Jude Thaddeus was a nephew of Mary and Joseph, and a cousin of our Lord. He was a brother of the Apostle James the Less. His father was Cleophas, who died a martyr, and his mother's name was Mary. She stood beneath the Cross when Jesus died, and later came to anoint the body of Jesus.
In his boyhood and youth Jude must have known Jesus well. He left all to follow the Master. He was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. He had the ardor of holy zeal and love. He was ready to sacrifice and suffer for the Master’s sake. Jude wanted to tell everyone the truth about Jesus.
After Jesus ascended into Heaven, Saint Jude set out with his companions to preach the Gospel. He met Saint Simon in his travels and they preached together. Hey taught th popl to pray and to love God Jude was blessed with a special power. When he ordered the devils in pagan idols to leave, the images fell to the ground, broken into pieces.
Jude and Simon suffered martyrdom in Persia, where they were missionaries. Jude was beaten to death with a club. His relics are now honored in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. His feast day is October 28th.
Saint Jude is sometimes pictured with an image of our Lord because he cured the King of Edessa from leprosy in the name of Jesus. Saint Jude is the patron of impossible cases. O God, You made Your Name known to us through the Apostles. By the intercession of St. Jude, let Your Church continue to grow with an increased number of believers. Amen
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