The New Testament reveals very little about the life of St. Jude. He is certainly one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and is generally identified as Thaddeus. He is also variously called Judas Thaddaeus, Jude Thaddaeus, Jude of James, or Lebbaeus. The Gospel of John is careful to note that, although his name is Judas, he is not to be identified with Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus. His names give some indication of the type of man he was: The name “Jude” means “giver of joy,” and Thaddeus means “generous and kind.”
It appears that Jude’s mother was a cousin of Jesus’ mother, Mary, and his father, Cleophas, was the brother of Joseph. Thus, even though the Gospel of Matthew (13:55) refers to him as one of the brothers of Jesus, he was more than likely a cousin.
After the Pentecost experience (according to a non-biblical story called the Passion of Simon and Jude), St. Jude journeyed to Mesopotamia and became a leader of the Church in the East. He also supposedly traveled to Libya, Turkey, and Persia, preaching, and converting people to Christianity. He is also credited with helping form the Church in Armenia. Thus, he is considered the founding father, and he is the first Catholicos-Patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
The Letter of Jude in the New Testament was addressed to recent converts in Eastern churches who were suffering from persecution. St. Jude warned them against some teachers of the day who were spreading false ideas about the Christian faith. He said these pseudo-teachers were like “waterless clouds blown about by winds, fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead and uprooted. They are like wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shameless deeds, wandering stars for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved forever” (verses 12, 13).
St. Jude encouraged the Christian community to persevere in the face of its difficult circumstances by keeping the faith and staying close to God: “But you beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads us to eternal life” (verses 20, 21) This exhortation to Christians facing persecution – at a time when all seemed lost -- may be the explanation for St. Jude’s being the patron of desperate cases.
St. Jude is believed to have died a martyr’s death in Persia or Syria around A.D. 65 by being clubbed to death and then beheaded. His courageous martyrdom is symbolized by the ax or club he is holding – in artistic renderings. He is also traditionally depicted carrying the image of Jesus Christ in his hand close to his chest. This comes from a story in which King Abgar of Edessa asked Jesus to cure him of leprosy and sent an artist to bring him a drawing of Jesus. Impressed with Abgar’s faith, Jesus pressed his face into a cloth and gave it to Jude to present to the king. Upon seeing Jesus’ image, Abgar was cured and became a follower of Jesus.
St. Jude is also often shown with a flame around his head to represent his presence at Pentecost when he received the Holy Spirit along with the other apostles. Devotion to St. Jude began in earnest in the 1800s. It started in Spain and then spread to South America, and finally to the United States. Today, his intercession is invoked by believers the world over. Hence, St. Jude is one of the better-known and most often invoked saints of our time. It is not difficult to see why this is so when we consider the circumstances of his life.
St. Jude faced many hardships in attempting to establish Christianity in lands that were hostile or indifferent to the Good News, but his efforts eventually bore fruit in abundance because he refused to give up hope. The letter of Jude in the New Testament is addressed to a Christian community struggling with persecution. In typical fashion, St. Jude exhorts the community of believers to adhere to their faith in Christ to endure their seemingly hopeless struggle.
In times of struggle and despair, we invoke the intercession of St. Jude, confident that he will present our needs to God and obtain for us the graces we need.
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 hopeless cases, of things, almost despaired of. Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone. Make use, I implore you, of that particular privilege given 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 help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings particularly (state request here), and that I may bless God with you and all the elect forever.
I promise, o blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor, to always honor you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you. Amen.
Prayer to St. Jude Thaddeus
Glorious St. Jude, with faith in your goodness I ask your help today. As one of Christ’s chosen apostles, you are a pillar and foundation of the Church on earth. You are among the elders who stand always before God’s throne.
Brother Jude, you are renowned for your kinship with Christ. Help me remain close to Christ and resemble him in my outlook and actions.
Holy apostle, you are venerated for your work of preaching the Gospel and your faithfulness to Christ by a martyr’s death. Assist me to preach the Good News of Christ by word and example, and remain steadfast in his service, as you were. From your place of glory, do not forget the needs and difficulties of Christ’s people like me, still struggling on the way home to God. Pray for me that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven in my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly (state request here) and that I may praise with you and the elect forever.
