Today we head back to the Biblical quadrant as Jude takes on Bartimaeus. Will Bartimaeus’ attempt to dethrone Jude prove to be a lost cause? Or will he see his way to victory? These are the questions of the day.
In yesterday’s saintly action, James Solomon Russell easily defeated Evelyn Underhill 66% to 34% to advance to the Saintly Sixteen, where he’ll face the winner of Harriet Tubman vs. Julie Billiart.
And if for some shocking reason, you missed yesterday’s nominally epic episode of Monday Madness with Tim and Scott, you can watch it here. It involves rivers of purple beverages, among other things.
Now go vote!
Jude
Jude is listed as one of the twelve apostles and is purported to be the writer of the epistle that bears his name. Tradition says Jude, along with Simon, traveled to Persia, Arabia, and Mesopotamia. Finally, he went to the city of Edessa to meet with King Abgar. Images of Jude often show him holding the Image of Edessa, a holy square of cloth upon which an image of the face of Jesus appeared. The Image of Edessa is considered the first icon of Christ.
This image came to Edessa when King Abgar wrote to Jesus asking him to come and heal him. Jesus replied, saying he would send one of his disciples. So impressed with the king’s faith, Jesus pressed his face into the cloth and gave it to the messenger to assure the king his disciple would visit. Some accounts say the disciple Jude was chosen to travel to Edessa to deliver the sign from Jesus. King Abgar was healed, and all the people under his rule converted to Christianity in response.
Jude is a disciple plagued with an identity crisis. He is distinguished from Judas Iscariot and also noted as Jude of James in Luke/Acts. He is referred to as the brother of Jesus in Matthew and Mark. In the apostolic lists of Matthew and Mark, no Jude appears, but there is a Thaddeus. Some biblical scholars have suggested Jude and Thaddeus are the same person, and Thaddeus was a nickname. Other scholars disagree, stating that Jude and Thaddeus are different people.
Jude is most commonly known as the patron saint for the hopeless and despaired and the patron saint of lost causes. This patronage inspired comedian Danny Thomas to found St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Thomas, awaiting the birth of his first child and struggling with his career, went to Mass and placed his last $7 in the offering plate. He offered prayers to Saint Jude to provide a way forward. Thomas recalls getting a job the next week that paid him enough to pay bills for a while. He then promised Saint Jude a shrine. Years later, Thomas kept that promise by founding the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities, which serves as the fundraising organization of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the shrine Thomas founded in thanksgiving for Saint Jude.
Collect for Jude
O God, we thank you for the glorious company of the apostles, and especially on this day for Jude; and we pray that, as he was faithful and zealous in his mission, so we may with ardent devotion make known the love and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Bartimaeus
Bartimaeus, literally “son of Timaeus,” was a blind beggar healed by Jesus in one of his last documented miracles. This miracle is recounted in all three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) with Jesus healing the blind man as he and his followers are leaving Jericho, just before the Passion.
Bartimaeus is one of the very few people healed by Jesus whose name appears in the gospels. This could be because Bartimaeus served the church after his healing and became a disciple of Jesus.
Bartimaeus is an example of faith. Total, complete, desperate faith. When Bartimaeus hears that Jesus is around he starts shouting. He shouts: “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!” The son of Timaeus is asking the son of David, the Messiah, to have mercy on him. Even after people order Bartimaeus to be quiet, he continues to shout. Even louder. Because he understands who Jesus is. He has heard about him and believes and knows what Jesus has done and can do. Bartimaeus teaches us a prayer for desperate times: Jesus, have mercy on me!
Jesus, Mark tells us, stands still. Luke tells us Jesus stops, and then invites Bartimaeus to approach him. So Bartimaeus throws off his cloak and goes to Jesus—a symbol of giving everything away for a chance to be near Jesus; the action symbolizes his deep faith that he won’t need the cloak anymore. He knows he will be healed.
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asks. “Let me see again. I want to see,” Bartimaeus asks. With these words, he teaches us, believers and followers of Jesus, that we must ask for what we want when Jesus is near.
“Your faith has made you well. Your faith has healed you.” Bartimaeus’s faith stops Jesus, moves Jesus, and inspires Jesus to heal him.
According to Mark, after being healed, Bartimaeus follows Jesus on the Way.
