Novena to St Jude

You may be beginning this novena with a specific request, a concern or a trial that has lasted for some time. Perhaps you wish to pray for someone you love, discern a decision or thank God for help you have received.

You can come just as you are, with your trust and your questions.

A novena is a journey of prayer over nine days. This novena invites you to spend a few minutes each day listening to the Word of God, meditating and entrusting your intention to him while asking for the intercession of St Jude, an apostle of Jesus Christ.

Our trust rests in God. St Jude does not take the place of Christ: we ask him to pray for us and accompany us toward Christ.

This novena does not guarantee a miracle, a healing or an answer at the end of the nine days. It does not measure the quality of your faith. It invites you to persevere in prayer, to ask for light so that you may act and to open yourself to God’s will.

You can begin with these words:

Lord, I entrust this intention to you: … Receive my request and guide me in your light.

Your intention remains personal. You may keep the same intention throughout the nine days or rephrase it if your situation changes.

If possible, set aside five to ten minutes. Begin with the sign of the cross, present your intention, then read the Scripture passage, the meditation and the prayer. Conclude with the invocation to St Jude, the Lord’s Prayer and the sign of the cross.

If you miss a day, simply pick up where you left off. No medal, registration or contribution is required.

This journey accompanies the Christian life; it does not replace the sacraments or any medical care or support you may need.

The meditations and prayers written specifically for this novena are original compositions by Saint Jude Medals for personal prayer. They are not official liturgical texts.

Begin the prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Take a brief moment of silence. Present your intention to God without trying to find the perfect words.

Listen to the Word

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28 — New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE)

Meditate

Jesus speaks to those who carry a burden. His invitation does not require that we have already resolved our difficulties or that we know how to pray perfectly.

Beginning this novena means responding to this call with the reality of our lives. We can come with wavering faith, long-standing weariness, a sense of gratitude, or an unanswered question.

The rest promised by Jesus is not a guarantee that all our problems will disappear today. His invitation is first and foremost an invitation to encounter him: to draw near to him and learn to become his disciples.

Today, you do not need to accomplish all nine days at once. It is enough to turn to Christ and open a little of your life to him.

Pray

Lord Jesus,
I accept your invitation.
I come to you with what brings me joy
and what weighs on my heart.

I entrust to you the intention that brings me here today.
Receive also what I cannot put into words.

Teach me to know you
and to listen to your word.
When my thoughts wander,
help me to simply return to you.

May your Spirit sustain this first step.
Lead me to the Father
and teach me to live by your love.

Amen.

Ask for St Jude’s intercession

St Jude, apostle of Jesus Christ, pray for us.
Ask the Lord to strengthen our faith,
sustain our hope
and help us grow in charity.

Conclude

Recite the Lord’s Prayer, then make the sign of the cross.

Optional practice for today: take a brief moment of silence and tell God, in your own words, why you are beginning this novena.

Begin the prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In silence, entrust your intention to God once more. You do not need to feel more confident than you did yesterday in order to continue.

Listen to the Word

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.”

Romans 15:13, excerpt — NABRE

Meditate

St Paul asks God to make hope grow in believers. He does not command them to manufacture a joy they do not feel.

Christian hope is not the certainty that events will unfold according to our wishes. It is grounded in God’s faithfulness and in the risen Christ. It enables us to seek a path even when we cannot yet see the way forward.

Embracing this hope, therefore, does not mean denying suffering. We can be sad and continue to pray; we can be afraid and accept a helping hand.

Today, we ask for a hope humble enough to acknowledge our limitations and alive enough to make room for the next step.

Pray

Loving Father,
you see what I am waiting for
and what I fear.

I entrust my intention to you.
When the future seems closed to me,
keep me from believing that my life
is reduced to this difficulty.

Through Jesus Christ, your Son,
strengthen my hope.
May your Spirit help me recognize
the support and possibilities present today.

Help me to welcome a kind word,
practical help and a moment of rest.

Even when I do not feel joy,
teach me to rely on your love
and not to remain alone.

Amen.

Ask for St Jude’s intercession

St Jude, apostle of Jesus Christ, pray for us.
Ask the Lord to strengthen our faith,
sustain our hope
and help us grow in charity.

Conclude

Recite the Lord’s Prayer, then make the sign of the cross.