Intercede for us all, gracious brother St. Jude and pray for us to the Lord our God in our daily toil and our necessities. Amen.
Prayer to St. Jude the Apostle
Glorious apostle, St. Jude Thaddeus, I salute you through the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Through his heart, I praise and thank God for all the blessings he bestowed on you. I implore you through his love to look upon me with compassion. God has granted you the privilege of aiding us in the most desperate cases. Come to my aid that I may pray the mercies of God. All my life I will be faithful to you until I can thank you in heaven. Amen.
Prayer to St. Jude Thaddeus
The most holy apostle, St. Jude Thaddeus, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honors you as a member of the community of saints and invokes you universally as the patron of lost cases, of things, almost despaired of. Pray for us for we are helpless and alone. Make use, we implore you of that privilege given to you by God to bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to our assistance in our necessities, creative work, tribulations, and sufferings particularly (state your request) so that we may be better able to know love and serve God with you and with all of God’s people forever by God’s holy will. We promise you, O blessed Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor, to honor you as our special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you.
May Christ be praised in his sacramental presence in the Eucharist and be received by believers throughout the world and through the Holy Spirit bring God’s creation to perfection in God’s name. Amen.
May the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus be praised and glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit as one God, now and forever. Amen.
Blessed be the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of God assumed into heaven, and eternally glorified in body and soul with her Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our Father ...
Hail Mary ...
Glory be ...
The Chaplet of St. Jude
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 help in time of need. To you, I have recourse from the depth of my heart and humbly request assistance. Help me in my present and urgent petition. In return, I promise to make your name known and cause you to be invoked.
Three Our Fathers
Three Hail Marys
Three Glory Bes
Amen.
Prayer to St. Jude
Blessed Apostle St. Jude, we call upon you for help in hope and utmost confidence. St. Jude, renowned for the hopeless, come to my aid in this time of distress. St. Jude, cousin of the Lord, obtain from our Savior the favors I now need and seek, especially (state request)
Prayer for Physical Healing
St. Jude, you witnessed the healing power of our Lord, Jesus. You saw his compassion for the sick and the dying. You touched the sick, shared the sorrows of the mournful, and encouraged the despairing. You received this authority and healing power to work wonders, to cure the incurable, to make people whole. We ask you to intercede with our brother, Jesus, to send his saving grace to heal the sickness and suffering of (state names here), to uplift his/her despondent spirits, and to instill hope in his/her hearts. Amen.
St. Jude, through prayer, you praised God for the wonderful works of Jesus. You asked God for the strength to meet the challenges of your apostolate. You put your trust in God’s mercy, believing firmly that God loved you and understood your joys and sorrows, your hopes and fears, and your triumphs and failures. You understood that nothing is impossible with God. I ask you to pray for me now before the Most High so that I too might be filled with God’s healing power, understand his will for me and faithfully place myself in God’s loving hands. Amen.
You remained faithful to our Lord, even unto death. You gave your life so that others may live. You endured physical pain and emotional abandonment. But you gladly joined your sufferings to those of our Savior, Jesus, and thus shared in the redemption of the world. I ask you now to intercede with our brother, Jesus Christ, on my behalf so that I, too can find strength in the face of my suffering. Help me to trust in God and put my life in his hands. Amen
Brief Litany of St. Jude
St. Jude, apostle of the word of God,
pray for us.
St. Jude, follower of the Son of God,
pray for us.
St. Jude, preacher of the love of God,
pray for us.
St. Jude, intercessor before God,
pray for us.
St. Jude, friend of all in need,
pray for us.
St. Jude, pray for us,
and for all who invoke your aid.
Prayer to St. Jude
To be said in cases despaired of.
