Has anyone wondered why St. Jude has been given by God such great powers of intercession? Out of all the thousands of saints, why is it that so many people ask Jude for help and get it?
Various sources have St. Jude preaching in Judea, Samaria, Idumea, Syria, Mesopotamia, Libya, Persia, and Armenia.
I think the key to his role as intercessor is not just a long tradition of answered prayers, but the fact that Jude writes to a Church under persecution in his epistle.
Let me highlight some of the text for a hint to his power of intercession. Note that he is the brother of James the Lesser, and therefore, like James, a cousin of Jesus through Mary's relations.
The first hint we have of persecution is the word "contend", which means to struggle or assert strongly. The second hint of real trouble in the Church is his reference to "ungodly men" who were known for a long time to have infiltrated the Church and are enemies of God.
This sounds like a news bulletin from Michael Voris last week from Rome.
Jude reminds his audience that men will be judged by Christ, just as the fallen angels have been. Jude clearly refers to the fact that some people are in hell. His list of sins reveals serious mortal evils, such as impurity and blasphemy.
Then, we see the mysterious, Jewish story of how St. Michael fought with the devil over Moses after Moses died because of the prophet's sin at Meribah, when Moses in pride and anger struck the Rock of Horeb three times instead of one, disobeying God.
Archangel Michael took Moses' body from satan, from corruption, meaning that Moses was
body and soul in heaven, like Enoch, mentioned in this epistle as well, (and Elijah). The fact that Moses and Elijah are present with Christ at the Transfiguration supports this belief. But, the point of Jude is that there is a spiritual battle going on, constantly in the Church.
Jude lists three types of sin which are present in his congregations-the sin of Cain which is murdering a brother; the sin of Balaam, which is prophesying for money; and the sin of Core, or Korah, a relation of Moses, who with Dathan and Abiram, rebelled against Moses and were swallowed up in the opening of the earth in the book of Numbers. Core is a symbolic person for the sins of murmuring and rebellion against God's anointed leader, Moses, a sin to which Jude refers. Is this not a major sin in today's Catholic Church among the laity-complaining against leaders? And is rebellion not a sin we have seen for seventy years, at least, among the clergy and laity?
Now, Jude is obviously writing to Jewish Christians who would know all these Biblical references.
Continuing, one sees a letter full of warning against these sinners within the Church. The phrase, "admiring people for gain's sake" reminds me of certain prelates in the States who hob-nob with the enemies of Truth.
Jude adds mocking to the list and is not God mocked today in the West and in Rome itself?
Jude reminds his readers that they are saved only through Christ, through repentance, and through residing in faith, hope and love. Note that Jude calls his congregation to perfection, to being pure and spotless, without sin.
This section is not poetry, or exaggeration, but the reality of the necessity of purification and great holiness in the face of persecution and hard times within the Church.
Some persons have been brought back to Christianity, which Jude notes, by being reproved.
Again, we must pray for those in the Church who hate the Truth, and want to make God into their own image and likeness.
That Jude brought the Gospel to such difficult places, that he converted Jews, that he traveled far and wide, and was martyred cruelly, indicates a man with great strength of character and a man of great faith.
As an apostle working in areas where the Church was being torn apart from within, most likely by the growing Gnostic threat, he seems a champion for our time.
His intercession would be powerful as he had to face difficulties and lead people under circumstances of chaos and confusion.
Does this sound familiar?
A man in his situation would be strong, courageous, forthright and would be pure in spirit. His words, although few, indicated someone who is able to face horrific problems and deal with them, as a leader, as a saint.
Such a man who contended with so many problems with his people on earth would be a great intercessor for hopeless cases in heaven.
We should be praying to him for those in Europe and elsewhere within the Church, who are bent on destroying God's work from within.
Jude's power comes out of the fire of persecution.
In addition, I want to point out his few lines of metaphors regarding those who are trying to ruin Christ's Church.