Collect for Bartimaeus
Almighty God, you have surrounded us with a great cloud of witnesses: Grant that we, encouraged by the good example of your servant Bartimaeus, may persevere in running the race that is set before us, until at last we may with him attain to your eternal joy; through Jesus Christ, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Jude vs. Bartimaeus
- Bartimaeus (54%, 4,167 Votes)
- Jude (46%, 3,584 Votes)
Total Voters: 7,751
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One of the twelve versus one healed by Jesus…
https://birdsonstix.wordpress.com/2020/03/10/lent-madness-meme-jude-versus-bartimaeus/
Oh my goodness. Your meme is hysterical. I love looking at them each morning after I vote.
Thank you! I am glad you are enjoying it
Hi this is Natalie and I have read all of your comments
I like Ariana grande
That isn’t even about this
This is my favorite so far!
You always win with the Beatles.
Than you SO much for all your fun memes!! You made this Beatle’s fan day :- )
Bartimaeus the beggar made the plea
“Son of David, please have mercy on me!”
Drawn to what he deemed right
In his faith he gained sight;
May that blind man’s gift of light come to me.
Amen!
Yes amen
Amazing prose but I went with Jude who went out to heal
Was this the origin of the Jesus Prayer? If not it’s still close enough for my vote
It’s my understanding that this passage of the Bible is the origin of the “Jesus Prayer.”
Thanks Amy. The person who taught me the Jesus prayer was named Amh
When Bartimaeus “threw off his cloak”, he also threw away the coins pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem would have left on his cloak as it lay around him on the ground. He was demonstrating that not only would he never need to beg again because he would be healed by Jesus but that he was willing to give away his earnings from one of the most lucrative days of the year (just before Passover) in thanksgiving for the healing he had not yet received. That’s faith. Then he followed Jesus…to Jerusalem and Jesus’ crucifixion.
Morning, Frank. Thank you for you insights.
Frank Hubbard, Well said! I was so moved by hearing this story again!
Thank you, Frank – what an inspiring comment. Reinforced my decision to vote for Bartimaeus and left a lovely image with me.
Thank you for this insight.
Today is all about miracles of healing, biblical and current day. How could I not support St. Jude? I know several children who’ve been treated at the hospital and are living wonderful, miraculous lives. Blind Bartimaeus is one of my favorite stories of faith and love, but Jude got my vote today.
Thanks, Shan. Ypu captured my thought and clinched my decision. Jude it is.
Unfailing faith makes me lean to Bartimaeus.
Saint Jude, totally! My grandmother always prayed to Saint Jude when there was some terrible problem; she had great faith in him. In memory of my Nanny, it’s Jude all the way.
St. Jude won my vote because that was my parish for many years and he is the patron of hopeless causes. Also, the children’s hospital is named for him and they bring about a good many miracles and hope to families with sick children.
I voted for Jude also because of the great work of S. Jude’s Hospital. My heart of hearts was with Bartimaeus! Tough choices this season.
This is the hardest one yet. However, the difference of this is, both personally interacted with Jesus. Difficult choice, and both deserve to go on. But faith of the blind wins today.
Many years ago, I was taught by the SSJE brothers that meditating on the story of Bartimaeus can be a wonderful opening for conversation with Jesus, if you imagines him asking you, “What do you want me to do for you?” The dialogue that has ensued has been enriching and life-giving more than once over the years for me. Bartimaeus gets my vote today.
Thanks for that, Jack. I love the SSJE brothers!
Thank you Jack – a great teaching!
Thank you Jack Zamboni for your insightful comment about the value of using this story as a point of departure for having a life-changing conversation with Jesus. Also, thank you for bringing to my attention the existence of the Society of St. John the Evangelist. I’d never of heard of it before, despite the fact that it’s located right around the corner from where I went to college.
FWIW, contemplative prayer centered on the story of Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52) changed my life 21 years ago. When I placed myself in Bartimaeus’ shoes, and Jesus asked me “What do you want to do for you?” my response was “I want to be strong.” In my heart of hearts, I meant that I wanted to be as strong as though my parents had never divorced. This tragic event, many years previous, had left me feeling weakened in many ways, mostly in ways that remained invisible to others. I’m happy and very grateful to be able to say that Jesus has answered my prayer for strength many times over in the 2 decades since I contemplated the story of Bartimaeus. With help and guidance from a series of skilled spiritual directors, I have set out to use my strengths to help my fellow children of divorced parents. The ministry I co-founded with my wife, and the Holy Spirit, has now been able to help children of divorced parents in all 50 states and 13 foreign countries. I give the glory to God, to our increasingly large contingent of financial donors who generously support our work, and to the skilled staff at the Spiritual Renewal Center in Syracuse, New York, who organized the extended prayer retreat in 1998-1999 during which I contemplated that particular passage from Mark’s gospel.
