A guide to St Jude Novena

St. Jude is the Patron Saint of those in need. Many believers of the Catholic faith pray a novena to St. Jude in times of trouble and any time they feel lonely, hopeless or helpless. Praying a St. Jude novena provides people with comfort and peace. A novena is a Roman Catholic devotion prayed on nine consecutive days. This article will provide a A guide to St Jude Novena.

History of St. Jude

Who was St. Jude? According to legend, St. Jude was born in the town of Paneas in Galilee to a Jewish family of farmers. Jude is referred to in Matthew 13:55 of the Bible as the brethren of Jesus. "Brethren" is a Hebrew word that is translated to "blood relationship." Therefore, Jude is believed to have been a cousin to Jesus. His mother, Mary, is portrayed as Jesus' mother Mary's cousin and his father, Cleophas, as being Joseph's brother. St. Jude and his brother St. James were two of the twelve Apostles. Jude is known by two names, the other being "Thaddeus." The name Jude means "giver of joy" and "Thaddeus" means "courageous and kind." Jude travelled with Simon preaching the gospel through Mesopotamia, Libya, Turkey, and Persia.
Patron Saint of desperate cases Jude traveled to Mesopotamia (now Iraq) in about 37 A.D. He became leader of the Church of The East which was founded by St. Thomas. He wrote a letter to the Christian converts who were under persecution in about 60 A.D. In the letter, he warned them about false teachers and encouraged them to keep the faith as taught by Jesus. This good work contributed to him becoming the patron saint of desperate cases. Death of St. Jude It is believed St. Jude was killed around 65 A.D. After his death, his body was sent to Rome and placed in a crypt under St. Peter's Basilica. This place is visited by people from around the world to this day.

How to pray a St. Jude Novena

History of the St. Jude novena People began to pray novenas to St. Jude in the 1800s, first in Italy then Spain, South America, and North America. St. Bernard of Clairvaux (France) and St. Bridget of Sweden were faithfully devoted to St. Jude. St. Bridget was encouraged by Jesus in a vision to pray to St. Jude and that he would help her. People continue to pray to St. Jude today. Where to find St. Jude novenas There are many St. Jude prayers available on the internet. You can purchase prayer books with Catholic novenas at Christian retailers. If you don't know how to pray a Saint Jude prayer, you can seek the guidance of your parish priest.