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• What is a novena?

A novena is the reciting of powerful prayers and devotions for a special request over nine
consecutive days. Traditionally, a novena included praying, fasting, and meditating.

• Do I have to be Catholic to make the novena? Do I have to be religious?

No! You only have to be someone having a difficult time coping with one (or more) difficult
problems in your life that do not seem resolvable on your own. You're human! It's alright to
be overwhelmed sometimes.

• How often and for how long should the novena be said?

Traditionally, the novena prayer is said for 9 days. The 9 days signifies the 9 days the early
Apostles prayed together during the time between the Ascension of Jesus, and Pentecost,
when they experienced the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit. However, there is no hard
and fast "rule" for praying; it is best if you adopt a series of prayers and a rhythm for saying
them that is comfortable for you and allows you to open a dialogue with God.

• What prayers should I say? How do I say them?

Your goal when praying is to focus your heart, mind, and body on communicating with St.
Jude. Praying is best done alone and in a quiet environment. Start by closing your eyes,
then describe your special need, and make a heartfelt request for St. Jude to intercede on
your behalf to help it be realized. Your prayer can be as simple as "St. Jude, please help
me with (insert your request)", or if you prefer, choose one from the St. Jude Prayers
section where you'll find a collection of inspirational prayers used by others. You should
then follow your St. Jude prayer by saying 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, and 3 Gloria prayers.
These can also be found in the St. Jude Prayers section. Although not required, many
people also find that meditating and/or some type of fasting during the 9 days provide extra
comfort and strength when saying the prayers.

To help you stay focused and truly enhance your prayer experience, we suggest you
consider one of our beautiful St. Jude rosaries. You can see our collection in our Gift Shop.
Another prayer aid is our Personal St. Jude Novena Calendar, which you can find in our
Resource Center.

Remember, for your novena request to be granted, you must promise to publish your
request. You can go to the Publish Your Message section to do this now.

• What should I expect to happen?

A novena to St. Jude has never been known to fail for those who maintain a strong posture
of faith that God is ALWAYS working behind the scenes for us. For some people, by the end
of the 9 days, they will see some visible, concrete proof that their request has been
granted. For others, they may receive something that is not what they asked for, but turns
out to be what they REALLY needed at this point in their lives. And for others, they may
experience a newly-found feeling of hope and peace of spirit, that brings with it the sense
that they ARE NOT GOING THROUGH THEIR DIFFICULTY ALONE. The beautiful power of the
St. Jude novena is that people can have their requests answered in ways or times they may
not have expected. The important thing is to believe that you WILL experience a change,
and don't despair if you do not receive an instant answer. Often the path to finding true
healing of mind, body, or spirit is a process that will only be fully visible and appreciated
after an extended period of time. Praying to St. Jude is the first step in that process.

Whatever you do is…

DON'T STOP HOPING…

DON'T STOP TRUSTING….
DON'T STOP TRYING…….

ST. JUDE PRAYERS

This is a collection of inspirational prayers that you can choose from for praying the
novena to St. Jude.

PRAYERS FOR SPECIAL INTENTIONS

"St. Jude, glorious apostle, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the name of the
person (who betrayed our Lord) has caused you to be forgotten by many, but the
true Church invokes you universally as the Patron of things despaired of. Pray for
me, who is so miserable; pray for me, that I may finally receive the consolations and
the succour of Heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly
(ADD YOUR PERSONAL REQUEST HERE), and that I may bless God with the Elect
Throughout Eternity."

(NOTE: we have St. Jude Prayer Cards printed with above prayer available in our St.
Jude Gift Shop)
"May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be Adored, Glorified, Loved & Preserved throughout
the world, now & forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, please pray for me. Saint Jude,
Worker of Miracles, please pray for me. Saint Jude, Helper of the Hopeless, please
pray for me. Amen."

"O most holy apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, people honor and
invoke you universally, as the patron of hopeless cases, of things almost despaired
of. Pray for me, for I am so helpless and alone. Please help to bring me visible and
speedy assistance. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the
consolation and help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings,
particularly (state your request) and that I may praise God with you always."

"I promise, O blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor, to always
honor you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion
to you by publishing this request. Amen."