Optional practice for today: take time to recognize a source of support, however small: a person, a word or help you have received. If nothing comes to mind, simply ask God to help you welcome the support you need.

Begin the prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Present to God what is weighing on you today, or the trial of the person for whom you are praying.

Listen to the Word

Psalm 62:9, excerpt — NABRE

Meditate

The psalm invites us to open our hearts before God. It does not ask us to hide our pain behind reassuring words.

We can bring before him our weariness, our confusion, our tears, and even our anger. Entrusting a trial to him does not mean we already understand it or have come to accept it.

Nor does it mean viewing all suffering as a punishment or as an event directly willed by God. In prayer, we can ask for relief from it and seek the support we need to get through it.

Today, let us make room for the truth of what we are going through. We do not have to tell everything or find all the right words. A sentence, a moment of silence or tears can accompany our prayer.

Pray

Father of mercy,
I place this trial before you.
You know how it has affected
my life and the lives of those close to me.

I ask you for the help we need.
Ease our suffering, guide our decisions,
and sustain those who walk with us.

Lord Jesus,
you who knew anguish and suffering,
help me to turn to you
without hiding my fragility.

May your Spirit give me the courage
to ask for help, to protect myself if necessary
and to take the steps that may help.

In what remains unanswered,
keep me in your love.

Amen.

Ask for St Jude’s intercession

St Jude, apostle of Jesus Christ, pray for us.
Ask the Lord to strengthen our faith,
sustain our hope
and help us grow in charity.

Conclude

Recite the Lord’s Prayer, then make the sign of the cross.

Optional practice for today: put a few words to what is weighing on you, either in prayer or in writing. If you wish, share them with someone you trust. You are under no obligation to talk about your trial.

Begin the prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Take a moment of silence. Entrust to God your intention and the strength you lack today.

Listen to the Word

“He gives power to the faint, abundant strength to the weak.”

Meditate

The prophet Isaiah proclaims a God who is attentive to human weakness. We can ask him for strength without being ashamed of our weariness.

This strength may show itself in quiet courage: taking a step we have long put off, accepting support, resuming a task or acknowledging that we need rest.

Following Christ, we learn to move forward without pretending to carry everything on our own. Asking for help can be a way of caring for the life entrusted to us.

Today, we do not have to resolve our entire situation. We can ask God for the light to recognize the next step and the strength to take it, within our abilities.

Pray

Most gracious Father,
you know my weariness
and the efforts that no one sees.

I entrust to you my intention
and what feels too heavy for me today.

Through Jesus Christ, your Son,
give me the strength I need
to do the good that is within my power.

May your Spirit shed light on the next step.
Help me to recognize my limitations,
to accept the rest I need
and to ask for support.

When discouragement returns,
remind me that I can turn to you.

Teach me to move forward with patience,
without despising small beginnings.

Amen.

Ask for St Jude’s intercession

St Jude, apostle of Jesus Christ, pray for us.
Ask the Lord to strengthen our faith,
sustain our hope
and help us grow in charity.

Conclude

Recite the Lord’s Prayer, then make the sign of the cross.

Optional practice for today: choose a useful and manageable step: make a phone call, ask for help or take some needed rest. One small step may be enough.

Begin the prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Present your intention to God once again. You can also entrust to him your difficulty in praying or your weariness from waiting.

Listen to the Word

“Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.”

Meditate

On some days, prayer comes easily. At other times, we repeat the same words without feeling any peace, or our thoughts carry us elsewhere.

St Paul’s invitation encourages us to keep a place for God in the midst of this reality. Persevering may simply mean returning to him with a sincere word and a few moments of attention.

Such faithfulness does not earn us an answer. We do not need to multiply formulas to make our request worthy of being heard. Christ opens for us a relationship with the Father in which we can remain, even when we do not understand what we are going through.

Today, let our prayer be simple. We can ask the Holy Spirit to help us pray and allow ourselves to be sustained by the prayer of the Church.

Pray

Lord Jesus,
I return to you today
with my intention and what I am waiting for.

You know the words I repeat,
my distractions
and the questions that remain.

Teach me to stay close to you
without measuring my prayer
by what I feel.

When silence weighs on me,
help me to speak to you with truth.
When I am at a loss for words,
welcome my fragile presence.

May your Spirit sustain my prayer
and open me to your word.

Unite me with those who seek you
and teach us to support
one another in faith.

Amen.