Also FWIW, the part of the story that speaks loudest to me today is how Bartimaeus refused to listen to those who told him to be quiet. The people who were telling him to shut up enjoyed having the gift of sight; Bartimaeus had lost his. They were not grieving a serious loss; he was. Bartimaeus cried out from the reality of his pain. Though he had lost his sight, he had not lost faith in the validity of his perspective. He believed his perspective was worthy of a hearing even though others disagreed with him. He did not allow the ignorance of others about his reality (what it is like to go blind) to cause him to stop crying out. To paraphrase a popular saying of our day, “Nevertheless, he persisted.”
So, in the spirit of Bartimaeus, let me continue to cry out: “DIVORCE HURTS KIDS!” It causes them pain and suffering, and it puts their physical, emotional, and spiritual welfare at risk. I thank God for the strength to take action to reduce this suffering in some small way, and for the many, many people I have met in the past 20 years who are trying to do something similar.
To tell the truth, I had a tough time with this one. Neither Bartimaeus nor Jude really appealed to me. Jude is too ephemeral; another James the Less. Bartimaeus’ faith is impressive, and worthy of admiration, but is that all it takes? It may get you into heaven, but the golden halo?? Then I got to the bottom of St. Jude’s bio. When I was a kid I loved “Make Room for Daddy.” Growing up in the then-rural Pacific Northwest, I loved the idea of living in fancy apartment in New York City with all these colorful characters coming to visit. Danny was a little hot-tempered, but he always exuded love of his family. He was my TV daddy. Recently a friend of mine lost her 10year-old grandson to cancer; I became a regular sponsor to St. Jude Hospital as a result. So for Danny Thomas and “Ray Ray” I cast my vote for St. Jude.
“alleged” or “did”. I go with Did and Bartimaeou. Oh, that we can always have such blind faith!
This is a hard one today, but I had to go with Jude in honor of the hospital. Send some good vibes his way and to all the kids in his hospital
In making my decisions I had put a lot of stock into what was factual and what was legend. Today I’m thinking that it can often be the great legends that inspire us to do great things. St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
The collect for Bartimaeus was what clinched it for me. At this time when we are coping with the realities of coronavirus we need that hope, and that assurance that Jesus wants to know our worries and concerns, and will walk with us towards healing in whatever form healing takes.
(I do not have corona virus but I’m referring to all the lifestyle changes and fears we have including financial concerns).
This one is excruciatingly difficult for me. I need both St. Jude’s intercession and Bartimaeus’ faith.
Also my thoughts.
How true –
I chose St. Jude because my great aunt Mae was very devoted to him, and because Danny Thmas built a wonderful shrine in thanks, but the story of Bartimaeus is truly a stirring expression of faith – MBB
Voted for Bartimaeus because I love the gospel song that tells his story. Check out singer Laura Love’s version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdLASgHtx1c
The gospel song did it for me! Bart gets my vote!
The prayer of Bartimaeus won me over, as I hope it will be the last words I utter on my death bed and will win me over to the other side at last. Go, Barti, go!
Sometimes you jut need to shout. Bartimaeus for me.
Bartimaeus!
Bartimaeus wins my vote
Me to lily
Looks like I’m seven to three… but those three losses could be a disaster, especially Joseph…. who knew? I thought he was buried in the front flower bed of my old house! What? You buried him too?
Both my husband and I worked at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital for several years. It’s an amazing place with a terrific mission–all children are treated regardless of ability to pay (that’s what ALSAC raises funds for). St Jude’s patients, physicians, and researchers are from all around the world.
Had to vote for Bartimaeus because his response to Jesus’ question has become my favorite prayer, “LORD, that I might see”.
When I was in my 20’s, my mom let me know she had given my name to some group that prayed daily to St. Jude. At the time I felt a little insulted — so she thought I was a lost cause? But thanks, Mom! I needed those prayers. For Mom and for Danny Thomas/”Make Room for Daddy,” my vote is with Jude this morning.
