There may be no greater way to love our neighbors than through prayer. Of
course, our acts of sharing, caring, and simple generosity of spirit play essential roles fulfilling the call to care for others.
But we can’t diminish the effect we can have in the lives of our countless neighbors near and far in the voice of our prayer that calls on God’s blessings.
How striking that St. Jude devotion helps us with both aspects of the command to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” We start everything in our lives by honoring ourselves, considering ourselves as God’s creation and as temples of the Holy Spirit. We take care, we eat right, we protect ourselves from harm. And we pray.
St. Jude teaches us to pray with a heart’s gratitude and for protection, with the phrase “St. Jude, Pray for Us” ever in our mouths. The key word in this special little prayer may well be us. Our devotion is inherently one of community, one that inspires us to think of not just “me,” but “we” when we turn to St. Jude for intercession. Loving neighbor as self begins with connectedness to God; connection to God is expressed primarily through prayer. This link serves as the
springboard for all the other important ways we love ourselves and neighbors, but it is the essential piece that is meaningful in and of itself. We strive to keep our relationship with God alive and well.
Imagine how many of our neighbors do not receive prayer from others in their lives. We can look at any person we pass in a day’s time and wonder, who prays for you? The answer is simple, immediate: I do, right now. “St. Jude, Pray for Us.”