Ask for St Jude’s intercession

St Jude, apostle of Jesus Christ, pray for us.
Ask the Lord to strengthen our faith,
sustain our hope
and help us grow in charity.

Conclude

Recite the Lord’s Prayer, then make the sign of the cross.

Optional practice for today: keep one sentence from this prayer and return to it during the day, without setting a number of repetitions to complete.

Begin the prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In silence, present your intention to God. If you can, name a concern that you find difficult to entrust to him.

Listen to the Word

“When I am afraid, in you I place my trust.”

Meditate

The psalmist acknowledges his fear and, in the very midst of that fear, turns to God. Trust can begin this way, without waiting for every worry to disappear.

Sometimes we would like to know how a situation will turn out before we can move forward. Yet part of our lives lies beyond our control: the decisions of others, the time required and answers that remain unknown.

We can entrust this uncertainty to the Father, through Christ, while still taking responsibility for our own actions. Prayer can help us discern what depends on us, seek counsel, and act with prudence.

Today, let us ask for a trust that makes us ready: ready to do our part, to receive help and to entrust to God what we cannot decide on our own.

Pray

Faithful Father,
I entrust to you my intention
and my fear of what I cannot control.

You know my desire to understand,
to foresee
and to protect those I love.

Through Jesus Christ, your Son,
teach me to rely on you
in the midst of my uncertainties.

May your Spirit help me discern
what calls for my action
and what lies beyond my abilities.

Give me prudence in making decisions,
humility in listening to advice
and courage in doing my part.

I place in your hands
what I cannot resolve today.

Keep me attentive to your presence
and to the good I am able to do.

Amen.

Ask for St Jude’s intercession

St Jude, apostle of Jesus Christ, pray for us.
Ask the Lord to strengthen our faith,
sustain our hope
and help us grow in charity.

Conclude

Recite the Lord’s Prayer, then make the sign of the cross.

Optional practice for today: identify one thing you can act on and another that lies beyond your control. Present them both to God, then choose a reasonable action for the first.

Begin the prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Take a moment of silence. Present your intention to God and ask him to enlighten your choices.

Listen to the Word

“Discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Romans 12:2, excerpt — NABRE

Meditate

St Paul invites us to discern. Seeking God’s will requires listening to his Word, looking honestly at our situation and, at times, receiving advice.

We can present to the Father what we deeply desire, while asking him to open us to a path we had not considered. Christ teaches us to combine trust with faithfulness in our actions.

This does not mean that every painful event is directly willed by God. Accepting his will never requires us to endure violence, remain in danger or abandon medical care. Seeking protection and defending a person’s dignity can be acts of faithfulness to the Gospel.

Today, let us ask for light to recognize what is right and for the courage to act upon it.

Pray

Most gracious Father,
I present to you my intention
and the answer I hope for.

You know my desires,
my hesitations,
and my fear of making a mistake.

Through Jesus Christ, your Son,
teach me to seek your will
in truth and charity.

May your Spirit enlighten my judgment.
Help me to recognize what protects life,
what respects the dignity of every person
and what helps charity grow.

Grant me the humility to accept advice
and the freedom to reconsider my choices.

When the path remains uncertain,
guide me toward a prudent decision
and sustain my courage to act.

Amen.

Ask for St Jude’s intercession

St Jude, apostle of Jesus Christ, pray for us.
Ask the Lord to strengthen our faith,
sustain our hope
and help us grow in charity.

Conclude

Recite the Lord’s Prayer, then make the sign of the cross.

Optional practice for today: consider a decision you need to make. Which choice best respects truth, the dignity of every person and charity? If necessary, seek advice from someone who is knowledgeable and trustworthy.

Begin the prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Entrust your intention to God. Then let the name or face of a person you wish to include in your prayer come to mind.

Listen to the Word

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Meditate

Throughout this novena, we have presented to God what is in our hearts. Today, our prayer extends to those who are also going through a trial.

Carrying another person in prayer does not require us to forget our own suffering. We may need support ourselves and still desire what is good for someone else.

St Paul invites us to bear one another’s burdens. This care may take the form of prayer, listening or service suited to our abilities. We do not have to solve another person’s problems in order to show them love.

With Christ, we can entrust to the Father both the people we know and those whose loneliness goes unnoticed. Let us ask for an attentive heart, capable of helping without imposing and of respecting everyone’s freedom.

