St. Jude was privileged to accompany Jesus nearly every day. He learned from the Lord how God loves us and how we must love one another. At times we may want others to serve us, to do our bidding and to attend to our needs. Sometimes we compete with others in order to be first or the best. Like St. Jude, we need to learn from Jesus, "Anyone who wants to be great, must be the servant of the rest, and anyone who wants to be first, must be the slave of all, like the Son of Man, who did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life to redeem many." (Mt 20:26-28)
At the Last Supper Jesus showed St. Jude and the other apostles how they were to serve. He washed their feet and then said, "I have set an example for you, so that you will do just what I have done for you." (Jn13:15)
St. Jude did not look for a reward for doing good for others. Rather, he lived what Jesus taught, "When you have done all you have been told to do, say, 'We are merely servants; we have done no more than our duty.'" (Lk 17:10)
St. Jude fulfilled the greatest commandments identified by Jesus: to love God with our whole heart, our whole soul, and our whole mind, and our neighbor as ourselves. (Mt 22:37-40) Jesus wants us to love like this, just as he does: "As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you do love one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples." (Jn 13:34-35)
Prayer :
St. Jude, although you were chosen by Jesus as one of the twelve apostles, you learned not to be proud, not to pursue honors or the highest places. Instead, you humbled yourself in the service of your sisters and brothers. We pray that you help us to serve with a more generous heart, to sacrifice our own interest for the good of others. Intercede for us with our crucified Christ, who humbled himself on the cross, who sacrificed his life that we might live. May we imitate him by a life of dedicated, selfless service to others. Amen.
Commitment :
I will do some service for those who need it most or expect it least.
~Recite the St. Jude Thaddeus Prayer~
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