St. Jude Thaddeus : his life, his novena StMTtD St . Jude f hcddeus -A£A St. Jude Thaddeus Nihil Obstat: John M. A. Fearns, S.T.D. Censor Librorum I imprimatur: Francis Cardinal Spellman, D.D. Archbishop of New York January 14, 1955 January 20, 1955 Cover Print St. Jude Thaddeus Borgognone, 1480-1523 Courtesy of Metropolitan Museum of Art New York City Eteacfdiffed St. Jude Thaddeus His Life, His Novena Church of St. Jude St. Jude's Votive Guild HIS LIFE MORE and more we are hearing about St. Jude, "The Saint of the Impossible," and about the ex- traordinary favors that are granted through his intercession. His name has become so well-known in recent years that he is sometimes thought to be a modern saint—one who has been recently canonized. Yet, strangely enough, St. Jude was one of the very first saints of the Church. The Bible sometimes calls him Thaddeus, which means "courageous." He was a cousin of Jesus Christ, his mother being a relative of the Blessed Virgin. He was chosen to be one of the twelve apostles. After Christ's Ascension he went forth to preach the Gospel and finally died a martyr. 2 HIS NOVENA FIRST DAY . . . "BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT, FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN" O, Holy St. Jude, resplendent example of poverty of spirit, obtain for us the grace to keep the eyes of our souls directed to the infinite treasures of Heaven. To Jesus through Mary, guide us. Offer your merits before the throne of God, asking especially, that our petitions may be answered during this Npvena . . . (Pause). May it please God to answer our prayers in the way that He knows best, giving us grace to see His purpose in everything. 3 HIS LIFE WHEN Jesus began his public life He invited a number of sincere and holy men to become his disciples. St. Jude was among them. One day, as Our Lord looked at the multitudes and saw them as sheep without a shepherd, He said to his disciples: "The harvest is plentiful enough but the laborers are few." So He selected twelve from among the disciples; these he called his apostles. Their names were Simon, also called Peter, and his brother Andrew, James the son of Zebedee and his brother John, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the publican, James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot, the traitor. 4 HIS NOVENA SECOND DAY . . . "BLESSED ARE THE MEEK, FOR THEY SHALL POSSESS THE LAND" O, gentle St. Jude, mighty in word and work, despite all your illustrious titles, you were the most humble of all the apostles. May we, too, endeavor to follow in the footsteps of the meek and gentle Saviour. Obtain for us, from the giver of every perfect gift, the graces whereof we stand in need . . . (Pause). Preserve us and our dear ones from every danger that confronts us during life and help us in the hour of our death. Amen. 5 HIS LIFE THESE TWELVE were to help him in his Mission. He gave them authority to cast out unclean spirits and to heal every kind of disease and infirmity. "As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all Nations . . . teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and have appointed you that you should go forth and bear fruit. Remember, I am sending you out to be like sheep among wolves; you must be wary, then, as serpents, and as innocent as doves." 6 HIS NOVENA THIRD DAY... "BLESSED ARE THEY THAT MOURN, FOR THEY SHALL BE COMFORTED" O, good St. Jude Thaddeus, ever close to Christ, glorious apostle and martyr, patron and helper in grievous afflictions, we come to you and entreat you from the depths of our hearts, to help us with your powerful intercession . . . (Pause). But, if what we ask of you, so earnestly, does not tend to the glory of God and the greater good of our souls, do then, we pray, obtain for us what is most profitable to both these ends. Amen. 7 HIS LIFE ST. JUDE accepted the call of the Saviour and left all things to follow him. He seems to have been the least known and the most retiring of the twelve. Most of the others, like Peter, James and John, are mentioned more often and their words quoted more frequently. The Gospels bear evidence of his humility, for only once, at the last Supper, did he break his long silence by asking the Lord a question. This silent and thoughtful man had many of the qualities that our Lord sought to instill in his apostles:. He particularly took to heart the precept: "Learn of me that I am meek and humble of heart." 8 HIS NOVENA FOURTH DAY . . . "BLESSED ARE THEY THAT HUNGER AND THIRST AFTER JUSTICE, FOR THEY SHALL HAVE THEIR FILL" Most faithful St. Jude, servant of Jesus Christ and defender of the rights of the Creator, you spent your life in bringing back to the foot of the Cross the souls of countless sinners. We entrust to you the following petitions which we humbly ask you to plead for us . . . (Pause). May we, too, become apostles, to carry Christ within us, wherever we go, so that we may be able to say with St. Paul: "I live, now, not I, but Christ liveth in me". Amen. 9 HIS LIFE AFTER Christ's Ascension into Heaven, St. Jude undertook the most difficult of all missions. It is related that in the company of Simon, a fellow-apostle, he set out for distant Mesopotamia and Persia, where he preached to a savage and barbaric people. These Pagans, steeped in immorality, were reluctant to give up their habits. The powers of Darkness tried every scheme to oppose the teaching of the Gospel. . . Neverthe- less, St. Jude persevered and great numbers were converted to the Faith. He is said to have labored for 37 years, enduring persecutions arising from the fury of the devil and his evil spirits. It was such fierce hostility that brought about his martyrdom and death. 