My own life did not take on a deep spiritual dimension until I was pregnant with my fourth child. But, once I turned seriously to prayer and saw the results, I became hooked. It began when my husband Mark lost his job. For the first time we consciously put our lives in God’s hands. Whenever Mark was turned down, our prayers gave us peace and certainty that it just wasn’t God’s will for us. When a solid job offer did finally come, it was from a person who had heard about Mark from someone else. He had not even applied! Surely, God had taken care of everything.
We put our house up for sale, but had to move out of state for the job before it sold and we had to rent it out. The renters trashed it and real estate agents told us it would never sell in that condition. Being so far away, we felt helpless. Mark was concerned that we might face foreclosure. Around this time, I read that St. Jude was the patron saint of hopeless causes. Surely our situation was hopeless! Neither of us had ever prayed a novena before, but in desperation, we decided we had nothing to lose.
As soon as we finished the novena, our renters called to say they were leaving the next day. We were shocked. Mark at first said, “They can’t just leave, they signed a lease. How will we pay the mortgage?” I told him maybe it was an answer to our novena. I didn’t know how we could afford two houses but I did know it would never sell with those renters in it. Within a few days, my husband’s parents called us from Hawaii. They had a sudden change in plans and wanted to return to the mainland. What did we think about their renting the house from us and fixing it up? A few months later, the house looked better than ever and sold immediately. Our seemingly impossible situation completely turned around. I am convinced it was the intercession of St. Jude that made this miracle possible.
Since that time twenty-one years ago, our novenas have been never-ending. The above stories are not even our most dramatic answers to prayer, but they were the ones that helped us put God in the driver’s seat of our lives. There’s always plenty to worry about, but we always bring it to God and often talk about our problems with our brothers and sisters in Heaven, asking for their powerful intercession. If God knows when a single sparrow falls and has counted every hair on our head, it would be a lack of faith to worry. We know that our job is to be faithful, pray, and let God lead the way. After all, He knows us so much better than we do.
Novena to St. Jude
Most holy Apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honors and invokes you universally, as the patron of difficult cases, of things almost despaired of, Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone.
Intercede with God for me that He bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. 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 –
(make your request here)
– and that I may praise God with you and all the saints forever. I promise, O Blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor granted me by God and to always honor you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you.
Amen
PRAYER
May the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, and loved in all the tabernacles until the end of time. Amen.
May the most Sacred Heart of Jesus be praised and glorified now and forever. Amen
St. Jude pray for us and hear our prayers. Amen.
Blessed be the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Blessed be the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Blessed be St. Jude Thaddeus, in all the world and for all Eternity.
(say this prayer, followed by the Our Father and the Hail Mary)