Since I am presently writing an icon of the Mandylion, the first image of Jesus, I have to vote for Jude. I am a bit troubled by the forced conversion of an entire community, even though I know such things are rife in history (“cuius regio, eius religio”). I like the word “zealous” and wish for all to have life circumstances and prospects they can face with eagerness and enthusiasm. And may we remember the plight of Syrians and all refugees and remember that a nation cannot be a light unto the world if its borders are closed and it is surrounded by a wall.
Brava!
Ditto.
It would be interesting to hear about how the art works that depict the daily saints are located and how reprint permissions are obtained. They add lovely highlights to the profiles.
Blind bart could not see far
to read, write, or drive in a car
he wished he was able to see
and cried, “lord hare mercy on me!”
Jesus didn’t assume that he knew
but asked, “what do you want me to do?”
Bart said, “let me see”
Jesus said, “let it be”
and the rest we all know’s history!
Just Jude does not wish to be rude
but he thinks your vote was a bit crude.
He thinks you’re really voting for Paul McCartney
succumbing to an ear worm of “let it be.”
He wishes to remind you that in ancient Syria
the good news was, “He loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah.”
I love it!
Love it!
Loved seeing your poem on Lent Madness this morning Team Miller-Mutia . “Let it Be” Theology that you can sing with the Beatles.
There is also the Beatles song “Hey, Jude”
Is the image of Edessa the first recorded instance of someone writing fan mail to a celebrity and getting a head shot in return?
Oh, that is too funny!
My Pastor’s oldest child is named after Thaddeus (who she believes is Jude) – and she has remarked on Jude being the Saint of lost causes when she is in a difficult place with this child, an autistic son. She loves him dearly, but some days are tough. The connection between her son and Jude’s patronage of lost causes both brings a smile to her face and reignites in her the hope that she knows exists for her son. While I deeply love the image of my Lord asking me “What do you want me to do for you?” – I must vote for the hope of St. Jude.
Thank you! Couldn’t have said it better myself. I do love Jude Thaddeus
St Jude for the wonderful childrens hospital.
I identify, having portrayed Bartimaeus in “Methodist Actors Serving the Church” (MASC) with despirate blind faith. However I vote Saint Jude as most significant , mostly because of his influence on (almost saint) Danny and Marlo Thomas.
Two messages of hope. Two messages of tough times. This was a hard choice for me. But a good read for the day.
I don’t know if it’s the same Bart, but St Bart.. of the Sherlock series, that’s what tipped my vote his way. (They’re all wonderful saints, so it’s finding a “reason” to cast the vote 🙂
Wow! This was a tough one! It came down to my respect for St, Jude’s Children’s Hospital that I chose St. Jude
Voting for Bartimaeus especially because of this beautiful song from the Sacred Harp:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=QogPDr0HT60
“Mercy, O thou Son of David!”
Thus poor blind Bartimeus prayed—
“Others by thy grace are saved;
Now to me afford thine aid.”
Money was not what he wanted,
Though by begging used to live;
But he asked, and Jesus granted,
Alms that none but he could give.
“Lord, remove this grievous blindness,
Let mine eyes behold the day!”
Straight he saw, and, won by kindness,
Followed Jesus in the way.
And also for the Jesus Prayer, the heart of Eastern Christian monasticism and contemplation, which is based on the plea of Bartimaeus.
Haunting!
Thanks for this. I’m a big fan of Sacred Harp. I particularly appreciate the words, as otherwise it is difficult to detemine what they are singing; difficult for me, anyway.
The Jesus Prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” must have come from this life-changing encounter between Jesus and Bartimaeus, who, though blind, recognized the Saviour of the world; thus this saint has my eternal gratitude and my vote. I must say, however, that Danny Thomas needs to be added to a bracket of the future!
My father was a mail carrier; his route was in downtown Chicago. One of his stops was the St. Jude League which is the fundraising part of the National Shrine of St. Jude. It was one of the few places that he talked about. I thank the nominating committee for this unexpected gift of warm memories of my dad this morning and cast my vote for Jude.
I went with Bart. I attend a UCC parish and we use the Narrative Lectionary. That was our reading last Sunday, so I had to go with him.
