A novena, a noise and an unexpected chain of events that turned a hopeless situation around.
I had a seemingly impossible situation in 1990 when I learned about St. Jude, the patron saint of impossible causes.
I was at the library and saw a book about Danny Thomas, a prominent entertainer, who shared that early in his career he seemed to be at a dead end. He was Catholic and turned to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of lost causes, pleading for help, promising to build a shrine if the saint helped him find his path.
Suddenly, things started to go his way. Thomas later used his fame and influence to raise funds and establish St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in 1962. It is dedicated to comprehensive care and research for children with cancer. Thomas had prayed a novena to St. Jude — nine days of prayer modeled after the very first novena when the apostles and Blessed Mother prayed from the Ascension of Jesus into heaven until Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon them in the form of tongues of fire and the Catholic Church was born.
I wanted to follow Thomas’s example, but it being pre-Internet days, it took a bit of work to find a novena to St. Jude. I called my parish church and they didn’t have anything. After asking everyone I knew, I soon found a prayer card with a prayer on the back to St. Jude. Now I was ready to attack my seemingly hopeless situation.
It began when my husband Mark was offered a job in Bismarck, North Dakota, after getting laid off from his radio job in Kalispell, Montana. We put our house up for sale but had to move before it sold, so we needed to rent it while it was still for sale. The renters trashed it, and real estate agents told us it would never sell in that condition. Being so far away, we felt helpless and feared we would end up needing to foreclose. Neither of us had ever prayed a novena before, but in desperation, we felt we had nothing to lose.
As soon as we finished the novena, our renters called to say they were leaving the next day. They had heard a loud boom from the basement and feared the house was going to collapse. We were shocked on both accounts.
“They can’t just leave — they signed a lease,” was Mark’s first reaction. “How will we pay the mortgage?” I told him maybe it was an answer to our novena. I didn’t know how we could afford two houses, but I did know it would never sell with those renters in it.
We called a city engineer to check on the safety of the house. He reported to us that it was completely sound — nothing to be concerned about. In the meantime, the renters were gone. We paid a friend and her daughter to do the much-needed cleaning of the house.
A few days later, Mark’s parents called us from Hawaii. They had a sudden change in plans and wanted to return to the mainland. “What do you think if we rent your house and fix it up?” they asked. A few months later, the house looked better than ever, and sold immediately. Our seemingly impossible situation was completely turned around beyond our imaginations. Thank you, St. Jude!
Novena to St. Jude
Most holy Apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honors and invokes you universally, as the patron of difficult cases, of things almost despaired of, Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone.
Intercede with God for me that He bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly (make your request here) and that I may praise God with you and all the saints forever. I promise, O Blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor granted me by God and to always honor you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you. Amen.
May the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored and loved in all the tabernacles until the end of time. Amen.
May the most Sacred Heart of Jesus be praised and glorified now and forever. Amen. St. Jude pray for us and hear our prayers. Amen.
Blessed be the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Blessed be the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Blessed be St. Jude Thaddeus, in all the world and for all Eternity (Say this prayer, followed by the Our Father and the Hail Mary.)