Have you ever wondered what the shortest books of the Bible are? That’s precisely where I found myself this morning as I flipped over to the Letter of Jude in honor of his feast day today. (Side note: he shares this day
with Simon the Zealot!)
The sole chapter of the Letter of Jude contains 25 verses. (Spoiler alert: it’s the fifth shortest of the Bible.) Though his 491 words are few, they pack a punch.
In fact, they’re equally as significant in 2024 as they were 2,000 years ago, as he writes of licentiousness and unnatural vice, of godlessness and wordliness.
“Woe to them!” he says, speaking of their fate.
Clearly his words are a warning, lest we too go down the path of the evil one.
But his letter goes a step further. He doesn’t just strand us there with the bad seeds. but rather tells of how to respond—how to maneuver times of great turmoil:
“But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the holy Spirit.
Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
On those who waver, have mercy; save others by snatching them out of the fire; on others have mercy with fear,*abhorring even the outer garment stained by the flesh.”
He gave us marching orders. A battle cry, if you will. When the going gets tough, the tough, as they say, get going.
Our calling? To stay in God, to lift up others, to save those we can save. To daily strengthen and stand strong in our faith.
And to remember that nothing is impossible with God.
Saint Jude, pray for us!
#saintjude #patronsaintofimpossiblecauses #saintsimon #onetruefaith #catholicliving #catholicwritersofinstagram #2024election
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