Thursday, 1 November 2012

"St. Jude" Martyr

"St. Jude" Martyr, St. Jude  Thaddeus,  who  has been  named  tenth  and  eleventh in the list of apostles by St.Mathew and St.Luke, is the cousin of Jesus ( Mathew 13 : 55 ). He is  the son  of Cleophas and  Mary  Cleophas who is the  sister of  the Virgin  Mary  ( John 19 : 25 ). The evangelists St.Mathew and St.Mark call him as 'Thaddeus', not to mix up with the betrayer Judas Iscariot.
The popular name 'Thaddeus' is a Greek name, which means  'great  hearted  one'. True to his name, the world celebrates him today as "The Saint of the Impossible". Bible's reference to Saint Jude is short, just as his letter which  is again the last of the 'Epistles of the Apostles'. The 'Acts  of  the  Apostles'  also  do not cover any of  Saint Jude's  Evangelism. But many historians conclude that Saint Jude  preached along with

St. Simon Peter.In ' The  Contendings of the Apostles ', an  ancient  scripture, the preachings of  St. Jude's and preachings of  St. Simon  Peter's in Palestine has been  elaborated. He spread faith  in Christ  starting from Judaea, Galilee, Samaria and  Idumaea, and afterwards in the land of Arabia,Syria and Mesopotamia and came, finally,to the city of Edessa. According to  Eusebius,  he  returned  to Jerusalem  in the 62 AD  for  the 'The Council of the Apostles', and assisted at the election of St. Simon Peter as Bishop of Jerusalem.


The ' Epistle of Jude '  in  the New  Testament  was written  by him  in  the Greek  language  and  was addressed to Churches of the East. It warns against the doctrine that tries to pervert God's grace into licentious immoral living.

The Apostle is said to have suffered martyrdom  in Suanis, which was then subject  of  Persia.  Tradition  tells us  that  he  was clubbed  into insensibility and after that his head was shattered  with  a  broad  axe. Another version tell  us  that  the  Apostle was  martyred, aged  80  in Armenia where he was  crucified on a cross and  pierced  with  arrows. Because of  these  beliefs,  St. Jude's pictures and  statues depict him holding a club, an arrow and an axe.

St. Jude  is traditionally depicted carrying the image of Jesus in his hand. It represents  the imprint of the Divine Countenance that  was  entrusted to him by  Jesus. King Abagar  of Edessa  in  Syria,  asked  Jesus to cure him of  leprosy and also sent  an  artist  to bring  him a drawing  of  Jesus Christ.  Impressed  with  King  Abagar's  great  faith, Our  Lord  pressed his  face on a cloth  and  gave  it to St. Jude to  take  to  Abagar and  cure  him. The King was  cured  and converted to Christianity  along with  most of his subjects.After the martyrdom, pilgrims came to his grave to  pray  and  many of them, experienced the powerful intercessions of St. Jude. Thus the title, 'The Saint  for the Hopeless and the Despaired'.

St. Bridget of Sweden  & St. Bernard had visions from God asking him to accept St. Jude as 'The Patron Saint of the Impossible'.  In 1548,  Pope  Paul  III  declared  the feast  of  St. Jude to  be celebrated on 'October 28' every year. In  the  18 th century, the  popular  devotion  of  St. Jude  was strengthened  in  France and  Germany. Today, more than ever before,  the world is witnessing St. Jude's  powerful  intercessions on behalf  of  the helpless and the devotion to  St. Jude is spreading with the blessing of our living God.

O Holy St. Jude, Apostle and Martyr great in virtue and rich in miracles, near Kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor of all who invoke your special patron age in time of need, to you I have recourse from the depths of my heart and humbly beg you to whom God has given such great power to come to my assistance, help me in my present urgent petition. In return I promise to make your name known and cause you to be invoked. Say (3) Hail Marys and (3) Glorias. St. Jude pray for us and all who invoke your aid, Amen. Publication must be printed. This novena has never been known to fail and must be said for (9) consecutive days. -L. J

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