The Hope of Imperfections

We are people who are drawn to the light of St. Jude, who encourages hope in God no matter how difficult life can be. This form of hope, which reminds us to “rejoice in suffering,” of course doesn’t mean we celebrate over our challenges and imperfections. 

The rejoicing is born out of the trust we have that God is present—a trust that is cultivated through our devotion to St. Jude.

It may appear lives that include devotional prayer, and in turn hope in God, are somehow more holy, “more perfect” than others. Holiness is very much part of a journey that includes devotion, but not in the sense that it makes us “better than.” When we suffer, we often pray and seek God even more intensely. And as devotees of St. Jude, we seek intercession to further elevate our connectedness to God and our reliance on our hope in Him.

This is true for all forms of suffering, including the suffering that comes from our own imperfections and weaknesses.  The place we’ve created in our lives for St. Jude’s help in difficult times is also at the ready for us when we fail . . . when there is trouble of our own making . . . when we face what it means to be human.

What tremendous strength is to be found here—strength that encourages us not to avoid our imperfections, but to hold them up for inspection, greater understanding, and growth. We can do that safely in our relationship with St. Jude and with God because of the trust factor: God suffers with us. God accompanies us as we embrace the realization that our imperfections make us better. God loves us for walking this path to authentic holiness with joy and hope.

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