St.Jude - "Patron Saint of Hopeless Cases"

St. Jude

In gratitude and acknowledgement for many 'answered prayers", I write this to encourage devotion to St.Jude.

St. Jude :

Roman Catholics invoke St. Jude when in desperate situations because his New Testament letter stresses that the faithful should persevere in the environment of harsh, difficult circumstances -just as their forefathers had done before them; therefore, he is the patron saint of desperate cases.

Pilgrims came to St. Jude's grave to pray and many reported a powerful intercession, leading to the title, "The Saint for the Hopeless and the Despaired." Two Saints, St. Bridget of Sweden and St. Bernard, had visions from God asking them to accept St. Jude as "The Patron Saint of the Impossible."

A popular Roman Catholic prayer to Saint Jude is:

"O most holy apostle, Saint Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honours and invokes thee universally, as the patron of hopeless cases, and of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, who am so helpless and alone.

"Make use, I implore thee, of that particular privilege accorded to thee, to bring visible and speedy help where help was almost despaired of. Come to mine assistance in this great need, that I may receive the consolation and succor of Heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly (here make your request) and that I may praise God with thee and all the elect throughout eternity.

"I promise thee, O blessed Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favour, to always honour thee as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to thee. Amen."

The Novena - a prayer said nine days in a row - to Saint Jude is:

"Apostle and Martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, near kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor for all who invoke thee, special patron in time of need; to thee I have recourse from the depth of my heart, and humbly beg thee, to whom God hath given such great power, to come to my assistance; help me now in my urgent need and grant my earnest petition. I will never forget thy graces and the favors thou dost obtain for me and I will do my utmost to spread devotion to thee. Amen."

Below is a link for the website of the National Shrine of St.Jude

http://www.shrineofstjude.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ssj_jude_life