Oh, Supreme Executive Committee, this matchup is both brilliant and dastardly. I’ve hovered over Jude and almost clicked, then Bartimaeus and almost clicked, and then back to Jude…. This has been going on for half an hour! I’m going with Bartimaeus because of the inspiration his story gives me during this time of discerning a call. That moment when Bartimaeus throws his cloak off — I imagine that the feeling is something like one of those moments when you know without a doubt that God has just placed his hand on you and said, “Yup, that’s me calling. It’s okay, come!” Opportunities to walk by faith and not by sight abound in varying degrees and Bartimaeus is my favorite illustration of that, but the emotional ties to St. Jude are strong. My grandmother wore her St. Jude medal and touched it often as she told stories of raising five kids as a widow during the depression, and I am a whole-hearted supporter of St. Jude’s Hospital. Well played, Supreme Executive Committee of Heart-wrenching voting choices. Well played!
Bartimaeus for the win!( ◠‿◠ )
Ok
I was pleased to read and learn about Bartimaeus, but as a devotee of lost causes I had to go with Jude.
Okay folks, now I am sings “Hey Jude” over and over in my head. given the current news it is a good thing to do.
I would have voted for Danny Thomas, but despite Jude’s efficacy in dealing with the lost he lost me with his written correspondence with the king. Oh, me of little faith! I clearly need Bartimaeus.
I would have voted for Danny Thomas, but despite Jude’s efficacy in dealing with the lost he lost me with his written correspondence with the king. Oh, me of little faith! I clearly need Bartimaeus. I meant to send this once; finger error.
Seems that you are truly following the “March Madness “ habit of putting really good teams (saints) against each other, thus eliminating some who should remain until later rounds. Today’s is a great example.
Sort of reminds me of what happens to the SEC!
Oops! I meant the king’s letters to and from Jesus.
St. Jude reported that St. Michael Archangel was a WIMP when confronting Satan and leaves the battle up to God. (Jude 1:9) Fake news in an epistle? In other followup thoughts. Just Like Lent Madness brackets, ST. PATRICK is a loser?? Boston and Ireland have cancelled all Parades.
My brackets are already, to quote the metaphor, TOAST.
It is so refreshing to have hard choices between the best of the best instead of the best of the worst. In the Len Madness contests, even if one votes for the loss-of-the-day, we still win with one of Christ’s own forever. Oh, that real life would follow. . .
I see what you did there. “Like.”
Like
Just wonderin’ what calendar Bartimeus is named. And his day.
I think anybody mentioned in the Bible is eligible.
A difficult decision today but, because I used to work at a Children’s hospital (not St. Jude’s) I am voting for Jude. For all the sick kids in all the hospitals.
I can’t wait to see who wins.
This has been the most challenging for me. The decision was finally made and I had to go with Jude. This is about faith and healing. The innocence of children touches my heart, and especially when they have a health challenge. So many are grateful for St. Jude Research Hospital..
Bartimaeus, for his all-in, exuberant, springing up in faith and into an unknown future — unknown except for the presence of Jesus, that is.
Is this the third blind saint we’ve had in the brackets for 2020? What’s going on here?
My vote is in honor of St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church in Cupertino, California.
My husband and I attended St. Jude’s in Cupertino in the 1970’s. Fr.John Buenz was rector. The Holy Spirit actively changed our lives .
I would like to be consistent and vote for the same kinds of reasons each day, but that doesn’t work. If Jude’s witness is the hospitals, is that Jude, or Danny Thomas? I am most moved by the brilliant write-up for Bartimaeus, the Collect, and, yes, ‘Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner’, prayed not only by Bartimaeus but also by the tax collector at the temple, whom Jesus compares to the Pharisee.
http://www.becomingrealandthriving.com
This is the toughest choice to date this year IMO. Jude seems appropriate because the whole of the world seems like a lost cause at the moment. Still, I went with Bartimaeus because that’s just the kind of reckless faith I need to keep putting one foot in front of the other and trying to do good regardless.
Our first kid was born in June. We named him Jude. There is only one way I can vote.
As a member of the Lions Clubs International I should vote for poor,blind Bartimaus. However, lost causes, Beatles’ songs, Danny Thomas (who I thought got his parenting skills and good looks from my father) w/those cancer kids hopeful faces that St. Jude gets my vote today.
(I also wanted to be That Girl too, w/flip in my hair. It’s good to see Marlowe carrying on his legacy. St. Jude’s has made a difference.)
