Most holy St. Jude–apostle, martyr and friend of Jesus, today I ask that you pray for the relenting of my thorns! You are the patron of the impossible. Pray for me! O St. Jude, pray that God’s grace and mercy will soothe my thorns. If it is God’s Will, pray for the impossible. Pray that I may have the grace to accept God’s holy will even if it is painful and difficult. St. Jude, you loved our Lord, help me to love Him more. O St. Jude, pray for me that I may grow in faith, hope and love and in the grace of Jesus Christ. Pray for the easing of my thorns. Implore Our Lord to remove the thorns, expose the wound, and let the scars be reminders. Not for the sake of comfort, yet for the opportunity to preserve peace, to abide within the silence of security, providing the opportunity to grow stronger in prayer and purity, becoming a channel of Christ’s love. I have known strife throughout my life. Pray St Jude that it is God’s Will to ease my burdens, granting the sanctifying grace to allow a humble harmonious prospering for the salvation of souls. Plead that Our Lord supplements personal freedom with the wisdom and understanding to concentrate upon an ever-growing devotion to Him and the strength to remain simple. Above all my concerns, pray that I may join you in heaven with God for all eternity. Amen.

O St. Jude, holy Apostle, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, you are honored and petitioned by the universal Church, as the patron of desperate, hopeless and impossible cases. Pray for me. I am so helpless and alone. Intercede for me that Almighty God may bring swift aid where it is needed most. Come to my assistance in my great time of need! Pray for me that I may be given the comfort and help of Jesus. Most importantly, pray that I may one day join you and all of the saints in heaven to praise God in consolation, rest and joy for all eternity. Amen

I was searching for an image of St Jude when I came across the profound stare of this boy.  The sadness within innocence, the charm within suffering, everything was perfect in opening my heart, mind, and will to the determination to seek God’s assistance in confronting the thorns still digging into my life. A resolution to become a greater prayer warrior, a man of simpler demeanor and desires, further formation on into holiness.  Researching the photo it turns out the hospital is in New Haven, Connecticut, synchronizing with the significant other’s upbringing and our visit to the area. Allowing God to present Himself through others, I felt it appropriate to post the image.