Jude calls them clouds without water, which are carried about by winds, trees of the autumn, unfruitful, twice dead, plucked up by the roots,
Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own confusion; wandering stars, to whom the storm of darkness is reserved for ever.
Clouds without water are sterile and the winds are those of false doctrine, and the sound bites of the times. Unfruitful, trees in autumn may look nice, but are becoming dormant, and some die, a second death, which is a reference to the final judgment and eternal damnation.
To be a raging wave, foaming, means nothing, as the wind pushes the sea, just as false and trendy ideas push so many people, including cardinals and bishops, to rage uselessly against Truth.
Foaming in our language refer to a type of madness, irrationality, stupidity which is animal-like.
Now, the phrase "wandering stars" is a reference to meteors, which burn themselves out in the atmosphere, and become dark, falling to the earth as cold metal. Such are those in the main-stream media, blazing for two weeks, causing alarm and disturbing the peace of so many Catholics, but eventually burning out, falling into eternal darkness, unless they repent.
Hard but clear images from the Apostle of Hopeless Cases. Repeating my call of a few days ago to pray for those cardinals, bishops, and priests who want to re-make God's Church into something worldly, I suggest we pray to Jude, who had to endure the same chaos we know see so clearly in the Church.
Jude's congregations survived, and thrived. His powers of commitment and conversion inspired the Church for over two-thousand years.
Do not be afraid, hope and pray to St. Jude.
Jude 1 Douay-Rheims
1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James: to them that are beloved in God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.
2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and charity be fulfilled.
3 Dearly beloved, taking all care to write unto you concerning your common salvation, I was under a necessity to write unto you: to beseech you to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints.
4 For certain men are secretly entered in, (who were written of long ago unto this judgment,) ungodly men, turning the grace of our Lord God into riotousness, and denying the only sovereign Ruler, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
5 I will therefore admonish you, though ye once knew all things, that Jesus, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, did afterwards destroy them that believed not:
6 And the angels who kept not their principality, but forsook their own habitation, he hath reserved under darkness in everlasting chains, unto the judgment of the great day.
7 As Sodom and Gomorrha, and the neighbouring cities, in like manner, having given themselves to fornication, and going after other flesh, were made an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire.
8 In like manner these men also defile the flesh, and despise dominion, and blaspheme majesty.
9 When Michael the archangel, disputing with the devil, contended about the body of Moses, he durst not bring against him the judgment of railing speech, but said: The Lord command thee.
10 But these men blaspheme whatever things they know not: and what things soever they naturally know, like dumb beasts, in these they are corrupted.
11 Woe unto them, for they have gone in the way of Cain: and after the error of Balaam they have for reward poured out themselves, and have perished in the contradiction of Core.
12 These are spots in their banquets, feasting together without fear, feeding themselves, clouds without water, which are carried about by winds, trees of the autumn, unfruitful, twice dead, plucked up by the roots,
13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own confusion; wandering stars, to whom the storm of darkness is reserved for ever.
14 Now of these Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying: Behold, the Lord cometh with thousands of his saints,
15 To execute judgment upon all, and to reprove all the ungodly for all the works of their ungodliness, whereby they have done ungodly, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against God.
16 These are murmurers, full of complaints, walking according to their own desires, and their mouth speaketh proud things, admiring persons for gain's sake.
17 But you, my dearly beloved, be mindful of the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,
18 Who told you, that in the last time there should come mockers, walking according to their own desires in ungodlinesses.
19 These are they, who separate themselves, sensual men, having not the Spirit.
20 But you, my beloved, building yourselves upon your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto life everlasting.
22 And some indeed reprove, being judged:
23 But others save, pulling them out of the fire. And on others have mercy, in fear, hating also the spotted garment which is carnal.
24 Now to him who is able to preserve you without sin, and to present you spotless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
25 To the only God our Saviour through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory and magnificence, empire and power, before all ages, and now, and for all ages of ages. Amen.
