Biba San Jude! Before my reflection, I want to thank all my parishioners, benefactors, and friends of St. Jude Parish for all their support, generosity, and charitable contributions towards of fiesta celebration. Parish fiestas are always an opportunity for a faith community to gather for prayer and thanksgiving. They showcase the generosity and faith of our people who love God and ask their patron saints for help during our earthly pilgrimage.
I was a member of Kristo Rai growing up. When I was assigned to St. Jude I honestly did not know much about St. Jude. I only knew him as an apostle and the patron of hopeless cases and of things almost despaired of. In fact, when I told my seminary classmates that I was going to St. Jude parish, they teased me. They said, “How fitting! You were always a jokester and troublemaker in the seminary, you definitely need St. Jude’s help!” However, I saw this as an opportunity to begin a devotion to him and learn about his life.
On St. Jude’s statue you will notice an image of Jesus at the center. This recalls one of his miracles. King Abagar of Edessa asked Jesus to cure him of leprosy and sent an artist to bring him a drawing of Jesus. Jesus pressed His face on a cloth, leaving the image of His face on it. He gave the cloth to St. Jude, who took the image to Abagar and cured him.
To me, this story has a profound meaning. Jesus sent St. Jude to bring a sick king the good news and to heal him. In many ways, Jesus sends us to bring the gospel to everyone we meet, most especially the sick. Perhaps we know someone who is physically sick and needs to hear that Jesus is close to them. We invite them to unite their sufferings to the sufferings of Christ and see their illness as an opportunity to deeper communion with Jesus who suffered and died for us. We also assist the sick and offer them a ministry of presence. To let them know they are not alone.
Or maybe someone is spiritual sick, we know someone living contrary to the gospel or in spiritual idleness. In a gentle and loving way, we bring Christ’s presence to them. We share that God has something better to offer us than the world, eternal life. Looking at St. Jude’s statue, I think it’s no accident that he holds the cloth with Christ’s image at the center of his chest. This means that Jesus must always be at the center of our lives. Jesus alone is the font of all blessing and healing, yet he invites us to be His instruments of bringing His good news to others.
Today, we give God thanks and ask St. Jude to pray for us, especially all our sick and those who feel like they are hopeless situations. May they know Christ’s love and the power of His gospel. Biba San Jude!
