Prayer to St. Jude

O most holy apostle, Saint Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honoureth and invoketh thee universally, as the patron of hopeless cases, and of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, who am so miserable.

Make use, I implore thee, of that particular privilege accorded to thee, to bring visible and speedy help where help was almost despaired of. Come to mine assistance in this great need, that I may receive the consolation and succor of Heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly (here make your request) and that I may praise God with thee and all the elect throughout eternity.

I promise thee, O blessed Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favour, to always honour thee as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to thee. Amen.

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A Letter

Dear God,

I know that during my birthday, I act weird. I go emotional, and I dwell about the things I do not have in my life. But I do not want to be ungrateful, because I really am so thankful for everything I have in my life. Thank you most of all, for all the blessings I have received. I have never lacked nor wanted for anything and I know that's more than a lot of people in this world can say. For that, I'm truly grateful. Thank you for my parents who have always been so supportive, and for the wonderful friends I have who put up with me every single day. I thank you, too, for the things and circumstances that do not go my way, because I know they shape me into becoming a better person. Above all, thank you for my character--my resilience and my optimism that allow me to stand up again each time I fall. I really do not know where my life is going, but there's nothing I can do except trust that you will make things turn out the way they should. There is nothing else I can ask for myself except that in my everyday existence, help me to do things according to your will... because I know that is the only thing that matters.

Love,
Flo

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Questions

I've had bad eyesight since I was in second grade. I was afraid to tell my parents that I needed glasses because I knew they'd say "I told you so." Ever since I could remember, they've always told me not so sit too close to the TV or not too read too much because it would damage my eyesight. I was afraid to tell them that had indeed come true. Of course, at that time, I didn't know that my eye problem was congenital. I endured grade school, high school, and part of college in a state of blindness. I literally couldn't see the things written on the blackboard! I had to squint so much in order to be able to read anything on the board. It didn't help that since I was always one of the tallest people in class, I always had to sit at the back. There were times when our teacher would call on students to read something on the board aloud to the class. I'd pray so hard to God that the teacher wouldn't call my name. But it seemed that the harder I prayed, the more the teacher called me!

Thinking about experiences like these makes me feel that God doesn't like to answer my prayers. I know I have been blessed in a lot of aspects in my life, and I'm very grateful for that, but every time I fervently pray for something, nothing happens. I'm envious because my mom's prayers are always answered. In fact, I feel that everything I am now, is because of her prayers. My academic achievements, the fact that I'm still here living with her, even the fact that I'm single--I feel that all these are God's answers to her prayers. But what about me? What about what I want? 

I know I need to get down on my knees even more, put in more effort and maybe God will hear. But sometimes I wonder: can you even ask God for anything? I know the act of praying matters, but what you ask for... does that matter? Or is everything laid out and planned already, just waiting to be fulfilled? What I'm saying is... can I even ask God for something in particular and hope He will give it to me? Or can I only ask Him for the strength to be able to handle the things that life gives me?

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Learning Christ

This is a prayer that was shared to me by a close friend a few years back. I hope it inspires you as much as it inspired me. 

Learning Christ

Teach me, my Lord, to be sweet and gentle in all the events of life: in disappointments, in the thoughtlessness of others, in the insincerity of those I trusted, in the unfaithfulness of those on whom I relied. Let me put myself aside, to think of the happiness of others, to hide my little pains and heartaches, so that I may be the only one to suffer from them. Teach me to profit by the suffering that comes across my path. Let me so use it that it may mellow me, not harden nor embitter me; that it may make me patient, not irritable, that it may make me broad in my forgiveness, not narrow, haughty and overbearing. May no one be less good for having come within my influence. No one less pure, less noble for having been a fellow traveler in our journey toward eternal life. As I go my rounds from one distraction to another, let me whisper, from time to time, a word of love to You. May my life be lived in the supernatural, full of power for good, and strong in its purpose of sanctity. Amen.

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