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Ashley Hernandez
Blanca
Catechism
27, December 2022
Jude the Apostle
As many may know, Jude the Apostle is one of the twelve apostles according to the new
testament. His full name is Judas Thaddaeus, although he is generally known as Thaddeus or as
Jude of James. Some images include Saint Jude with a flame around his head, which represent
his presence at Pentecost, when he accepted the Holy Spirit alongside the other apostles. Jude the
Apostle was born in the 1st century AD and raised in Galilee, Israel with his family.
According to many, St. Jude was born into a Jewish family, he probably spoke Greek and
Aramaic, like many and he was a farmer. Jude’s mother, Mary, was referred to as a cousin of
Jesus’ mother Mary, while his father, Cleophas, was the brother of St. Joseph. Jude had several
brothers, including St. James, who was another of the original Apostles. Something very
interesting is that St. Jude is distinguished in John 14:22 as Judas but “not Iscariot” to avoid
identification with the betrayer of Jesus, Judas Iscariot. Indeed, the tradition of calling him
“Jude” rather than the Scriptural “Judas” likely started to avoid such confusion. He is listed in
Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13 as “Judas of James,” and, depending on the Bible consulted, he is
probably the son or brother of St. James the Less, son of Alphaeus. Jude is more probably
identified with Thaddaeus (Lebbaeus) in Mark 3:18 and Matthew 10:3.
As one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, St. Jude Thaddeus preached the good news of
Jesus throughout Galilee, Samaria and Judea. In 37 A.D., he traveled to Mesopotamia which is
known today as Iraq. There he became a leader of the Church of the East, a church that St.
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Thomas founded. St. Jude Thaddeus also journeyed across Libya, Turkey, Persia and
Mesopotamia with St. Simon. Together they preached the good news and led many people to
Christianity. He is often credited as having helped start the Armenian Church and other
congregations outside the Roman Empire. In 60 A.D., St. Jude wrote a letter to newly converted
Christians in the Eastern Church who were suffering persecution. In his letter he warned them to
be careful of the false teachers of the current day who were spreading wrong teachings about
Christianity. He encouraged them to keep persevering and to stand firm in their faith in the midst
of the harsh realities that they were facing. In spite of the widespread persecutions of Christians
during his time, St. Jude Thaddeus stood by his beliefs and ultimately paid the price for his faith.
He is believed to have been martyred either in Persia or Syria sometime in 65 A.D. In religious
art, he is often shown holding an ax or club which symbolizes the way he was martyred.
Though I have chosen Jude the Apostle as my saint for the biography, I firmly believe he
guided me through some rigorous times. He is known as the Patron Saint of Hope and impossible
causes and one of Jesus’ original twelve Apostles. While my grandma was on her last days here
on earth with us, St. Jude gave me hope to know she would be resting in peace once she
wouldn’t be here anymore. My grandma was suffering stage 4 lung cancer and she was in so
much pain that me and my family saw it. My family and I prayed to St. Jude and God to help my
grandma in the best way possible be at peace and they did. I am sure he preached the Gospel
with great passion, since he often in the most difficult circumstances would do it. I know that
through the power of the Holy Spirit, he made profound differences in people's lives as he
offered them the Word of God. He offered my family hope and allowed us to move forward with
life. I am willing to imitate him to help me reach my encounter with Jesus because of the dark
times I had to endure and how he helped me prosper though.
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All in all, Jude the Apostle is one of the twelve apostles according to the new testament.
Even to this day, many devotees visit the site as a sign of respect and admiration, because of his
steadfast faith, St. Jude Thaddeus is invoked as the patron saint of hopeless cases and desperate
situations. Like he has stated, “May mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance (Jude 1:2).” I
hope to find hope within him and immerse myself on the path of God.
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MLA Citations
https://shrineofstjude.org/the-shrine/st-jude/#:~:text=Jude%20is%20the%20Patron
%20Saint,them%20the%20world%20of%20God.
https://www.catholicfaithstore.com/daily-bread/the-story-of-st-jude-thaddeus/
