St. Jude Messenger Volume IV, Issue I | Page 8

A Letter from the Deacon of the Rosary Shrine of Saint Jude: Brother Aquinas Beale M ost mornings, I pay a visit to our Rosary Shrine of Saint Jude after the community finishes Morning Prayer. Once I get there, I go to one of the kneelers to recite the novena prayer to Saint Jude, calling to mind my personal intentions, the intentions that have been physically mailed to the Shrine, and all the intentions that come in through the Shrine’s website and email. I adopted this ritual as part of my daily routine once I was assigned to assist the Shrine as part of my duties during my last year of formation before ordination to the priesthood. As a friar, I already prayed a lot. So, I figured a few more minutes in prayer would not have much of an effect on my day. I was wrong. Reading news headlines on at least a semi-regular basis, anyone in today’s society is bound to be aware of the amount of trial and suffering in the world. I had read many of these headlines and news stories; I was aware of these issues. However, I was not completely prepared for the experience of reading many of the petitions that came into the Shrine. As I began to go through the petitions, the pain and suffering that I knew was in the world became more concrete, as I realized that the person who had sent that particular envelope or email was indeed struggling to face the trials that I was reading about. Early on, it became almost overwhelming for me. But, then I recalled the ways that Saint Jude has powerfully touched my own life, and I began to read more of how he has worked in the lives of others. ST. JUDE MESSENGER • VOLUME IV , ISSUE I Moreover, it was not just St. Jude accomplishing these things, but God working through the intercession of his chosen saint, for while God desires to work His wonders in our lives, sometimes He does so through the intercession and instrumentality of others. “I realized, the resolution of these trials and suffering that I was reading about does not depend upon me—it depends upon God.” And so, I realized, the resolution of these trials and suffering that I was reading about does not depend upon me—it depends upon God. Yet, in obedience to my student master and in assistance to Fr. Gabriel, I was being called to participate in that work. Therefore, with a less heavy and more hopeful heart, I make my visit to the Rosary Shrine of Saint Jude each morning to honor him as our “special and powerful patron.” BROTHER AQUINAS BEALE, O.P. (LEFT), AND FATHER MATTHEW RZECZKOWSKI, O.P., AT THE ROSARY SHRINE OF SAINT JUDE 8