We forget that through baptism we received a light and were equally commissioned like St Jude, “You are the salt of the earth”, “You are the light of the world”, “Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:13. 14. 16).
St. Jude knew how to bring the good news of Jesus to others. He learned from the Lord that when we feed the hungry or drink to the thirsty or clothe the naked or visit the sick or imprisoned, we are doing it to Jesus (Matthew 25:31-46).
St. Jude bravely announced the good news of God’s love and enthusiastically preached the coming of the kingdom of justice, peace and love. He remembered the words of Jesus at the Last Supper: “In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world” (John 16:33).
Prayer
St Jude, you left your home and traveled far to bring the good news of God’s love to all nations. You enthusiastically preached everything you had personally learned from the words and works of the Lord Jesus. You bravely faced criticism, rejection and in the end martyrdom. Ask the Lord to send the Holy Spirit so that we can be faithful messengers of God’s love, forgiveness and justice to this selfish, violent and unjust world. Help us to be the salt of the mountain and the light of the world by the charitable and compassionate way we speak and treat others. Amen.
Commitment
I will act on my faith and bring the good news of Jesus Christ to others by my words, works, and examples.
St Jude Thaddeus 1630-1635 Oil on canvas, Author Ribera, José de
Eighth Day – St Jude Thaddeus, Lawyer in Difficult Cases
St Jude was more than a follower of Jesus; He was his cousin and friend. His close relationship with the Lord not only changed his life but made him a strong advocate for us. From Jesus he came to understand the depth of compassion and the strength of God’s infinite power. He learned not to doubt God’s wisdom nor distrust divine mercy.
St Jude understood that we all want to be close to Jesus, be his friend, feel the warmth of his love, and experience his healing power. St Jude heard Jesus say, “I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you” (John 15:15-16).
Sometimes we despair of God’s love or at least doubt that God hears us. We ask ourselves: Why am I doing badly? Where is the Lord when I need him?
We come to St. Jude because we believe he is a man of compassion who understands that nothing is impossible with God. He believed what Jesus had told him at the Last Supper, “If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14). He heard Jesus say, “All things are possible for God” (Mark 10:27).
Prayer
St Jude, you are the first cousin and friend of Jesus. By accompanying him on his travels and watching him heal the sick, you learned to feel his infinite compassion and experience his saving grace. You believed that he has the words of eternal life and the power over all sickness and death. He intercedes for us now so that we may feel the warmth of his friendship, the warmth of his presence, and the healing power of his spirit. Since nothing is impossible for our God, let us ask that he cure us of all kinds of diseases of the body and soul. Amen.
Commitment
I promise to encourage someone who is in a desperate situation.
Ninth Day – St Jude Thaddeus, Founder of the Church
As one of the twelve apostles, St Jude is a founder of the Church of Jesus Christ. Wherever St Jude traveled, he sought to organize communities in which “All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart” (Acts of the apostles 2:44-46).
St Jude believed in unity and equality in the Church. Like St Paul, he understood that “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27). Because we are all equal in Christ, St Jude professed with St Paul that “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
Jesus promised the apostles to send his Spirit, the Advocate, “He will guide you to all truth” (John 16:13). At Pentecost, they received the Spirit “Like a strong driving wind”, “They were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim” (Acts of the apostles 2:2. 4). They overcame their fear and preached with wisdom and strength.
The Lord calls us all to be active members of our parish communities, sharing our gifts and putting our talents at the service of others. We must overcome our fear and selfishness to strengthen the Body of Christ, which is the Church. Jesus greatly desired that we all be one as he and his Father are one. May we all work for unity and equality among all believers in Jesus Christ.
Prayer
St Jude, you traveled far to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to all nations. You brought people together in communities of faith so that they could live the gospel of the Lord, sharing their lives and resources, uniting their hearts and minds in Christ. You recognized the dignity of all, the diversity of gifts, and the equality among all sons and daughters of God. Intercede with the Lord to send His Spirit to each of us and our church leaders so that we can forge unity and equality amidst so much division and discrimination in our church communities. Help us overcome our fear or selfishness to put our gifts at the service of our sisters and brothers in our local churches. Amen.
Commitment
I promise to do something to help strengthen the local Church, that is, my parish.
Conclusion
St. Jude Thaddeus’ legacy as patron saint of lost causes resonates with the universal human experience of facing adversity. His story is a reminder that even in the darkest times there is always hope if we persevere in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we honor his memory, we recognize the strength that comes from faith and the power of God’s intercession in our lives.
The biblical quotes that appear in this article come from the New American Bible, official version of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C.
