There are many defining aspects of our faith that we hold as integral: prayer, the sacraments, serving those in need. Friendships, too, belong in the realm of the holy as necessary relationships that nourish the path of faith.
They show us clarity about who God is, they strengthen and encourage us, they offer us an opportunity to give, and perhaps most importantly, friendships remind us we are not alone.
At its core, prayer can be a connecting element, part of the “glue,” of friendships. One of the great acts of friendship is to pray for our friends and to ask them to pray for us. There is a special honor in letting a friend know they are being prayed for. And an equally special honor in asking, and being asked, for prayers. When considering friends’ needs, a stunning realization may surface: that they may not have anyone in particular praying for them. Friendships are transformed into faithful mission when prayer is brought to them.
By nature, prayer is about relationship with God and the people who touch our lives. As devotees of St. Jude, we know that prayer is also deeply enriched by our connection with the communion of saints, who are there for us in spiritual friendship to support and amplify our prayers.
It is empowering to see how turning within, reflecting on ourselves to know the focus of our prayer, allows us to turn with-out to focus on the needs of others, our friends. The traditions of our faith encourage us to take our private prayers and join them with others in a friendship of prayer. St. Jude resides at the center of this circle of prayer, a faithful friend who elevates our prayers to our ultimate friend in Christ, our God.
Share the honor of prayer in friendship with those you hold dear by sending uplifting words of faith to brighten their day with our free digital prayer cards. Together, let us share the hope of St. Jude with a world in need.