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ST. JUDE CHRONICLE Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus THE DOMINICANS 1909 S. Ashland Chicago, IL 60608 |
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A Message From Father BedeOctober, 1998Dear Friends of St. Jude,In this month of October the entire Church celebrates the feast of St. Jude Thaddeus, an Apostle and a cousin of Jesus. Our Solemn Novena to St. Jude surrounds his feast day on October 28. During the Solemn Novena hundreds of friends of St. Jude will come to pray at the Shrine while many more hundreds will make the Solemn Novena in their own homes or churches reciting the same Novena prayers.
Many people go to St. Jude in thanksgiving to God for blessings received. Others come because suffering and other difficult situations have arisen in their life. At one time or another we know we are a needful people. Although we realize we are saved by the death and resurrection of Jesus, still we know that salvation has to be worked out in our lives.
My early impression of St. Jude interceding for me was to picture him getting up from whatever he was doing and going before the throne of God on my behalf. That was my mental picture of his personal intercession for me.
Gradually I began to realize that St. Jude prays for me and all of us in the full communion of saints. We might say he is part of that heavenly host that prays before the throne of God. It is well that we place our trust, our prayer intentions and petitions on a communal, family basis, asking St. Jude to continue to pray for us with all the saints of God. With all saints we ask St. Jude to come to our assistance in carrying out the plan God has prepared for us.
We celebrate the feast of St. Jude Thaddeus this month with you and with all who are in the Communion of Saints.
In Jesus' name,
Rev. Bede Jagoe, O.P., Director
DEALING WITH PAIN - Continued |
The principle of non-resistance seems to have great benefits for people suffering from severe physical pain. The natural reaction to physical pain is to tighten up our breathing and our muscles. Pain clinics are now teaching that if we can enter into the pain, really experience it moment by moment, breath deeply and relax all our muscles, we may do better. When it comes to suffering, sometimes going with the flow is the more beneficial choice.. Perhaps the prayer of St. Francis expresses the best approach to what is unpleasant: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." In Christ's love, Fr. Richard de Ranitz, O.P. In the last issue of the Chronicle, I suggested two ways of dealing with pain or suffering. One way is to act; to do something about it. This sounds so simple but it is true. Many people for example, live in bodies that are shriveling up but they don't exercise. The second way that I suggested is offering the pain up for others who are hurting. This is called vicarious suffering.
I would now like to continue this discussion. Many years ago I was experiencing one of those times when everything seemed to be coming at me at once. I was resisting all the way. Then I came upon a helpful discovery. Life only pressures us when we resist it. It is such a natural reaction to resist what we perceive as unpleasant. What would happen if we just went with the flow? An example: last March I was scheduled to preach at a suburan parish on the Beatitudes. It had been planned months in advance and was announced weeks ahead in their bulletin. The night before we had a huge blizzard. The next morning Chicago woke up to loads of snow and almost all the roads were closed. My first reaction was to fight the obvious. "I'm going to get there and speak no matter what." I was miserable. Only in the mid-morning did I come to my senses and resign myself to the obvious. I wasn't going anywhere! I began to go with the flow rather that resist it. What a release!
The principle of non-resistance seems to have great benefits for people suffering from severe physical pain. The natural reaction to physical pain is to tighten up our breathing and our muscles. Pain clinics are now teaching that if we can enter into the pain, really experience it moment by moment, breath deeply and relax all our muscles, we may do better. When it comes to suffering, sometimes going with the flow is the more beneficial choice..
Perhaps the prayer of St. Francis expresses the best approach to what is unpleasant: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
| In Christ's love, |  |
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| Fr. Richard de Ranitz |
Father de Ranitz is a member of the Shrine of St. Jude Staff. He also gives retreats and workshops on physical, mental and spiritual health.
| EUCHARIST & ROSARY |
One of the features of our daily novena devotions to St. Jude is to pray the five decades of the Rosary. Then follows a St. Jude prayer with a short litany, then a prayer for the sick, and finally a prayer for a happy death. The praying community gathers in the Church of St. Pius V which houses the Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus. We continue our prayer with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
It is beautiful to behold how the mysteries of the Rosary come to aid us in the celebration of Holy Mass. The Joyful Mysteries remind us of the Incarnation, Jesus taking on our human form, God, in Jesus coming to live among us as one of us. These mysteries speak of Jesus' early life as a religious Jew reading the scripture, as we do in the Liturgy of the Word,worshiping and praising God.
The Sorrowful Mysteries remind us that Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice for us. Jesus is the Paschal offering. He is the lamb that was slain for us. It is Jesus' self-offering sacrifice that is re-enacted in the Eucharistic prayer.
The Glorious Mysteries remind us we have a pledge of our future glory. It is the risen Jesus we meet, who strengthens us in communion. Our communion is with Jesus and all our brothers and sisters in the communion of saints.
This month of October is dedicated to Mary who is the Queen of the most Holy Rosary. Let us thank God for the mysteries we meditate upon in the Rosary and celebrate in the Eucharist for the salvation of the world.
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JULY NOVENA Guest Preacher
Fr. R. B. Williams, O.P., is a Dominican Friar from the Province of St. Martin DePorres. Fr. Williams is a native of Natchitoches, LA. He was ordained to the priesthood May 22, 1971. Fr. Williams has served as campus minister in Louisiana, Colorado, Arizona and Tennessee. He has also served as Novice Director, Vicar Provincial, Itinerant Preacher and most recently as Pastor of St. Ann Parish in San Antonio, TX, and Prior of the Dominican Priory of San Juan Macias. He has just been appointed as pastor of St. Thomas More University Parish at Tulane University (his alma mater) in New Orleans, LA. |  |
| FRIENDS OF ST. JUDE REPORT ... WHAT GOD HAS DONE |
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A.P Cape Coral, FL After two long years praying to St. Jude to sell my mothers apartment, our prayers were answered. A very nice young couple bought it. I pray and wish them a lot of luck.
M.F.
D.W Burbank, IL
O.K. Bridgeview, IL Many people write asking us to publish their thanks. So, please tell us your story of how St. Jude has helped you. We cannot publish all those letters that just say "thank you" without giving details. (Also, we do not publish anonymous stories.) It's your story that gives others hope! |
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St. Jude Legacy Club The St. Jude Legacy Club is our special way of recognizing those people who have remembered us in their will. On the 28th of each month, all the members are remembered in a Mass celebrated at the altar of St. Jude in the Vatican.
Here is our new member: If you have remembered us in your will and we have not listed you as a member of the St. Jude Legacy Club, please let us know. If you have not yet remembered us in your will but would like to do so, please contact us for details. Our legal title is:
Dominican Fathers
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