10 HIS NOVENA FIFTH DAY . . . "BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL, FOR THEY SHALL OBTAIN MERCY" O, Blessed Apostle St. Jude, whose tender heart poured itself out in pity and love to the least of God's little ones, look down from your throne of glory on us gathered in supplication for our many needs. Behold our distress, our anxieties, our fears. Have pity upon us and obtain from our Lord, the graces and helps that we need in our spiritual and temporal necessities . . . (Pause); provided that they be profitable to our salvation. Amen. HIS LIFE FOR CENTURIES, St. Jude remained "The Forgotten Saint" . . . neglected by many because his name, Judas Thaddeus, was so easily mistaken for that of Judas Iscariot, the traitor. Few remembered to pray to him. Children did not take his name in baptism. Other saints had churches named for them, but few altars were erected to the honor of St. Jude. During the 18th century a new interest was manifested in St. Jude. St. Bridget of Sweden related that Our Lord advised her to turn to St. Jude with trust and confidence. It then became known that he was an advocate in grave and desperate cases. 12 HIS NOVENA SIXTH DAY . . . "BLESSED ARE THE CLEAN OF HEART, FOR THEY SHALL SEE SOD" Great St. Jude; your close com- panionship with Christ gave you that purity of heart pre-requisite for the Vision of God. Commend us, we beseech you, to the Immaculate Lamb, Jesus Christ and to his holy Mother, the Virgin of Virgins. Now that you are so powerful in Heaven, make intercessions for us that we may obtain . . . (Pause). Enable us to see clearly that we are not made for this world but for the imperishable beauty of Heaven. Amen. 13 HIS LIFE TODAY St. Jude is loved and honored by millions, who call him the "Saint of the Impossible." The sick are restored to health—often in cases where medical science has given up hope of recovery. Those afflicted with agony of spirit find peace. It is especially in difficult and "hope- less" cases that his aid is sought. At a time when the world is attracted by fame and glamour and the little people are forgotten, Sod has ap- pointed this humble Saint to be the instrument of His Grace: for humility means power with Sod. 14 HIS NOVENA SEVENTH DAY . . . ’’BLESSED ARE THE PEACE MAKERS, FOR THEY SHALL BE CALLED THE CHILDREN OF SOD" Great St. Jude, in these days of the distress of nations, our hearts are yearning for that peace which the world cannot give. Pray that we may enjoy true peace of soul and concord in our family life. Grant us to feel, in our present needs, the power of your intercession . . . (Pause). May your example enkindle in our hearts a desire to employ ourselves in working for the glory of God and the good of our fellow-men. Amen. 15 HIS LIFE THE APOSTLES were not men of ex- traordinary talents. They saw Christ perform miracles; yet their Faith remained weak. Even after three years of close association with the Divine Master, they failed to com- prehend his words. On Good Friday they deserted and ran away like cowards. Only St. John remained loyal. Nevertheless, these timid Apostles became the inspired champions of the Saviour. The Holy Spirit descended upon them and they went forth to change the world. Since God's power is the reason for the triumph of the Church, it may likewise be said that the wonderful mediation of St. Jude today is another evidence of Divine Providence making use of "the weak things of the world to con- found the strong." 16 HIS NOVENA EIGHTH DAY . . . "BLESSED ARE THEY THAT SUFFER PERSECUTION FOR JUSTICE SAKE, FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN" O, great Martyr St. Jude, chosen by Christ from among the poor and lowly, your greatness was born on Calvary, by the Cross of Christ. There you received the courage to suffer persecution. We, too, find ourselves tried by adversity. Forsake us not, in this sad plight, we implore thee, but hasten to our aid . . . (Pause). Obtain from our Lord help for the poor, relief for the infirm, consolation for the afflicted and the grace of conversion for sinners. Amen. 17 HIS LIFE ST. JUDE is portrayed holding a club, (sometimes a ha I bred) , because these were the instruments of his torture. He received the crown of martyrdom when a crowd of angry pagan priests rushed upon him and struck him with their clubs. After he was beaten into insensibility his head was severed from his body with a broad-axe or halbred. His relics were brought to Rome. We, too, have a relic of St. Jude given to us by Pope Pius XII. His Feast Day is observed on October 28 . 