St Jude was a quiet, humble man who showed a lot of courage and bravery
Jude Thaddeus, a fisherman, was cousin and friend to Jesus and was a brother of the Apostle James the Less. His mother, whose name was Mary, stood beneath the Cross when Jesus died, and later came to anoint the body of Jesus. His father was Cleophas, who died a martyr.
Saint Jude knew Jesus well in his childhood. When called upon, he left all he had in his life to follow Christ and his teachings.
St Jude was one of Jesus’ twelve Apostles. He was also known as Thaddeus which means loving or giver of joy.
Along with eleven other men, Jude followed Christ, lived with him, fled following the Last Supper and rejoined him during the Resurrection. Saint Jude was filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and a desire to spread the teachings of Christ.
St Jude was a quiet, humble man who showed a lot of courage and bravery.
St. Jude is commonly seen in pictures wearing green. This is because green symbolizes hope and renewal. Just as in spring when flowers spring up with renewed life, we turn to St. Jude, our Patron of Hope, in difficult or seemingly hopeless times.
St Jude is seen in many pictures/statues holding a medallion with an impression of Jesus’s face. This is in memory of one of Jesus’ many miracles. A King (King Edessa) was once suffering from a serious illness (Leprocy). He had heard of Jesus healing others and called for Jesus to heal him. Jesus was unable to make it but pressed His face onto a piece of cloth and gave it to St. Jude to present to the King. Upon receiving the cloth the King was healed.
St Jude is often shown with the flame of the Holy Spirit touching his head. God’s spirit at Pentecost filled Jude with so much love that he wanted to tell people about that love.
A flame or a tongue of fire is often seen above St Jude’s head which reminds us of St Jude’s presence at Pentecost.
Following Pentecost, Saint Jude journeyed to Mesopotamia, where he preached for some time. He then, with fellow Apostle Saint Simon, worked as a missionary in Persia, where both Jude and Simon eventually suffered martyrdom. Saint Jude was beaten to death with a club. His head was then cut from his body with an axe. His relics are now honoured in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. This is why St Jude is often seen in pictures or images with a club in his hand.
God gave Jude a special power. When he ordered the devils in pagan idols to leave, the images fell to the ground, broken into pieces.
Saint Jude has a special shield that represents him and the deeds he did during his lifetime. It is red with a sailboat, which has a cross on the mast. Saint Jude the Apostle is seen as the writer of the Letter of Jude in the New Testament and is popularly known as the patron of impossible causes.