Meghan Grill

Mr. Campbell

Religion 10

December 15, 2017

Saint Jude

Whatever challenges you are facing in life, there is a saint in the Catholic church that

waits for your call and is eagerly hoping to assist you with the impossible in your life. The saint I

speak of is little known. He was ordinary till God chose him to lead an extraordinary life.

Though he is mentioned in the gospels very little, he showed his greatness by writing a powerful

letter which speaks out to the challenges of time. Saint Jude Thaddeus, one of Jesus’ twelve

apostles, is the Catholic patron saint of the impossible.

Little is known about the early life of Saint Jude Thaddeus, but early biblical scholars are

lead to believe he was born to a Jewish family in the town of Paneas. He is the brother of James,

another one of Jesus’ twelve apostles. He is the son of Clopas and Mary, who is believed to be

the Virgin Mary’s cousin. Saint Jude was picked by Jesus to be one of his twelve apostles and

was present at the Last Supper, where he asked Jesus why he would not manifest himself to the

whole world after his resurrection. Besides being an apostle to Christ, Saint Jude preached the

gospel in Judea, Samaria, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Lybia. While spreading the good news of the

gospels, he carried the burial cloth of Jesus to Edessa and later traveled with it to the area of

Armenia. Saint Jude is famous for curing the King of Edessas of leprosy with then same cloth of

Jesus. Saint Jude’s actions, which impressed the King, lead to the conversion of the royal family

and much of the kingdom. Saint Jude’s is credited with helping the creation of the Armenian

Church.
 Saint Jude is the patron Saint of desperate situations, desperate causes, and the hopeless.

His New Testament letter, known as the letter of Saint Jude, stresses the importance of

preserving harsh, difficult times therefore making him the saint of desperate situations. Jude

meaning “giver of joy” and Thaddeus meaning “generous” help bring light to those who pray to

him and often bear favors though Saint Jude’s intercession. Saint Jude Thaddeus is an important

figure in my life and many others who seek guidance in tough situations. The nine-day Novena

can be prayed to him in guidance when you need him most. Saint Jude’s courage to preach the

gospel in difficult circumstances and loyalty to die for Jesus inspires me the most.

According to Biblical Scholars Saint Jude Thaddeus was believed to be martyred with

Saint Simon on his journey of preaching the gospel. Today his bones can be found in the Saint

Peters Basilica in Rome. There are many shrines dedicated to saint Jude, including the National

shrine of saint Jude in Chicago, along with hospitals in his name. You can often find images of

Saint Jude with a flame around his head to represent his presence at the Pentecost along with

images of him holding and carpenters’ ruler to represent the Epistle of Saint Jude. We can

celebrate saints Jude’s feast day on October 28.

 Saint Jude the faithful apostle of Jesus,

Pray on my behave. Help bring me courage, hope,

and comfort where I need it most. Assist me with the

challenges I face and help show me the way of

Christ.

Amen

Online, Catholic. “St. Jude Thaddaeus - Saints & Angels.” Catholic Online, Catholic Online,
www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=127.]

“Why Is St. Jude the Apostle the One to Whom We Pray in Time of Hopeless Causes?” Catholic Straight
Answers, 22 May 2013, catholicstraightanswers.com/why-is-st-jude-the-apostle-the-one-to-whom-we-pray-
in-time-of-hopeless-causes/.

Papandrea, James L., et al. “Star Wars & the Joy of Christian Truth.” Catholic Exchange,
catholicexchange.com/desperate-times-callfor-the-saint-of-desperate-cases

St. Jude - About His Life, www.stjudenovena.org/stjude.html.