The Only Quote of St. Jude Thaddeus

St. Jude Thaddeus

"Master, [then] what happened that you will

reveal yourself to us and not to the world?"

- St. Jude Thaddeus

John 14:22

St. Jude is such a popular apostle—well-known as the perfect saint to turn to when life is feeling bleak! Oddly enough, however, this beloved impossible-cases saint has only one quote in the Bible! This one simple quote is a question to Jesus—and Jesus’ reply is a little tricky to understand. The brief conversation takes place during the Last Supper, while Jesus was explaining that he would soon be leaving, but would send the Advocate for divine assistance after his departure …

You really have to scratch your head to think about this exchange. Jude’s question seems to be fair and clear enough. He seems to feel privileged to know Jesus and for the promise of the Holy Spirit. But, this apostle evidently had concern for the rest of the world. Jesus’ reply to Jude’s care for others, however, almost seems to veer off-topic! Biblical commentaries don’t offer a great deal on the exchange. It’s quite often skimmed over, fuzzy-sounding, or not addressed at all. But, St. Jude is such a favored saint, this brief dialogue he had with Jesus deserves some pondering.

Some Theories ….

A Rewording of a Message of Love

By carefully reading some verses preceding Jude’s quote, it becomes reasonable to suggest that Jesus’ response was a rewording of what he had already said ... especially the verse right before Jude’s quote:

Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.

- John 14:21

So, two verses later, rather than giving a point-blank, black-and-white answer to Jude’s question, Jesus seems to reiterate his message of the importance of observing God’s will with an emphasis on love, which would bring about the gift of Jesus and God dwelling within them—an exceptional revelation, indeed. Perhaps Jesus’ shrouded answer was to nudge Jude to think, connect some dots, ponder, and absorb at a deeper lever the already-spoken message of love.

A Possible Connection to a Prophecy of St. Jeremiah

Jesus’ reply to Jude pointing to those who love and obey God, might be connected to a prophecy of Jeremiah; that God’s Laws would be written in our hearts. So, Jude need not worry about those who don’t get a visible or tangible revelation. God’s law is written in the hearts of all; those who listen and conform, the Advocate/Holy Spirit will come to their assistance as well.

The New Covenant … But this is the covenant I will make … I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts. Everyone, from the least to the greatest, shall know me.

Jeremiah 31:33, 34b

St. Jeremiah the Prophet

Noteworthy Verses to Connect to Jude’s Dialogue with Jesus …

Everyone who loves the father loves [also] the one begotten by him [Jesus]. For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

-1John5:1b, 3

A Bit of Clarification …

Jude is a variant of the name Judas
Matthew and Mark refer to Judas/Jude as Thaddeus
Some translations read Thaddeus, others, Thaddaeus.
If you attribute The Letter of Jude to St. Jude Thaddeus, then there are more quotes. But, most will say that this letter was probably written by a Jude who was not an apostle … perhaps the Judas mentioned in Matthew 13:55 or Mark 6:3 instead.

A Biblical Novena To St. Jude

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A Bit of History

Conflict with the King of Bohemia

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Bandera Natural History and Art Museum St. Stanislaus Church—Bandera, TX All Saints Catholic Church—St. Peters, Missouri Photograph by Nheyob Soroksár—Budapest, Hungary Photograph by Pasztilla aka Attila Terbócs San Fernando Cathedral—San Antonio, TX Little Flower Basilica—San Antonio, TX More Detail on the St. John the Baptist painting by Joseph de Figueroa (1790): A Star in St. John the Baptist's Halo?Some resources, mostly Orthodox, call St. John the Baptist a Morning Star, symbolizing how he announced the dawning of the ministry of his cousin, Jesus. It is possible that the small white mark in the center of St. John the Baptist's halo represents this Morning Star analogy. "... the one who is coming after me ... —John 1:27 John's eyes are worth considering too. In contrast to the trusting, gentle look of The Lamb, John the Baptist's eyes are more serious. Rather than looking at "The Lamb of God," he is gazing out. His eyes seem like those of a mystic. 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St.

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AnonymousMarch 27, 2023 at 12:26 AM
What are some quotes he has said
TheresaMarch 27, 2023 at 7:27 AM
This is it! Try to look it up in your Bible and read the footnote ... some think this quote might've actually been someone else's. St. Jude was not a chatty person, evidently!

"Master, [then] what happened that you will
reveal yourself to us and not to the world?"
- St. Jude Thaddeus
John 14:22

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The Hill Country Hermit