18 HIS NOVENA NINTH DAY . . . m O, MARY, QUEEN OF THE APOSTLES, PRAY FOR US M Most Holy Apostle, St. Jude, loving disciple of our Lady in the Cenacle, you received from the fountain of Her Immaculate Heart the wisdom that is born of silence and prayer. Intercede for us all the days of our life and obtain for us the special graces that we ask . . . (Pause). To him who alone is God, to him who gives us salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord, glory and majesty and power and domination, now and for all days. Amen. 19 PRAYER TO ST. JUDE /jf\ (Almigfjtg, ;EtecnaI (Sob, tffe forever Oenecable apostle 3)nbas iEljabbcus Ijas been neglecteb bg fjumanitg boring tlje past because of fjis breabful name 3(ubas. ®t]on fjas brought I]im to nefij tjonoc anb mabe fjirn a special IjeaO- enlg mebiator in serious bis- tcesses, sorcoins anb bespec- ate Oiolations of justice. (Scant, foe pcag ttjee, tfjat tbcouglt i|is tenbec mebiation £ne finb gcace in tijee, anb if toe fall into suclj {{cactacijing feac anb pecil, be libecaieb ii]cong{{ the meccg of 3)esus (Efjcist ©uc ;Hocb, (Amen. 20 THE UNIVERSAL EPISTLE OF THE BLESSED APOSTLE JUDE JUDE, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who have met with loving-kindness from Sod the Father, those whom he has set apart for Jesus Christ, and called them, mercy and peace and love be yours, in full measure. Beloved, as one who is ever ready to write to you about that salvation which is your common concern, I am compelled to send you this letter of warning; you have a battle to fight over the faith that was handed down, once for all, to the saints. Sodless men, long since destined thus to incur condem- nation, have found their way secretly into your company, and are pervert- ing the life of grace our Sod has bestowed on us into a life of wanton- ness; they even deny Jesus Christ, our one Lord and Master. Learn one lesson, and you know all. Let me remind you, how the Saviour who had rescued his people from Egypt went 21 on to destroy those who had proved unfaithful. The angels, too, who left the place assigned to them, instead of keeping their due order, he has imprisoned in eternal darkness, to await their judgment when the great day comes. So with Sodom and Gomorrha and the cities round them, which fell into the same debauchery as their neighbours and pursued un- natural lust; they bear, for our warn- ing, their sentence of eternal fire. And so it is with these as it was with those others; they pollute nature, they defy authority, they insult august names. (And yet, when the archangel Michael held debate with the devil, in their dispute over the body of Moses, he did not venture to accuse him insultingly; he was content to say, May the Lord rebuke thee.) SUCH MEN sneer at the things they cannot understand; like the brute beasts they deprive knowledge only from their senses, and it serves to corrupt them. Woe betide them, they have followed in the path of Cain; 22 greed, that led Balaam astray, has been their ruin; they have taken part in the fatal rebellion of Core. What defilement there is in their banquets, as they fare sumptuously at your side, shepherds that feed themselves with- out scruple! They are clouds with no water in them, driven before the winds, autumn trees that bear no fruit, given over anew to death, plucked up by the roots; they are fierce waves of the sea, with shame for their crests, wandering stars, with eternal darkness and storm awaiting them. Of these, among others, Henoch was speaking, Adam's de- scendant in the seventh degree, when he prophesied, Behold, the Lord came with his saints in their thou- sands, to carry out his sentence on all men, and to convict the godless. Godless and sinners, with how many ungodly acts they have defied God, with how many rebellious words have they blasphemed him! Such men go about whispering and complaining, and live by the rule of their own 23 appetites; meanwhile, their mouths are ready with fine phrases, to flatter the great when it serves their ends. BUT as for you, beloved, keep in mind the warnings given you long since by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; how they told you, that mocking spirits must needs appear in the last age, who would make their own ungodly appetites into a rule of life. Such are the men who now keep themselves apart; animal natures, without the life of the Spirit. It is for you, beloved, to make your most holy faith the foundation of your lives, and to go on praying in the power of the Holy Spirit; to maintain yourselves in the love of God, and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, with eternal life for your goal. To some you must give a hearing, and confute them; others you must pluck out of the fire, and rescue them; others again you can only pity, while you shun them; even the outward fringe of what the flesh has defiled must be hateful to you. 24 There is one who can keep you clear of fault, and enable you to stand in the presence of his glory, triumphant and unreproved, when our Lord Jesus Christ comes; to him, who alone is God, to him, who gives us salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord, glory and majesty and power and domination are due, beforeTime was, and now, and for all ages, Amen. * When in New York Visit St. Jude's Shrine Take IRT Subway B'way-7th Ave. Exp. (242nd St.-Van Cortlandt Pk.) to 207th St. Station Walk to 204th St. or IND Subway 8th Ave.-A Train to 207th St. Walk to 1 0th Ave. and 204th St. From Fordham Road take 207th St. Westbound Bus to 1 0th Ave. Walk to 204th St. This Novena may be made privately. CHURCH OF ST. JUDE 431 WEST 204TH STREET NEW YORK 34, N.Y. Novena Devotions Every Wednesday at 9 A.M. Mass and 8 P.M.