A Thanksgiving Post...

For special intentions, I promised Our Lord and St. Jude that I would let the word out if and when my prayers were answered...and today, some of my dearest intentions were granted. I had a resounding 'YES' from God ~ and here and now I am publishing the prayer that I pray to St. Jude every day:

Most holy Apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honors and invokes you universally as the patron of hopeless cases, of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone. Make use, I implore you, of that particular privilege given to you, to bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation and help of Heaven in all my necessities, tribulations and sufferings, particularly (mention request) and that I may praise God with you and all the elect forever. I promise, O blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor, to always honor you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you. Amen.

It started out as a Novena, nine days of prayer in petition, nine days in thanksgiving.
Then, quite by accident, I lost track of which day I was "on"...so I just started saying it every day, non-stop.
I have prayed to St. Jude off and on for many years, but I have to admit, never this steadily.
My intentions are personal ~ and all involve those who are closest to me, myself also ~ but I have seen, one by one, that I have been receiving answers to my prayers...mostly to the positive, thanks be to God!
When He does say 'no' to my requests, I know that it is for the best...and sooner, rather than later, I find that He has closed one door and opened two windows. He is more than generous with me, He is not to be out-done.
I thank God here and now, in this, my 'public forum' ~ and also St. Jude. I know that he hears us when we pray...and that he has our best interests at heart. All we have to do is give him our requests and he will take them straight to God for us...and do what ever he can to get us the help we need, whether or not God desires to grant our petitions, or to allow us something even greater for the good of our souls.
So, with every breath I take, every waking moment, I thank God with all my heart...and I also offer my gratitude, publicly, to His faithful servant, St. Jude Thaddeus.