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Both the Secular Press
an the Catholic Press continue to publish letters of Thanksgiving to
St. Jude almost daily. One may as "Who is St. Jude ?" And "Why this
devotion? "
St. Jude is known as the
"Forgotten Saint" and the "Patron of Desperate Cases." It is hard to
conceive that any Saint of God could really be forgotten by men, but
the fact may be explained by the confusion of the name of St. Jude
with the name of another Jude, Judas Iscariot, the traitor who
betrayed Christ.
St Judes's Parents were
Cleophas and Mary of Cleophas. He was the grandnephew of St. Anne
and St. Joachim, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He is thus
a nephew of Joseph and Mary and a cousin of Jesus. The origin of the
devotions to St. Jude "Patron of Desperate of Hopeless Cases" is
obscure but he is referred to as "The Forgotten Saint"
St. Jude Thaddeus is represented as wearing a
miniature of Our Lord upon his breast. Tradition tells us that wen
the fame of Our Lord's miracles had reached the King of Edessa had
reached the King of Edessa (in which country our saint preached and
established a church) the king being afflicted with a terrible
malady of leprosy sent a messenger to our lord beseeching him to
come and heal him. When the unfortunate King was informed that our
Lord could not gratify his request, he sent an artist to Jerusalem
that he might obtain at least a portrait of the master. Tradition
relates that on seeing Christ, the poor artist who was so blinded by
the divine brightness emanating from the face of Christ that he was
powerless to trace event so much as a line. Our Lord, moved with
compassion and wishing to console the afflicted king, held a
cloth to his face leaving thereon the image of his own countenance.
He then gave it to the poor artist with the injunction to carry it
back to the ruler, at the same time promising to send some one to
cure him.
Tradition has it that Jude Thaddeus was the one
commissioned by Christ to perform the miracle. St. Jude needed no
credentials, He was immediately recognized as the promised one. The
first words of greeting to the king were, "Thou has faith in the
Lord Jesus, therefore he sent me." St. Jude then placed his hands
upon the king and the hideous sores of leprosy disappeared with a
cure that was both instantaneous and complete. it is related that
such were the subsequent miracles of Jude Thaddeus that, not only
the king and his court, but weel nigh the entire kingdom of Edessa
were converted to the cause of Christ. This incident is given to
explain the meaning of the miniature of Christ portrayed on the
breast of our saint whenever is represented in statures and
pictures.
His labors in Persia give us some idea of the
difficulties which so often confronted him in his ministry. This
country, infested with magicians who employed their art to deceive,
if possible, and foster pagan superstition, made it imperative that
these imposters be definitely exposited once and for all times.
Invariably St. Jude Thaddeus and his companions found traces to two
special agents of Satan going in advance of them trying to preclude
if possible, the efficacy of their work. Their names were Zaroes and
Affaxat, skilled magicians employing their nefarious trickery to
dupe the ignorant into belief of the power of pagan idols to bear
and grant request. The opportunity presented
On being in formed that they had located themselves in the camp of
the Persian army no time was lost by jude in gaining entrance to the
camp. Verardach, the commander-in-chief, ordered St.jude Thaddeus to
advance and make known his mission. Fearless he cried out: “We serve
jesus Christ, and have come to bring you eternal life if you abandon
your errors and your worshop of the gods.” It was a bold assertion
to make in the camp of an enemy, but the commander was interested
nevertheless, this due to the fact that he had already been informed
of the above episode, the fall of the pagan idols at the saint’s
command.
The commander promised to hear more of the mission of the saint once
the onslaught of the impending battle was over. Anxious to know the
outcome of the ensuing battle and thinking that perhaps our saint
might englighten him he lost no time in approaching St. Jude
Thaddeus on the subject. The Saint first commanded the idols to make
reply to the question. The answer, not too favourable, came back
that the war would be long and tedious with many perishing on both
sides. At this the commander was very much perplexed and worried:
“Fear not, Oh Prince! Thy God’s lie! Tomorrow at this very hour
ambassadors will arrive from the enemy’s camp to demand peace: they
will accept all the conditions you propose and will become your
tributaries.” So completely was the oracle fulfilled that it was
only the intercession of St. Jude Thaddeus that kept the two wicked
magicians from a fate of being burnt alive at the stake. Through his
entire ministry St. Jude was the subject of all sorts of persecution
and suffering. St. Jude died a marty’s death-a victim of clubbing,
his body lies in a crypt in St. Peter’s Basillica, Rome.
All the saints have power with God since they are the special
friends of God, but the fact cannot be denied that some have been
permitted to make their influence felt more than others. The why and
the wherefore belongs to God alone.
Even though it be a malady defying all human skill, even though it
be a sickness for which there is no apparent remedy, even though it
is anguish of soul and distress of heart, poverty, misery, yes even
despair, go to St. Jude Thaddeus, cousin of Our Lord, and he will
show you a way out of your troubles, if not through your own
solution, at least in a better one conceived of in the mind of the
One above us all and in us all. There is no problem so perplexing
for which St. Jude Thaddeus, “Patron in Cases Despaired of – cannot
find a solution, thereby bringing joy and gladness to all.”
A Small bone relic of St. Jude was brought to Ceylon by his Eminence
Dr. Thomas Cooray O.M.I, (the late Archbishop Emeritus of Colombo)
and is placed in a reliquary at the Shrine in indigolla, Gampaha. It
is carried in procession on the Feast day of the Saint.
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Saint Jude Thaddeus
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Born |
1st century BC
or AD |
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Died |
1st century AD,
Persia |
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Venerated in |
Roman Catholic
Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Catholic Churches,
Coptic Christians, Anglican Church |
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Major shrine |
Saint Peter's,
Rome, Rheims, Toulouse, France |
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Feast |
October 28,June
19 |
source :
www.wikipedia.org
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