Novena begins today: St. Jude

I'm starting my novena to St. Jude today.

That's this guy, here, in this painting.Painting by Anthony Van Dyke

I am starting this novena, which is nine days of focused prayer, today so that this set of prayers and petitions ends on October 31. His feast day is October 28, but this novena is in conjunction with the National Shrine to St. Jude, and it is beginning today.  So, that's what I'm doing too!  I have some serious intentions for that have been weighing heavily on me, for friends and family.  So, daily focused prayer, and with a great intercessor, always helps.  Please join me!

Now, many folks are somewhat confounded by novenas. They are rather a Catholic thing, I'll admit. But then again, not so much. Here's the deal. (I know, I've spoken of this before, but well, who ever goes back to archives? No one.) You see, you all know, some of you more painfully than others, that I'm a beggar.  This is the same deal. It's intercessory prayer. Sometimes I ask everyone I know to pray for me, sometimes it's more private...this time I am also hitting up a saint. St. Jude Thaddeus, to be precise.

And I ask him for his prayers, because he, unlike those of us here on earth, is in heaven already. He has left his smudgy selfish self behind and all traces of that are gone. His heart is pure. Thus, he is a MUCH more effective pray-er than most anyone else I can ask, short of Christ himself (and yeah, I'm praying hard and having much discussion with him too, no worries on that point!).

And this intercession of the saints is one of the coolest things I can think of. It's just what I do for my brother with my folks, and what my kids do for each other with me. We go to the person who can help, on the others behalf. We petition. And stand in for each other and add our backing to that person's petition. And it helps. If only in the moral support, it helps. And that is exactly what a novena in our Catholic ways do too. Only we hit up a saint, for their support and prayers on our behalf. And it helps.

Prayer transforms, no matter if they are answered the way we hope or a different way that we can't understand yet. And that in itself makes the effort worthwhile.

So, I'm praying to St. Jude. He was a cousin of Jesus. He was a chosen apostle. He is a good egg. He is patron of impossible causes.  He's helped me before, he is faithful.

And I'm gonna make you all nuts maybe because I'm putting the novena prayer up every day. I'll post other posts too, don't disappear entirely! But, if any of you want to follow along, you can read and pray it here.

Thanks to each of you and any passing thoughts or prayers!

St. Jude, pray for us.

Day 1
Novena To
St. Jude 
Today we center ourselves in prayer as we begin nine days of the Solemn Novena to St. Jude. St. Jude listens to our prayers and offers us hope when we become weary. 

We PRAY:

St. Jude, I enter this Novena pleading for your intercession. May my daily prayer bring your intercession for my special intentions and may God’s Spirit guide me to know the best way to proceed in any troubling situation that confronts me.

Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone. Make use, I implore you, of that particular privilege given to you, to 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 

 For these special intentions

and that I may praise God with you and all the elect forever.

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. Amen.


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)