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THE LITANY
OF ST. JUDE
The litany of St. Jude, a prayer for private devotions, gives us an intriguing look at this famous patron saint of desperate
cases. Also known as Thaddeus, St. Jude (pictured above) was one of the 12 apostles. He is not to be confused with the
infamous apostle, Judas Iscariot, our Lord’s betrayer.
When Christ appeared to the apostles after His resurrection he instructed them to “go into the whole world and preach the
Gospel” (Mark 16:15). St. Jude, among the others, certainly took this to heart, as he proclaimed the good news from Judea
to as far away as Persia!
Although details of his life are sketchy, both miracles, including curing the King of Edessa (in modern day Turkey) of leprosy,
and conversions have been attributed to him. He is also said to have written the New Testament Epistle bearing his name,
although this is not completely certain.
When the litany of St. Jude is prayed in a private setting by two or more people, the lines given in italics below are the
responses to a leader.
Let us pray. O God, Who through Thy blessed Apostle Jude Thaddeus hast brought us unto the knowledge of Thy Name,
grant us both to celebrate his eternal glory by making progress in virtue, and by celebrating his glory advance in virtue.
Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who with Thee and the Holy Ghost art one God, now and forever. R. Amen.
As the litany of St. Jude mentions, the apostle is thought to have suffered a “glorious martyrdom” in Persia. Even though we
don’t know much about his life, St. Jude has helped those invoking his aid in dire straits for centuries. St. Bernard
considered him to be a “potent helper in every circumstance”.