Thursday 17 July 2014

Prayer to St Jude: the St Jude Prayer

St Jude (Thaddaeus): St Jude Prayer
Like St Anthony and the St Anthony Prayer, St Jude is also widely known as the saint of desperate causes and there are various form of the St Jude Prayer.

His intercession is particularly powerful as he was one of the 12 Apostles, the brother of St James the Less, and was known as Thaddaeus too. Tradition says he preached in Judea, Samaria, Syria, Mesopotamia and Lybia returning to Jerusalem around AD62 where his brother St Simeon was elected as Bishop of Jerusalem.

The canon includes his Epistle to the Eastern Churches which denounces the heresies of Gnostics amongst others, and opens with the words "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to them that are beloved in God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and called".  His intercession has been sought for desperate causes particularly since that Epistle calls for perseverance in the faith despite great difficulties.

Tradition has him being martyred in Armenia.

His feast is kept on 28 October in the New Calendar and the Traditional Calendar along with St Simon.

You can invoke his powerful aid using the following prayers.  And don't forget to make known and encourage devote to this great saint.

PRAYER TO ST JUDE

Most Holy Apostle, Saint Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honours 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 consolation and help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly [here make your request] and that I may praise God with you and all the elect forever.  

I promise, O Blessed Saint Jude, to be mindful of this great favour, to always honour you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you.  Amen.

Saint Jude, Hope of the Hopeless, Pray for me.