The
Letter
from Jude, Chapter 1
JUDE THADDEUS Memorial 28 October (Roman Church); 19 June (Eastern Church)
Son of Cleophas, who died a martyr, and Mary who stood at the
foot of the Cross, and who annointed Christ's body after death. Brother
of Saint James the Lesser. Nephew of Mary and Joseph; blood
relative of Jesus Christ, and reported to look a lot like him.
May have
been a fisherman. Apostle. JUDE THADDEUS Memorial 28 October (Roman Church); 19 June (Eastern Church)
Writer of canonical letter. Preached in Syria,
Mesopotamia, and Persia
with Saint Simon. Healer. Exorcist. Could exorcise pagan idols, which
caused the demons to flee and the statues to crumble. His patronage of lost or impossible causes traditionally derives from confusion by many early Christians between Jude and Judas; not understanding the difference between the names, they never prayed for Jude's help, and devotion to him became something of a lost cause. Died beaten to death with a club, then beheaded post-mortem in 1st century Persia; relics at Saint Peter's, Rome, at Rheims, and at Toulouse, France Name Meaning sweetness or gentleness of character (Thaddeus) Patronage desperate situations; forgotten causes; hospital workers; hospitals; impossible causes; lost causes diocese of Saint Petersburg, Florida
St. Jude of Thaddaeus brother of St. James the Less, and a relative of Our Saviour
Feastday: October 28 Patron of Desperate Cases
St. Jude, known as Thaddaeus, was a brother of St. James the Less, and a relative of Our Saviour. St. Jude was one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus.
Ancient writers tell us that he preached the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Lybia. According to Eusebius, he returned to Jerusalem in the year 62, and assisted at the election of his brother, St. Simeon, as Bishop of Jerusalem.
He is an author of an epistle (letter) to the Churches of the East, particularly the Jewish converts, directed against the heresies of the Simonians, Nicolaites, and Gnostics. This Apostle is said to have suffered martyrdom in Armenia, which was then subject to Persia.
Final conversion of the Armenian nation to Christianity did not take place until the third century of our era.
Jude was the one who asked Jesus at the Last Supper why He would not manifest Himself to the whole world after His resurrection. Little else is known of his life. Legend claims that he visited Beirut and Edessa; possibly martyred with St. Simon in Persia.
Jude is invoked in desperate situations because his New Testament letter stresses that the faithful should persevere in the environment of harsh, difficult circumstances, just as their forefathers had done before them. Therefore, he is the patron saint of desperate cases and his feast day is October 28. Saint Jude is not the same person as Judas Iscariot who betrayed Our Lord and despaired because of his great sin and lack of trust in God's mercy.
{1:1} [1>]Jude,[<1] a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:
{1:2} Mercy to you and peace and love be multiplied.
{1:3} Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
{1:4} For there are certain men who crept in secretly, even those who were long ago written about for this condemnation: ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into indecency, and denying our only Master, God, and Lord, Jesus Christ.
{1:5} Now I desire to remind you, though you already know this, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who didn't believe.
{1:6} Angels who didn't keep their first domain, but deserted their own dwelling place, he has kept in everlasting bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day.
{1:7} Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them, having, in the same way as these, given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire.
{1:8} Yet in the same way, these also in their dreaming defile the flesh, despise authority, and slander celestial beings.
{1:9} But Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil and arguing about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him an abusive condemnation, but said, "May the Lord rebuke you!"
{1:10} But these speak evil of whatever things they don't know. What they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason, they are destroyed in these things.
{1:11} Woe to them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in Korah's rebellion.
{1:12} These are hidden rocky reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you, shepherds who without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn leaves without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
{1:13} wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever.
{1:14} About these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones,
{1:15} to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him."
{1:16} These are murmurers and complainers, walking after their lusts (and their mouth speaks proud things), showing respect of persons to gain advantage.
{1:17} But you, beloved, remember the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
{1:18} They said to you that "In the last time there will be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts."
{1:19} These are they who cause divisions, and are sensual, not having the Spirit.
{1:20} But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.
{1:21} Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
{1:22} On some have compassion, making a distinction,
{1:23} and some save, snatching them out of the fire with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh.
{1:24} Now to him who is able to keep [2>]them[<2] from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy,
{1:25} to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.
Footnotes: [1] {1:1} or, Judah
[2] {1:24} TR and NU read "you"