St. Jude, friend to those in need, I am weary from grief and anxiety. I am often without joy, without hope, struggling through the dark night of the soul. I turn to you in prayer. Take away this emptiness and the pain of my broken heart. In your compassion, wipe away my tears and carry me to a place of peace. Too long have I been blind to the goodness of God’s world. Help me to take my life one day at a time, one moment at a time, and to be aware of God’s love for me always.
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In the early church, as recounted in Acts 7, Stephen was a model of faith in the Easter proclamation. In the midst of fierce opposition led by a young and zealous Pharisee named Saul, the nascent church in Jerusalem scattered and scurried into safe territories around the Roman Empire (Acts 8:1). Stephen paid for his faith in Jesus as the Messiah and in his belief that Jesus had taken his place in the glory of God (Acts 7:55-58) with his life. Instead of frustrating his faith in Jesus, the hostile environment helped to build Stephen’s faith in Jesus and God’s promise.
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