Today is the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles. Typically I do your :60 on the daily Scripture readings. But I want to veer from the format today. The readings are the same as the feast days of other Apostles; Ephesians 2:19-22, which I recently wrote about, and Luke 6:12-16, which is the listing of the Twelve.
St. Jude, also known as St. Jude Thaddeus, is the Patron of Hopeless and Desperate Cases. This is because of his powerful intercession in, well, hopeless and desperate cases. Imagine that! He definitely has one of the most difficult gigs of all the Saints. When all else seems to have failed, this guy gets the final call. It made me think about those times when we call on St. Jude. What would you consider to be a “hopeless and desperate” case?
When a loved one has been addicted to drugs or alcohol for many years. When a family member is diagnosed with terminal cancer. When a couple separates and is teetering on the brink of divorce. When someone has been unemployed for an extended period of time and the prospects for work look dim. When a spirit of depression hangs on and just won’t go away. The list is endless. And what seems hopeless to us may seem like small potatoes to someone else. Whatever the situation, St. Jude is there for us. Though we may not always see the result that we would like, we can rest assured that St. Jude is seated on one of the twelve thrones, pleading our case to God. And I hope that, if nothing else, that will give us some comfort.
Father, we thank you for the witness and intercession of St. Jude. Help us to remember that there is always hope, even when we have to break out the big gun…St. Jude, pray for us. Amen.
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