Saint Jude Thaddeus
Feast day: October 28
Saint Jude Thaddeus, Apostle, who prays for us in difficult situations (28/10)
Who is he?
Saint Jude Thaddeus is one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Luke’s Gospel calls him “Judas the son of James,” while the Gospels of Matthew and Mark call him Thaddeus. The Church celebrates him on the same day as Saint Simon the Zealot.
Life story
He had the same name as Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. That is why, when John’s Gospel tells about him, it carefully notes: “Judas (not Iscariot)” (Jn 14:22). Even with that name, he was a faithful Apostle.
At the Last Supper, before the Passion, he asked Jesus: “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered: “If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (Jn 14:22-23). That answer tells us: the Lord lives right in the hearts of those who love him.
After Jesus went up to heaven, Jude prayed with the Apostles and Mary, waiting for the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:13-14). According to tradition, he wrote the Letter of Jude in the Bible. Also according to tradition, he and Saint Simon went to preach the Gospel in faraway lands like Mesopotamia and Persia, and were martyred. Today, the relics of the two saints are venerated in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
Pictures and statues often show him wearing a medallion with the image of Jesus on his chest, and a small flame above his head, recalling the day the Holy Spirit came down like tongues of fire.
Why is he a saint?
Saint Jude Thaddeus loved Jesus, stayed with him and faithfully preached the Gospel until his death. Many people have prayed to him in hard times and found peace and hope in God again. He does not work miracles in God’s place, but he prays for us before God.
A lesson for you
- When something sad or hard happens, like sickness in your family or a difficult lesson, don’t lose heart: pray with patience and ask Saint Jude to pray for you.
- Trust that God always hears you, even though he may answer in a different way from what you asked.
- Loving God means keeping his word: each day, do one thing Jesus teaches.
Identifying marks
- A medallion with the face of Jesus on his chest: according to tradition, he brought an image of Jesus to heal King Abgar of Edessa.
- A small flame above his head: it recalls Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came down on the Apostles.
- A wooden club: according to tradition, he was beaten with a club when he was martyred; it also recalls his long journeys to preach.
- A green mantle: the color he usually wears in pictures and statues.
- An axe (*): from another tradition about his martyrdom.
(*) Only in some pictures and statues.
The text on this page is the saint card in the Catholic Information app, word for word.
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