"Holy Saint Jude, Apostle and Martyr, Great in virtue and rich in miracles, Near
kinsman of Jesus Christ, Faithful intercessor of all Who invoke your special
patronage in time of need. To you I have recourse from the depths of my heart And
humbly beg to whom God has given such great power To come to my assistance.
Help me in my present and urgent petition, In return I promise to make your name
known And cause you to be invoked. Saint Jude pray for me and all those who
invoke your aid. Amen."

The following prayers were graciously submitted by Mr. Joe Chatelle:

"Blessed Apostle St. Jude, we call upon you for help in hope and utmost confidence.
St Jude renowned help of the hopeless, come to my aid in this time of distress. St.
Jude, cousin of our Lord, obtain from our Savior the favors I now need and seek,
especially _________."

"Glorious St. Jude with faith in your goodness I ask your help today. As

one of Christ's chosen Apostles, you remain a pillar and foundation of His

Church on earth. You are counted we know, among the elders who always stand
before God's throne. From your place of glory we know you do not forget the needs
and difficulties of Christ's little ones here still struggling, like me, on the way home
to God. Please intercede for me, gracious St. Jude, and be with me in my daily toil
and in all my necessities, especially _________. In Christ's name, I appeal to you
again today. Amen."

PRAYERS FOR PHYSICAL HEALING

"St. Jude, you witnessed the healing power of our Lord Jesus. You saw his
compassion for the sick and dying. You yourself touched the sick, shared the
sorrows of the mournful, and encouraged the despairing. You received this authority
and healing power to work wonders, to cure the incurable, to make people whole.
We ask you to intercede with our brother, Jesus, to send his saving grace to heal the
sickness and suffering of _________________________________, to uplift his/her
despondent spirits, and to instill hope in his/her hearts. Amen."

"St. Jude, through prayer you praised God for the wonderful works of Jesus. You
asked God for the strength to meet the challenges of your apostolate. You put your
trust in God's mercy, believing firmly that God loved you and understood your joys
and sorrows, your hopes and fears, and your triumphs and failures. You understood
that nothing is impossible for God. I ask you to pray for me now before the Most
High so that I too might be filled with God's saving power, understand God's will for
me and faithfully place myself in God's loving hands."

"St. Jude, you remained faithful to our Lord, even unto death. You gave your life so
that others might live. You endured physical pain and emotional abandonment. But
you gladly joined your sufferings to those of our Savior, Jesus, and thus shared in
the redemption of the world. I ask you now to intercede with our brother, Jesus
Christ on my behalf, so that I too can find strength in the face of my suffering. Help
me to trust in God and put my life in his hands."

PRAYER FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

"St. Jude, please assist me in these difficult financial circumstances. I beg you to
shine the light on the resources that I need to help meet my debts and satisfy my
pressing obligations."

PRAYER FOR HEALING OF RELATIONSHIPS

"Saint Jude, we have problems in our relationship. Beg Almighty God to give us the
light to see ourselves and each other as we really are. Help us to grow daily in self-
knowledge and mutual love, while at the same time developing our potential to love
and be loved. Help us, Saint Jude, to see and root out every manifestation of
selfishness, vanity, and childish self-seeking -- those hidden enemies of love and
maturity. Show us that by learning to love and being filled with love, we may
complement and nurture each other as we share our lives together."

PRAYER FOR HEALING OF MARRIAGE (NEW)

"St. Jude, during your life you encouraged early Christian followers to remain loyal
and true to their faith, even during the harshest circumstances. Like these followers,
my spouse and I now find ourselves in need of renewed faith. Time and the
pressures of the world have weakened our relationship. Please intercede for us and
show us the way to heal our marriage. Open our hearts and minds to rededicate a
new relationship guided by the love and commitment we once knew. Help us put
aside any negative remnants of past deeds done and embark on a new union, in
accordance with our Lord's principles."

SAMPLE MESSAGES OF THANKS FOR A REQUEST GRANTED

"Thank you God for answering my prayer; thank you St. Jude for interceding on my
behalf. I will encourage devotion to you always."

"God, thank you for all the grace and favors which you have given me through the
prayers of your Apostle, Jude Thaddeus. St. Jude, I thank you for your intercession
in response to my prayers. I will always be grateful to you and will spread to
devotion to you. Be with us always so we may face our problems with courage and
serenity."

Our Father

Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will
be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us
our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and
blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us
sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Gloria

Glory be to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning,
now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.