St Jude

http://www.stjudenovena.org/prayingthenovena.html

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What is a novena?

A novena is the reciting of powerful prayers and devotions for a special request over nine consecutive days. Traditionally, a novena included praying, fasting, and meditating. •

Do I have to be Catholic to make the novena? Do I have to be religious?

No! You only have to be someone having a difficult time coping with one (or more) difficult problems in your life that do not seem resolvable on your own. You're human! It's alright to be overwhelmed sometimes. •

How often and for how long should the novena be said?

Traditionally, the novena prayer is said for 9 days. The 9 days signifies the 9 days the early Apostles prayed together during the time between the Ascension of Jesus, and Pentecost, when they experienced the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit. However, there is no hard and fast "rule" for praying; it is best if you adopt a series of prayers and a rhythm for saying them that is comfortable for you and allows you to open a dialogue with God. •

What prayers should I say? How do I say them?

Your goal when praying is to focus your heart, mind, and body on communicating with St. Jude. Praying is best done alone and in a quiet environment. Start by closing your eyes, then describe your special need, and make a heartfelt request for St. Jude to intercede on your behalf to help it be realized. Your prayer can be as simple as "St. Jude, please help me with (insert your request)", or if you prefer, choose one from the St. Jude Prayers section where you'll find a collection of inspirational prayers used by others. You should then follow your St. Jude prayer by saying 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, and 3 Gloria prayers. These can also be found in the St. Jude Prayers section. Although not required, many people also find that meditating and/or some type of fasting during the 9 days provide extra comfort and strength when saying the prayers. To help you stay focused and truly enhance your prayer experience, we suggest you consider one of our beautiful St. Jude rosaries. You can see our collection in our Gift Shop. Another prayer aid is our Personal St. Jude Novena Calendar, which you can find in our Resource Center. Remember, for your novena request to be granted, you must promise to publish your request. You can go to the Publish Your Message section to do this now. •

What should I expect to happen?

A novena to St. Jude has never been known to fail for those who maintain a strong posture of faith that God is ALWAYS working behind the scenes for us. For some people, by the end of the 9 days, they will see some visible, concrete proof that their request has been granted. For others, they may receive something that is not what they asked for, but turns out to be what they REALLY needed at this point in their lives. And for others, they may experience a newly-found feeling of hope and peace of spirit, that brings with it the sense that they ARE NOT GOING THROUGH THEIR DIFFICULTY ALONE. The beautiful power of the St. Jude novena is that people can have their requests answered in ways or times they may not have expected. The important thing is to believe that you WILL experience a change, and don't despair if you do not receive an instant answer. Often the path to finding true healing of mind, body, or spirit is a process that will only be fully visible and appreciated after an extended period of time. Praying to St. Jude is the first step in that process. Whatever you do is… DON'T STOP HOPING… DON'T STOP TRUSTING…. DON'T STOP TRYING…….

ST. JUDE PRAYERS

This is a collection of inspirational prayers that you can choose from for praying the novena to St. Jude.

PRAYERS FOR SPECIAL INTENTIONS "St. Jude, glorious apostle, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the name of the person (who betrayed our Lord) has caused you to be forgotten by many, but the true Church invokes you universally as the Patron of things despaired of. Pray for me, who is so miserable; pray for me, that I may finally receive the consolations and the succour of Heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly (ADD YOUR PERSONAL REQUEST HERE), and that I may bless God with the Elect Throughout Eternity." (NOTE: we have St. Jude Prayer Cards printed with above prayer available in our St. Jude Gift Shop)

"May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be Adored, Glorified, Loved & Preserved throughout the world, now & forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, please pray for me. Saint Jude, Worker of Miracles, please pray for me. Saint Jude, Helper of the Hopeless, please pray for me. Amen."

"O most holy apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, people honor and invoke you universally, as the patron of hopeless cases, of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, for I am so helpless and alone. Please help to bring me visible and speedy assistance. 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 (state your request) and that I may praise God with you always."

"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 by publishing this request. Amen."