St. Jude. Glorious Apostle, Faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the true Church invokes you universally as the patron of things thought to be hopeless: pray for me, who am so miserable; pray for me that finally I may receive the consolations and the aid of Heaven in all necessities, tribulations and sufferings, particularly (here make your request) and that I may bless God with the communion saints throughout eternity. Amen. St. Jude, Apostle, martyr and relative of our Lord, Jesus Christ, of Mary and Joseph, intercede for us.
Prayer for Marital Difficulty
St. Jude, we have problems in our marriage. Beg Almighty God to give us the light to see ourselves and each other as we really are. Help us to grow daily in our knowledge and mutual love and be loved while at the same time developing our potential to love and be loved. Help us, St. Jude, to see and root out every manifestation of selfishness and childish self-seeking --- those hidden enemies of love and maturity. Thus learning to love and being filled with love, we may complement each other in the remaining days of our lives. Amen.
Prayer for an Alcoholic
St. Jude, help me with this affliction, which is spiritual, psychological, and physical. Strengthen my faith, no matter what might befall me. Teach me to be patient and serene in the midst of troubles. St. Jude, help me so that nothing will upset me or weaken my determination to stay sober and abstain from alcoholic drinks. Amen.
Prayer for Mental Illness
Compassionate St. Jude, you have restored soundness of mind to so many through the power of God. See me (or mention the person afflicted) in this suffering. Confident of your powerful intercession, I beg you to ask Jesus, the merciful healer of the sick, to restore me (or name of person) that, helped by his life, I (or he/she)may experience once more that great gift of mental health. Amen.
Prayer for Financial Aid
St. Jude, assist us in our present financial worry. Since these difficult financial circumstances have come into our lives, we are in dire want and embarrassed, because we are unable to meet our financial obligations. St. Jude, you only know too well we are not asking for wealth. We ask you only for immediate assistance that will enable us to meet our pressing obligations. We plead with you, dear St. Jude, to obtain for us the financial assistance we need in our financial difficulty. Amen.
Prayer for Physical Sickness
St. Jude, I do have not the strength to pray as I should. Nothing can bring me relief. My courage is faltering, and impatience and loneliness are clouding my mind and my heart. Obtain for me St. Jude, to accept all these trials with faith and patience. If it is for my good, grant that I may recover my health so that I may be of service to others. Amen.
Prayer for a Substance Abuser
Dear St. Jude, substance abuse has caused a terrible upset in my family. The victim of this self-inflicted sickness has lost all sense of true reality --- the reality of love as well as the reality of life. Ask Almighty God to make this substance abuser aware that true happiness can be found only in loving and serving others, and not with chemical dependence. Amen.
Prayer at the Death of a Loved One
St. Jude, you know the loneliness of my heart since God took (name of the deceased) to his/her eternal reward. Help me realize that taking (name of deceased) from me was not for my harm, that I might keep him/her always close to me in my thoughts and prayers. Amen.
Hymn to St. Jude
To the tune of Ode to Joy
Christ who sent out your apostles
To proclaim to all the earth
God’s good news and sin’s forgiveness
Recreation and new birth:
For St. Jude, your friend and cousin,
We give thanks and praise today.
Through His intercession help us;
Lead us in your hope-filled way.
Christ, whose love is spent on healing
Sick of body, mind, and soul;
Who sent forth apostles, preaching
Life restored, with you its goal
For St. Jude your friend and cousin
We give thanks and praise today.
Through his intercession help us;
Lead us in your hope-filled way.
St. Jude Hymn
Apostle of Jesus
A Witness to his word,
As helper of the needy
Jude’s name is ever heard;
A preacher of the Gospel
To poor and blind and lame,
A worker great of wonders
In Jesus’ Holy Name.
All praise to the Father,
And to his Son, our Lord’
And to the Holy Spirit
Whose strength we have implored,
With all the saints in heaven
We join our voices as one
To pray as Jesus taught us,
Thy will be ever done
To 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 patronage in time of need, to you I have recourse from the depths of my heart and humbly beg to whom God has given such great power to come to my assistance. Help me in my present and urgent petition. In return, I promise to make your name known and cause you to be invoked. St. Jude, pray for us and all who invoke your aid. Amen.
