Novena to St Jude

Pray it at any time, for nine days in a row.

Day 1

Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Luke 6:16 · BSB

Honestly, we know very little about Saint Jude. Luke names him among the Twelve as Judas ‘of James’, to tell him apart from Iscariot; Matthew and Mark seem to call him Thaddaeus. An ancient tradition says he preached the gospel far from home and died a martyr, but the details are uncertain. In Luke's list he stands right beside the betrayer who shared his name. Perhaps that is why people in trouble feel close to him: he knows what it is to be overlooked.

Saint Jude, apostle of Jesus, little known but not forgotten, pray for me as I begin these nine days in a hard time. Lord, you called Jude by name; you know mine too, and you know what I am carrying. Amen.

Intention: For the situation that has brought me to this novena.

Day 2

Judas (not Iscariot) asked Him, “Lord, why are You going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus replied, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
John 14:22–23 · BSB

Jude speaks only once in the Gospels. At the Last Supper he asks Jesus why he will show himself to the disciples and not to the world. It is the question of anyone who wishes God would act more visibly. Jesus does not explain; he answers with a promise: whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father and I will come and make our home with them. When God seems hidden, he may be closer than we think, at home within us.

Lord, like Jude I have questions, and some of them hurt. Thank you for letting your friends ask. When I cannot see you acting, help me keep your word anyway, and make your home in me. Amen.

Intention: For those whose prayers seem to meet only silence.

Day 3

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze.
Isaiah 43:2 · BSB

God does not promise Israel that there will be no rivers to cross or fires to walk through. He promises to be there in them: the waters will not sweep you away, the flame will not consume you. People often turn to Saint Jude when a situation looks hopeless, when the doctors have run out of answers or the money has run out before the month. This verse does not make the river disappear. It tells you who is in the water with you.

Lord, the water is high and I am afraid. Do not let it sweep me away. Saint Jude, pray for me and for everyone who feels they have run out of options. Stay with me in the middle of it all, Lord. Amen.

Intention: For those facing a serious illness or a frightening diagnosis.

Day 4

Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!
Lamentations 3:22–23 · BSB

Lamentations was written after Jerusalem had been destroyed. Most of the book is grief, honest and raw. Then, in the middle of it, the writer remembers: because of the Lord's loving devotion we are not consumed; his mercies never fail, they are new every morning. He has not stopped grieving. He has simply found one thing that is still true. On hard days we do not need to pretend everything is fine. We need one true thing to hold, and to wake up tomorrow and hold it again.

Lord, I am hurting, and I bring my pain to you without pretending. Thank you that your mercy does not run out overnight. Give me what I need for today, and tomorrow give it to me again. Amen.

Intention: For everyone mourning a loved one, a marriage, a job or a dream.

Day 5

We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.
2 Corinthians 4:8–9 · BSB

Paul does not hide what an apostle's life was like: hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, struck down. Tradition says Jude shared that life to the end. But after each hardship Paul adds a ‘but not’: not crushed, not in despair, not forsaken, not destroyed. He is not describing a man who feels strong. He is describing what God keeps from happening. You may feel pressed on every side today. You have not been abandoned, and this is not the end.

Lord, I am pressed on every side; do not let me be crushed. When I do not know what to do, keep me from despair. Saint Jude, who kept going to the end, pray that I may keep going today. Amen.

Intention: For those weighed down by debt, unemployment or money worries.

Day 6

So they set out and preached that the people should repent. They also drove out many demons and healed many of the sick, anointing them with oil.
Mark 6:12–13 · BSB

Jesus sent the Twelve out two by two, and Jude was among them. They preached repentance, drove out demons, anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. Before he was the patron of hard cases, Jude was someone who walked into other people's hard cases and brought Jesus with him. In our own trouble we can forget that others are struggling too. Sometimes the way out of our darkness begins by carrying a small light to someone else.

Lord, my troubles fill my whole view. Open my eyes to someone near me who is struggling too, and show me one small thing I can do for them today. Saint Jude, apostle and healer, pray for us both. Amen.

Intention: For someone I know who is struggling in silence.

Day 7

But you, beloved, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God as you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life.
Jude 1:20–21 · BSB

The short Letter of Jude is signed by ‘Jude, brother of James’. Tradition has often linked it to the apostle, though many scholars think the author was a different Jude, a relative of the Lord; the question remains open. Either way, its advice suits hard times: build yourselves up in your faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, and wait for the mercy of Jesus. Four small daily practices, not a heroic leap.

Lord, I do not have the strength for great things right now. Help me with small ones: to pray a little, to trust a little, to stay in your love today. Keep me from falling, and let your mercy carry the rest. Amen.

Intention: For the strength to keep praying when faith feels thin.

Day 8

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38–39 · BSB

Paul lists everything he can think of that might come between us and God: death, life, angels, rulers, things present and things to come, height, depth, anything else in all creation. None of it, he says, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Your hard time is somewhere on that list. It may take your sleep, your plans, even your health. It cannot take you out of his love. That is the solid ground under this whole novena.

Lord, I believe that nothing can separate me from your love; help me where I doubt it. Hold the people I love in that same love, especially those who are far from you or far from me. Amen.

Intention: For loved ones who have drifted away from God or from us.

Day 9

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen.
Jude 1:24–25 · BSB

The Letter of Jude ends not with advice but with praise: to the One who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless with great joy, be glory, majesty and power, now and for ever. Nine days ago you brought a hard situation here. It may already have changed, or it may not. Either way, finish where Jude finishes: by giving thanks to the One who is able, and trusting him with whatever comes next.

Thank you, Lord, for staying with me through these nine days. Thank you for Saint Jude and his prayers. I place my situation in your hands and trust you with how it ends. To you be glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Intention: In thanksgiving for every prayer heard, answered or still unfolding.

Novenas

The reflections, prayers and intentions are our own, written for Verso and reviewed. Bible quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), in the public domain. How we write.