Feast of St. Jude - A New Name

 

Homily for St. Jude Novena

Monday, October 28, 2024

You Are Not Your Name

 

            It would be rough to have a famous last name – you’re always following in someone else’s footsteps. For example, did you know that the hockey great Wayne Gretzky’s son Trevor decided to play baseball instead of hockey? After he washed out of minor league baseball, he got into acting…and did pretty well, I guess, considering he starred in a movie with Bruce Willis. But I wonder if his dad was disappointed that he didn’t follow the hockey path…and I wonder if Trevor had different interests so that he wouldn’t have to live in his father’s shadow.

            Sometimes, though, the name has darker connotations. There are actually three nephews of Adolf Hitler who live in Long Island, but understandably they have changed their last name and refused all media interviews. Who would want to live with a name like that?

            Such is the case with our saint today. The reason why St. Jude is considered the patron of impossible cases is because his name is essentially the same name as the most infamous person in human history: Judas Iscariot, the man who betrayed Jesus Christ. It was said that you must be pretty desperate in your prayers, asking every single Apostle for their intercession, before you got to St. Jude, lest you come too close to praying to Judas!

            But St. Jude, with his faith, was not held down because of his name. No, he remained faithful to Christ, penned one of the letters of the New Testament, spent his life ministering in Persia, and ended up winning the martyr’s crown. He was not defined by his name or his association with an evil person – he knew that Jesus Christ had given him a better identity, a truer name.

            When reflecting on our own lives, are you proud of every name you’ve ever borne? Maybe you didn’t have a great family, and you live under the shadow of their dysfunctions and sins. Maybe you were called names as a kid, and these names became your identity. I was recently reading about a young man whose father called him “Seagull”, because, as his dad said, “All you’re good for is sitting around and squawking.” What a terrible identity – and a terrible wound. Do these things define us?

            One of the passages of Scripture that has always mystified me is from the Book of Revelation, where Jesus is speaking to those Christians who were struggling to remain faithful during persecution. He says, “To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.” How fascinating – that one of the gifts God will give to us is a new name, a new identity. If you are in Christ, He doesn’t see your messed-up family, your past, or your reputation. He calls you a new name – Beloved Child, Redeemed One, Conqueror.

            Claim that new name! Live out of that new identity! In Christ, St. Jude went from being one step away from Judas to a powerful Apostle, missionary, martyr, and intercessor. In Christ, you too can shake off the past and be transformed into a saint!