"Holy Saint Jude, Apostle and Martyr, Great in virtue and rich in miracles, Near kinsman of Jesus Christ, Faithful intercessor of all Who invoke your special patronage in time of need. To you I have recourse from the depths of my heart And humbly beg to whom God has given such great power To come to my assistance. Help me in my present and urgent petition, In return I promise to make your name known And cause you to be invoked. Saint Jude pray for me and all those who invoke your aid. Amen."

The following prayers were graciously submitted by Mr. Joe Chatelle: "Blessed Apostle St. Jude, we call upon you for help in hope and utmost confidence. St Jude renowned help of the hopeless, come to my aid in this time of distress. St. Jude, cousin of our Lord, obtain from our Savior the favors I now need and seek, especially _________."

"Glorious St. Jude with faith in your goodness I ask your help today. As one of Christ's chosen Apostles, you remain a pillar and foundation of His Church on earth. You are counted we know, among the elders who always stand before God's throne. From your place of glory we know you do not forget the needs and difficulties of Christ's little ones here still struggling, like me, on the way home

to God. Please intercede for me, gracious St. Jude, and be with me in my daily toil and in all my necessities, especially _________. In Christ's name, I appeal to you again today. Amen."

PRAYERS FOR PHYSICAL HEALING "St. Jude, you witnessed the healing power of our Lord Jesus. You saw his compassion for the sick and dying. You yourself touched the sick, shared the sorrows of the mournful, and encouraged the despairing. You received this authority and healing power to work wonders, to cure the incurable, to make people whole. We ask you to intercede with our brother, Jesus, to send his saving grace to heal the sickness and suffering of _________________________________, to uplift his/her despondent spirits, and to instill hope in his/her hearts. Amen."

"St. Jude, through prayer you praised God for the wonderful works of Jesus. You asked God for the strength to meet the challenges of your apostolate. You put your trust in God's mercy, believing firmly that God loved you and understood your joys and sorrows, your hopes and fears, and your triumphs and failures. You understood that nothing is impossible for God. I ask you to pray for me now before the Most High so that I too might be filled with God's saving power, understand God's will for me and faithfully place myself in God's loving hands."

"St. Jude, you remained faithful to our Lord, even unto death. You gave your life so that others might live. You endured physical pain and emotional abandonment. But you gladly joined your sufferings to those of our Savior, Jesus, and thus shared in the redemption of the world. I ask you now to intercede with our brother, Jesus Christ on my behalf, so that I too can find strength in the face of my suffering. Help me to trust in God and put my life in his hands."

PRAYER FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE "St. Jude, please assist me in these difficult financial circumstances. I beg you to shine the light on the resources that I need to help meet my debts and satisfy my pressing obligations."

PRAYER FOR HEALING OF RELATIONSHIPS

"Saint Jude, we have problems in our relationship. Beg Almighty God to give us the light to see ourselves and each other as we really are. Help us to grow daily in selfknowledge and mutual love, while at the same time developing our potential to love and be loved. Help us, Saint Jude, to see and root out every manifestation of selfishness, vanity, and childish self-seeking -- those hidden enemies of love and maturity. Show us that by learning to love and being filled with love, we may complement and nurture each other as we share our lives together."

PRAYER FOR HEALING OF MARRIAGE (NEW)

"St. Jude, during your life you encouraged early Christian followers to remain loyal and true to their faith, even during the harshest circumstances. Like these followers, my spouse and I now find ourselves in need of renewed faith. Time and the pressures of the world have weakened our relationship. Please intercede for us and show us the way to heal our marriage. Open our hearts and minds to rededicate a new relationship guided by the love and commitment we once knew. Help us put aside any negative remnants of past deeds done and embark on a new union, in accordance with our Lord's principles."

SAMPLE MESSAGES OF THANKS FOR A REQUEST GRANTED "Thank you God for answering my prayer; thank you St. Jude for interceding on my behalf. I will encourage devotion to you always."

"God, thank you for all the grace and favors which you have given me through the prayers of your Apostle, Jude Thaddeus. St. Jude, I thank you for your intercession in response to my prayers. I will always be grateful to you and will spread to devotion to you. Be with us always so we may face our problems with courage and serenity."

Our Father Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Gloria Glory be to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.