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Thursday, March 13, 2014

Life of St. Jude Thaddeus

On the list of apostles according to the books of the Holy Bible, St Jude Thaddeus, has been  named  the tenth apostle by St Mathew and the eleventh apostle by St Luke.
The feast of St Jude is celebrated on October 28.
Life of St. Jude Thaddeus
Legend says that St Jude was born into a Jewish family in Paneas, a town in Galilee later rebuilt and renamed Caesarea Philippi by the Romans. His heritage is listed as the cousin of Jesus (Mathew 13:55) and more detailed in John 19:25 where it is explained that he is the son of Cleophas and Mary Cleophas who is the sister of the Virgin Mary. It is believed that Cleophas was murdered because of his forthright and outspoken devotion to the risen Christ.
Saint Jude preached the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia and Libya, he also visited Beirut and Edessa.
The Epistle of Jude (the last of the Epistles of the Apostles in the New Testament) was written by him in the Greek language and was addressed to Churches of the East. In it he warns against the doctrine that tries to pervert God's grace into licentious immoral living.
Apostles Jude and Bartholomew are believed to have been the first to bring Christianity to Armenia and are the patron saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Saint Gregory the Illuminator is credited as the ‘Apostle to the Armenians’ because by baptizing King Tiridates III of Armenia in 301 he converted the Armenians.
There are two schools of thought as to how St Jude suffered martyrdom. Some believe he met his death in Suanis, Persia, where it is suggested he was clubbed into insensibility and after that his head was shattered with a broad axe. Others believe he was martyred at the age of 80 in Armenia where he was crucified on a cross and pierced with arrows.
In paintings St Jude is usually portrayed carrying or holding close to his heart the image of Jesus. This represents the imprint of the Divine Countenance that was entrusted to him by Jesus.
As the teaching goes King Abagar of Edessa, Syria, asked Jesus to cure him of leprosy. The king also sent an artist to bring him a drawing of Jesus Christ. Jesus was so impressed with King Abagar's great faith, that The Lord pressed his face on a cloth and charged St Jude with the responsibility of taking it to Abagar to cure him. The king was cured and converted to Christianity along with most of his subjects.
Saint Mathew and St Mark refer to him as Thaddeus a Greek name which means 'great hearted one'.
Saint Jude is the Saint for the Hopeless, the Despaired and the Patron Saint of the Impossible therefore there are many reasons to pray to St Jude including prosperity, employment, health, happiness, love even money.

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