Day One
St. Jude, you witnessed the healing power of our Lord, Jesus. You saw his compassion for the sick and dying. You touched the sick, shared the sorrows of the mournful, and encouraged the despairing. You received this authority and healing power to work wonders., to cure the incurable, to make people whole. We ask you to intercede with our brother, Jesus, to send his saving grace to heal the sick and suffering, to uplift their despondent spirits, and to instill hope in their hearts. Amen.
Day Two
St. Jude, through prayer you praised God for the wonderful works of Jesus. You asked God for the strength to meet the challenges of your apostolate. You put your trust in God’s mercy, believing firmly that God loves you and understands your joys and sorrows, your hopes and fears, and your triumphs and failures. You understood that there is nothing impossible for God. We ask you to pray for us now before the Most High so that we, too, might be filled with God’s saving power, understand God’s will for us and faithfully place ourselves in God’s loving hands. Amen.
Day Three
St. Jude, you remained faithful to our Lord even unto death. You gave your life so that others might live. You endured physical pain and emotional abandonment. But you gladly joined your sufferings to those of our Savior, Jesus, and thus shared in the redemption of the world. We ask you now to intercede with our brother, Jesus Christ, so that we, too, might be faithful in the face of our suffering. Help us to trust in God and put our life in his hands. Amen.
Day Four
St. Jude, you courageously 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 threatened with death, you did not resort to violence or despair but recalled Jesus’ words of peace and forgiveness. Hear our prayer today for peace and justice in our world. Ask our Lord to give us the courage to stand up to what is right. Pray that we be effective peacemakers like you, especially in the world where there is war and oppression, in our communities where there is violence and strife, and in our families where there is conflict and tension. Amen.
Day Five
St. Jude, although you were chosen by Jesus as one of the twelve apostles, you learned not to be proud, not to pursue honors or the highest places. Instead, you humbled yourself in the service of brothers and sisters. We pray that you help us to serve with a more generous heart, to sacrifice our own interest for the good of others. Intercede for us with our crucified Christ, who humbled himself on the Cross, who sacrificed his life that we might live. May we imitate him by a life of dedicated, selfless service to others. Amen.
Day Six
St. Jude, apostle of mercy and reconciliation, help us to forgive one another. You understand the depths of God’s compassion and hesitancy to forgive. You learned how to be merciful from Jesus, the Son of God. He taught you how to forgive those who persecuted you and put you to death. Intercede for us now before our compassionate God that we may forgive those who have offended us. Help us to remove every trace of hatred, bitterness or revenge from our hearts. May we have the strength to forgive as God forgives. Amen.
Day Seven
St. Jude, you left home and traveled afar in order to bring the Good News of God’s love to all the nations. You preached enthusiastically about what you learned personally from the works and words of our Lord Jesus. You courageously faced criticism, rejection and eventually martyrdom. Ask the Lord to send his spirit so that we may be faithful messengers of God’s love, forgiveness, and justice to our selfish, violent and unjust world. Help us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world by the loving and compassionate way we speak and treat one another. Amen.
Day Eight
St. Jude, you are Jesus’ cousin and friend. Accompanying him on his journeys and watching him cure the sick, you felt his infinite compassion and experienced his saving grace. You believed that he has the words of eternal life and power over sickness and death. Intercede for us now so that we might feel the comfort of his friendship, the warmth of his presence, and the healing power of his Spirit. Because nothing is impossible for our God, pray that the Spirit will make us whole in body and Spirit. Amen.
Day Nine
St. Jude, you traveled far and wide to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to all nations. You gathered people into communities of faith so that they may live the Gospel of our Lord, sharing their lives and resources, joining their hearts and minds in the Lord. You recognized the dignity of all, the diversity of gifts, and equality among all, the diversity of gifts, and the equality among all of God’s children. Pray to the Lord to send his Spirit to our Church leaders and to each of us so that we may create unity and equality amid the division and discrimination in our Church. Help us to overcome our own fear, our timidity or self centeredness in order to place our gifts at the service of our sisters and brothers in our local church communities. Amen.