Pray

Father of all,
I entrust to you the people I love
and those I struggle to understand.

I bring before you those who suffer,
those who are waiting for news,
those who feel lonely or forgotten.

You may silently name a person here.

Through Jesus Christ, your Son,
grant them the help they need.
Sustain those who care for, protect
and accompany them.

May your Spirit open my heart
to what I can share.

Teach me to listen without judging,
to offer help without imposing it
and to respect what is not mine to decide.

Accept also my own fragility.
Help us to support one another
in your love.

Amen.

Ask for St Jude’s intercession

St Jude, apostle of Jesus Christ, pray for us.
Ask the Lord to strengthen our faith,
sustain our hope
and help us grow in charity.

Conclude

Recite the Lord’s Prayer, then make the sign of the cross.

Optional practice for today: pray for someone or offer them a gesture of care, if it is appropriate to your relationship. A kind word, a listening ear or a simple act of service may be enough.

Begin the prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Present your intention to God once more, just as it is today. Receive this moment without forcing yourself to feel joy or peace.

Listen to the Word

“Persevere in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”

Meditate

We have reached the end of the nine days. Perhaps we recognize some help, some light, or some change. Perhaps our situation remains painful and our request unanswered.

Thanksgiving can embrace this whole reality. We can thank God for something good we have received and continue to ask him for help. Gratitude and tears can find a place in the same prayer.

We do not have to give thanks for the harm we have suffered or invent some good that we cannot perceive. We can simply acknowledge a presence, a word or the gift of Christ, who calls us to remain in his love.

This novena is coming to an end, but our relationship with God can continue. Today, let us entrust to him the journey ahead, both what has become clear and what remains uncertain.

Pray

Faithful Father,
here I am at the end of these nine days.

I entrust to you what I have experienced,
the words I was able to speak
and the silences I have passed through.

Thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ,
and for the love to which he calls us.

I thank you for the sources of support
that I can recognize today.

You may silently name something good you have received, if anything comes to mind.

I also bring before you what remains painful,
what has not changed
and what I do not understand.

May your Spirit keep my prayer alive.
Help me to take the necessary steps
and to remain open to others.

In my own time, may my gratitude become
a gesture of care and charity.

Amen.

Ask for St Jude’s intercession

St Jude, apostle of Jesus Christ, pray for us.
Ask the Lord to strengthen our faith,
sustain our hope
and help us grow in charity.

Conclude

Recite the Lord’s Prayer, then make the sign of the cross.

Optional practice for today: choose a simple way to continue this journey: a few minutes of prayer, reading a passage from the Gospel or an act of service suited to what you are able to do.

You may read this prayer at the end of the ninth day or return to it later.

God our Father,
I entrust to you this novena
and the intention I have brought before you.

You know my request,
the people who are dear to me,
and everything I have not been able to express.

Receive my gratitude
for whatever good I have received.
Hear also my sorrow
and the questions that remain.

Lord Jesus Christ,
keep me close to you.
Teach me to listen to your word,
to receive your forgiveness
and to love through the actions of everyday life.

Holy Spirit,
enlighten my decisions,
sustain my hope
and give me the strength to do my part.

St Jude, apostle of the Lord,
continue to pray for us.
Ask God to keep us in the faith
and make us attentive
to those who need support.

Father, I place in your hands
what is beyond my strength.

Lead me to the people
who can help me move forward,
and teach me to welcome their presence.

May I find my place
in the prayer and life of your Church.

Today and in the days to come,
help me to walk with Christ
in trust and charity.

Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

You can now continue your journey at your own pace. There is no result to present and no particular emotion you must feel for these days to have had their place in your life.

If your intention remains unanswered, you can continue to entrust it to God. You can also repeat a prayer from this novena, read a few lines from the Gospel, or speak to the Lord in your own words.

If you wish, a priest or a Christian community can accompany you on this journey and help you discover or rediscover the sacramental life.

Also make room for the practical steps you need to take: seeking advice, receiving care, asking for protection, or accepting support.

Finally, prayer can continue in an act of charity, however quiet. According to your abilities, your presence, an act of service or a gesture of care can bear witness to love received and shared.

The meditations and prayers written specifically for this novena are original compositions by Saint Jude Medals for personal prayer. They are not official liturgical texts.

Through St Jude, lead hearts to Christ.