Saint Jude

Photo by Steven Kelley, taken at an abandoned church on the border of Jersey City, NJ and Hoboken, NJ.

St. Jude is often depicted with a flame above his head, representing his presence at Pentecost, when he was said to have received the Holy Spirit with the other apostles. This small flame atop his head signifies the Baptism by Fire, also known as the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. This is the sign of the Spirit which was spoken of in Acts 2:3

He is portrayed dressed in white and wearing a beautiful green robe. Around his neck, he wears the image of Jesus that brings great miracles in healing. St. Jude is also portrayed with either a club, an ax, or arrows: the alleged implements used to take his life. He may also be pictured with a palm frond which signifies his martyrdom. An oar, a boat hook, a boat or a ship, and a book also feature in some of his iconographic art.

It is Roman Catholic lore which has named Saint Jude the "patron saint of lost causes". This stems from the belief that few Christians invoked him for fear of praying to Christ's betrayer, Judas Iscariot. Saint Jude thus became quite eager to assist anyone who sought his help, to the point of interceding in the direst of circumstances. The Church also maintained that Saint Jude would intercede in any lost cause to prove his sanctity and zeal for Christ.

If a prayer is answered or a problem solved through he intercession of Saint Jude Thaddeus, it is traditional to publish a notice of thanks in the newspaper. Of course, in modern times the web and social media can also be used for such an act of gratitude and honor. Taking this action magnifies the saint's name and gives hope to those who read it. It is said that if he works on your behalf, you should tell at least one other person. Another excellent custom is to donate money to charity in the name of Saint Jude.

Saint Jude is sometimes identified with Jude, the brother of Jesus. Judas Thaddaeus became known as Jude after early translations of the New Testament from Greek into English sought to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot and subsequently abbreviated his forename. Scholars differ on the original meaning of Jude’s surname. It is unclear if he was called the brother of James or son of James. The King James and the Douay-Rheims versions call him "Judas the brother of James”. This makes him the same person as the writer of the Epistle of Jude. This would also make him brother to Jesus.

Generally, Catholics believe the two Judes are the same person, while Protestants generally do not. It is agreed by all that in life, St. Jude was a relative of Jesus and was a member of the twelve apostles. Not many additional details of his life are known other than that he travelled extensively in the Middle East and played a major role in bringing Christianity to Armenia. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe Church & International Shrine of St. Jude 411 N. Rampart St. New Orleans, LA 70112-3501

The Saint in Folk Magic 

St. Jude is said to be a ”cool" spirit. This indicates that he is loving, kind, forgiving and slow to anger. He cannot be used in any heavy-handed or aggressive magick relating to the dark arts. He is too loving and kind to destroy one's enemies but will offer assistance with either against enemies or in other capacities. It is said that when seeking protection from an enemy, Saint Jude will confuse or befuddle their minds, making it difficult for them to think or act as normal. 

Procession in Lima, Peru

Prayers to Saint Jude 

(In a traditional Novena these prayers are recited each day for 9 days)

Most Holy Apostle St. Jude, Faithful Servant And Friend Of Jesus. I Am So Helpless And Alone. I Implore You To Bring Visible And Speedy Help And Come To My Assistance In This Great Need. I Will Be Ever Mindful Of This Great Favor, To Always Honor You As My Special And Powerful Patron. (State Petition And One's Vow) Amen.

Holy St Jude, Hear my plea! Rescue me from this calamity, Save me from peril, Snatch me from the mouth of the lions, St Jude. In this my darkest hour, Shine God's holy light of miracles into my life. Carry my prayer to the throne of heaven with all speed, holy Saint. Deliver me from mine enemies and spare me from this evil fate, I pray. For this, I promise a gift in your name to the Lord's poor. Amen

To Saint Jude, Holy Saint Jude, Apostle, and Martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, 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. Saint Jude pray for us and all who invoke your aid. Amen.

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.