The Prayer by Russel Pernites

Contribution

When I attended the Holy Mass last Sunday, the gist of the priest's message is about our mission to continue spreading the Words of God. The priest related the Homily to the Church's celebration of the World Communication Sunday. He reiterated that aside from spreading the Words, we should also be witnesses to the Words that we spread. 

The priest focused on the importance of the internet on the present life of the people. He cited experiences where the internet served as a medium for spreading the Words of God. He was able to communicate with his friend in Malaysia and learned that he is serving in the Church there. He also received a message from a Catholic who asked if he could just send his confession thru the e-mail (I was really amused when according to him, he replied by saying "just send it directly to God") and a lot more. He showed how the internet facilitated the people's desire to hear the Words of God and the ways through which we can share them. By reason of that message, I convinced myself that this blog should also contain entries wherein I can help in spreading the Words of God. In this little way, I will be able to make a contribution.

The Office

I have been working in a Law office for 6 months. I am doing legal researches, draft documents, go out to meet with clients, transact with government offices or just run errands. There are days when the whole office is turned into a "bring me" or "treasure hunt" game where all of us will be looking for a particular document that is supposedly kept around the corner (records keeping really needs improvement, records keeper and of course human memory too). It is difficult especially when you just took over somebody else's post and not familiar with the lost document. Sometimes we get frustrated and desperate and when that moment comes I just wish I could pray to Saint Jude to intercede.

Saint Jude 

Saint Jude Thaddeus is one of the twelve Apostles of Christ. He is oftentimes referred to as "The Miraculous Saint", "Patron Saint of Lost Causes and desperate cases." He is the respite of those whose hope is lost because at the last moment help will come through his intercession.

        As an Apostle 

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". 

        As an Evangelist

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.

        As a Martyr

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.


         As a Saint
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. (www.stjudetvm.com/biography.html)

The Prayer

To this end, I would try my best to keep entries which will in one way or another help spread the Words. In times of predicaments and despair may St. Jude intercede through this prayer:

O most holy apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus -- People honor and invoke you universally, as the patron of hopeless cases, of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, for I am so helpless and alone. Please help to bring me visible and speedy assistance. 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 (state your request) and that I may praise God with you always. 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 by publishing this request. Amen.