An interesting legend is about St. Jude, the well-known patron saint of those in need, whose feast day we celebrate today. In ancient Turkey, there lived a king suffering from a severe illness. He heard about Jesus and wrote him a letter asking him for healing. Along with the letter, he also sent an artist who was to draw the face of Jesus. Since Jesus could not go to the king, he sent Judas with the artist’s painting. Thanks to the portrait and Judah’s prayers, the king was healed. That is why St. Jude is still depicted with the image of Christ’s face in his hands.
This legend says something about Judas but also other saints. They didn’t heal anyone themselves. In the legend, the key to the king’s recovery was the image of Jesus. All the healing power that the saints had was from the Lord. “He bore our sicknesses and was burdened with our pains… with his stripes we are healed” (Is 53, 4-5). Jesus is our healer, our comforter, our Savior.
This legend illustrates yet another important fact: Jesus needs saints. Judas was an ordinary man, a sinner whom Jesus redeemed. But God commissioned him to bring healing and hope to thousands – and he continues to do so today, many centuries after his death. Jude shows us that we carry in our hearts the treasure of the Holy Spirit, which gives us the power to change the world in the image of God. He shows us that we can become saints just like him.
Have you ever looked in the mirror so that you did not see yourself in it but in the image of God? Like Judas, you, too, bear the face of Christ. His divine life flows in you. Even if you don’t perform miracles, He lives in you. Therefore, give him thanks for this grace. Praise him for creating us “capable of sharing in the light of the saints” (Col 1:12). Look for the opportunities it gives you to share this light with the people around you.
