But herein lies the distinction: if we focus
exclusively on our sinf ulness and ignore
Christ’s promise of hope, then we are on the
Judas-path. Conversely, if we live in the hope
of Christ, then, despite our moral failings and
struggles, we are on the Jude-path. The factor
that separates the road to life from the road
to perdition is often not so much our great
moral accomplishments or grave sinfulness,
but simply whether we respond to personal
failure with or without the virtue of hope.
To have hope is to firmly trust that God is
not lying when he tells us that he will give
us everything we need to reach our goal of
happiness with Him. To have hope is to trust
that whatever our faults and whatever our
challenges, Christ is not lying when he says,
“I am the light of the world; whoever follows
me will not walk in darkness, but will have
the light of life.”
Without the hope of Christ, each of us is a
lost cause. But by living in the hope of Christ,
we can achieve all things.
May the hope of Christ which filled St. Jude
fill our lives as well, that we may trust in
Jesus as He leads us to the Heavenly Father.
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St. Jude Reunites
a Family
BY KATIE CONNOR*
I
would like to thank St. Jude for answering
my prayer. I have been praying to him for
over two years and this past July I received an
answer. People are not too sympathetic to my story
because it is not something they like to discuss. Thank You so much, St. Jude! My family loves you
for helping us and I gratefully encourage anyone
who feels their situation is hopeless to turn to you
(I felt that way many times). Prayer will fill you
with comfort, love and, above all, hope.
In 2013 my husband committed a nonviolent crime.
He was sentenced to 5 years in prison and started
his sentence in 2014. My husband has always
been a loving spouse and father. He was truly
sorry for what he did and confessed his crime
numerous times while incarcerated. Since day
one of his sentence, I started praying to St. Jude for
my husband’s early release. It seemed like forever,
but in 2016 - the Year of Mercy - my husband was
granted early release. He came home the next
month. Through prayer, our family is together
again and closer than ever before. *This name has been changed to protect the family’s identity.
ST. JUDE MESSENGER • VOLUME III, ISSUE I
Have your prayers been answered
through the intercession
of St. Jude or Our Lady?
Let us know by emailing:
[email protected].
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