At the opening of the meeting the lady who is our leader gave a little talk about how our group is expecting to have a miracle every week.  Sometime in the past, before I joined the group, she said a devoted person had told her this.  I can’t remember the circumstances she recounted that led to this prophesy, but at the time it made a kind of sense based on faith.

Hey, I thought, to me it is a miracle that “Mr. Sunday” was so moved by the spirit as to lead the Rosary for us in such a fine fashion, right there at the same table with me.  Up to now I haven’t witnessed any miracles that I can think of,  besides this one which so impressed me, unremarked by the rest of the group, which I’m considering the real thing, maybe the only one I’ll ever witness!

From judenovenea.org I present the background that St. Jude “is often referred to as the ‘Forgotten Saint’ due to being confused with Judas Iscariot, another apostle who later went on to betray Jesus. As a result, devotion to St. Jude was generally avoided and only those in the most desperate circumstances would call upon his assistance. This resulted in him being referred to as the ‘Patron saint of desperate cases’. St. Jude also stressed in his New Testament letter of the need to persevere in harsh and difficult circumstances.

Devotion to St. Jude began in earnest in the 1800s and has now spread to all parts of the world with Christian infulence. The Novena to St. Jude as it has come to be said in modern days is a powerful prayer which when said devoutly and with great faith will result in graces being granted but in some cases individuals may find great peace and strength to overcome adversity and misfortune.”

A prayer guide for the St. Junde Novena is found at http://www.prayerbook.com/Novenas/judenove.htm .  A sample:

“DAY ONE

O blessed apostle St. Jude, who labored zealously among the Gentiles in many lands, and performed numerous miracles in needy and despairing cases, we invoke you to take special interest in us and our needs. We feel that you understand us in a particular way. Hear our prayers and our petitions and plead for us in all our necessities especially. (mention your request) May we be patient in learning God’s holy will and courageous in carrying it out. Amen.

St. Jude, pray for us.

My Jesus, mercy.

Prayer –

The St. Jude Novena Prayer

St. Jude, glorious apostle, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the name of the traitor has caused you to be forgotten by many. But the Church honors and invokes you universally as the patron of hopeless cases, and of things despaired of. Pray for me who am so distressed. Make use, I implore you, of that particular privilege accorded you to bring visible and speedy help where help was almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation and succor of Heaven in all my necessities, tribulations and sufferings, particularly, (mention your request) and that I may bless God with you and all the elect throughout eternity. St. Jude, apostle, martyr, and relative of our Lord Jesus Christ, of Mary, and of Joseph, intercede for us!”

You don’t have to be hopeless to pray to St. Jude!

The woman had a big plastic sign that required 2 people to hold it, so we got the sign opened up and facing the street that passes in front of the abortion mill. A third person then showed up, a Philippine woman carrying a large unbrella to keep the intense sun at bay. We began our prayers, and shortly still another woman showed up, this time with both umbrella and chair.  After we had prayed awhile, a young man pulled up in his car and offered to and did  get us some cold water, a touching sign of his solidarity with our intentions. The rest of the session was largely uneventful, save a few people in passing cars showing a little support by a honk or other sign or encourgement.

I believe in You, God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. And in You, Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord. You were  conceived by the Holy Spirit.  You were born of  the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, were crucified, died, and were buried. You descended into hell.  The third day You arose again from the dead. You ascended into heaven, sit at the right hand of God, Our Father Almighty. From thence You shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in You,  Holy Spirit,  [end of changes] the holy, catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everalsting. Amen.

Catching this program greatly pleased me in connection with my interest in finding some way to bring into reality  music that might enhance the experience of praying and meditating on the Rosary by contributing to creating moods and feelings consistent with the content of the Rosary Mysteries, as discussed in a March 22, 2009 post here.

I had been watchinga number of  TV presentations about St. Padre Pio and I think my mind switched over from its usual way of of seeing everything through my own individual viewpoint and instead seeing me as just a member of a wide communality, similar to the way the Saint was caringly aware of all the needs and trials of the people who cried out to him. As I sat in the prayer group I looked about at the twenty or so other members and saw each one as a partner in a benign awareness of God’s realm.  About the same time a parade of my relatives, friends and acquaintances passed through my mental notice and I quickly prayed or wished well for each one, almost as though I had a rubber stamp or magic wand that made praying for them brisk and efficient.

The frame of mind hasn’t lingered since, although a memory of it persists and my general outlook has changed a little, as I realize that there is a better way of focusing on His Kingdom with a sense of the importance of others, keeping them in the awareness of who is involved.

But this week our meeting’s leader, after the Psalm (Psalm 146) had been read, found a note in her Bible which had the same ring of thoughtful analysis as commonly is appropriate for the other readings.  I have a new hope that we will find some source book that will allow us to have something intelligent and satisfying to consider about the psalms we read in future weeks.

Likely we could never come up with anything even remotely as well suited to addressing our Great God than what we received from Our Savior. The switching over to ‘us thoughts’ from ‘me thoughts’ in relation to Our Father still takes place, butperhaps it is only secondary to remembering that Our Heavenly Father is first of all the Father of His Son, the God Man.

The rest, “Holy Mary, Mother of God” and so on, to the Amen, might be done in loose combination of everyday voices, such as might be heard when a small mixed group is saying the Rosary. The Amen might also be included this way, although an emphatic finale could be achieved with some musical accompaniment here and an elaborately chanted Amen.