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San Judas Tadeo is one of the most appreciated and loved saints by Catholics for the numerous “favors” that his devotees claim to have obtained through his intercession.
Here are seven facts you may not have known about the “head of the impossible”.
1. Thaddeus means “magnanimous”
Tradition in the Church calls this apostle Judas Tadeo. The evangelists St. Matthew and St. Mark simply call him “Thaddeus” (Mt 10, 3; Mk 3, 18) and Luke calls him “Judas of James” (Lk 6, 16; Acts 1, 13). Judas means “praise to God”.
It is not known exactly where the nickname Taddeo comes from and it is believed to derive from the Aramaic “taddà”, which means “chest” and therefore would mean “magnanimous”. Or maybe it comes from the abbreviation of a Greek name like “Theodore, Theodotus”.
2. He was a cousin of Jesus
There are those who say that San Judas Tadeo was the brother of the apostle Santiago, the son of Alphaeus (Cleopa), who was the brother of the righteous San José. According to a document published by the Congregation for the Clergy, Cleopa married María de Cleofás, after being widowed from her first marriage from which Saint Jude Thaddeus was born.
This other Mary is the “sister” of the Virgin Mary who was at the foot of the cross (Jn 19:25). Therefore, Santiago the Minor and Judas would be cousins of Jesus and nephews of St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin. However, it was not possible to specify whether Maria de Cleopas was a blood “sister” of the Virgin Mary or just her sister-in-law because at that time the relatives were called “brothers” in general.
3. He was very similar to Jesus
Saint Judas Tadeo is usually represented with a medallion on his chest that has the face of Christ. It is due not only to the physical but also the spiritual similarity of the popular saint with Jesus.
Also, he wears a flame of fire on his head because he received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Other artists show him holding a Bible, referring to the book that bears his name. In his hand he holds an ax, which mentions his martyrdom, or a stick as a symbol of the great distances traveled during preaching.
4. He died a martyr with St. Simon
Saint Jude Thaddeus preached first in Judea, then in Mesopotamia and finally in Persia. There he met the apostle St. Simon and together they fought the heresies of Zaroes and Arfexat, two pagan priests who raised the people against the works of the apostles.
Both received the crown of martyrdom together and that is why the Church celebrates them on the same day. His relics are found on an altar in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
5. He had a vision of Jesus before he died
Judas Thaddeus and Simon sought lodging with a disciple named Semme. The next morning some idolatrous priests and a large crowd surrounded the house and asked that Semme deliver the apostles, otherwise they would have burned the house. The saints surrendered, but they could not make them worship their idols.
Before dying, St. Jude looked at St. Simon and told him that he had seen the Lord calling them to him. According to an ancient tradition, St. Simon was killed by cutting his body in two and St. Jude Thaddeus had his head cut off with a ‘ ax. The Western Church celebrates them on October 28th.
6. He is the patron of impossible causes
Saint Bridget of Sweden, mystic and patroness of Europe, wrote that one day Jesus recommended that when she wanted to obtain certain favors, she should ask for them through Saint Judas Thaddeus. For this reason he is considered the patron of impossible causes and shares this patronage with Santa Rita de Cascia.
7. He has an epistle in the Bible
The Epistle or Letter of Jude is part of the New Testament and is attributed to San Judas Tadeo. It was written in Greek between the years 62 and 65, before the fall of Jerusalem. It is written by a Judas, brother of Santiago, and is not addressed to any person, nor to any particular Church.
In it false teachers are reprimanded and an invitation is made to maintain the purity of the faith. The letter ends with a beautiful prayer (25) which says: “To the only God who is our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, honor, strength and power, from before all times, now and forever. . Amen “.
The Church does not support the controversial prayer chains
Often circulating on the Internet and in newspapers left in homes or temples, an alleged “Chain or Miraculous Novena to San Judas Tadeo” which requires that the content be shared to a certain number of people and over a period of time to obtain blessings and threats with evils to those who break their circulation. The origin is unknown, but the Church does not support these initiatives.
If you want to consecrate yourself to San Judas Tadeo, you can do it with this PRAYER.
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