I would be grateful to keep such faith as Bartimaeus. He had the words to answer Jesus’ question. Sometimes I have no answer.
Today could be a close one. Saint Jude all the way.
Any apostle who inspired Danny Thomas to found St. Jude’s Hospital gets my vote today. So much good work and healing gets done there.
I couldn’t help thinking about St. Jude’s at Ocean View, Hawaii. They are the essence of doing for and with the ones in need. You don’t have to take my word for it. Look up their web site and see how the gospel works at St. Jude’s.
Seems like this is a contest between inner faith and outer-directed faith. Just sayin’.
I suppose I love nothing more than preaching about the Bartimaeus story in Mark. The important themes that speak to me are: (1) Jesus is willing to be interrupted. He has an agenda. He is on his way someway. So his disciples try to tell Bartimaeus to leave him alone. He’s busy. And yet Jesus dismisses his disciples and sees Bartimaeus. In a world where we establish our agenda and schedules and calendars, it is a good reminder that we should be open to being interrupted. It may be the most important thing we do that day. (2) Jesus lets Bartimaeus define his own needs. Jesus has a reputation for healing. He could easily have restored Bartimaeus’ sight and gone on his way. Instead he takes the time to ask Bartimaeus, and let Bartimaeus define his needs. A good reminder for all us dealing with people who come to us in need. And (3) I have often changed prepositions from “what do you want me to do for you” to “to do with you.” Much of my ministry has been in global partnerships, and engaging with our partners rather than for our partners matters a great deal to me. Anyway, I have always liked lost causes, but Bartimaeus had to get my vote.
Jude for me, in honor of my Roman Catholic grandmother Germaine, who loved the church with all her heart, and for whom Jude was a particular favorite, as evidenced by the glow-in-the-dark statuette of Jude that she kept on her dresser.
And also for all of the saints of the world who serve the community dutifully and quietly. We need those whose faith is quiet and persistent as much as those who speak up and share it boldly, but it is often the former (like my grandmother) whose contributions go unnoticed.
St. Celia. . . your thoughts tipped my scale. How very convincing and timely on several levels! Bartimaeus gives me much to think on, as well, so there can be no losers in today’s match-up. The SEC has done it again!
As Vicar of St. Jude’s in North Pole Alaska there was clearly only one possible vote.
When they were about 10, my son Hailu and a group of his friends held a fundraiser for St. Jude’s hospitals. I was quite proud.
It’s a tossup, but Jude gets our vote today!
Another toughie. I must confess that I’m somewhat taken aback by the many references to the Beatles and to Danny Thomas, both worthy in their own way, but not exactly relevant in this contest. I struggled, because both Jude and Bartimaeus represent for me some ideal of Christian discipleship. In the end, I voted for Bartimaeus because I can identify more closely with him than I can with St. Jude (let’s face it, as his brother Jude grew up knowing who and what Jesus was, so no leaps of faith required for him, no stepping out in faith). I’d like to thank Leon Spencer for his insightful comment, which helped me to make my decision, and also Frank Hubbard, for his explanation of what it actually meant for Bartimaeus to throw off his cloak on that day, which made my choice easier.
Bartimaeus, in gratitude for the Jesus Prayer.
Jude. Because this: https://youtu.be/YHAhWXVAelI
(And it’s musical!)
Seriously though, while I was tempted to vote for Jude just because of that video (it’s in my top 5 of the Bible book videos His Place Community Church did for their Route 66 series —I just came across it as a church secretary, I’ve never been there), I was really torn between the two…
But where Jude got me was as the patron saint of lost causes… that resonates with me. Deeply.
LA,
Thanks for sharing the video. I’m still chuckling. But I’m still not quite sure for whom to vote.
I think I’ll look at who’s ahead and vote for the underdog–undersaint, I should say.
That’s an awesome video. Thanks for sharing.
I voted for Bartimaeus, because his story was the first text I ever preached on. The story has stayed with ever since (almost 40 years) a great example of a life being turned around through Jesus’ ministry.
What a pairing – how can we be expected to decide between two such wonderful saints. In the end I voted for Bartimaeus because of all the times I have had nothing left to offer but the Jesus prayer.
Why do I always feel guilty about choosing one saint over another when I vote? Will I be struck by lightening?
they both have a place in my life as Hosp. Chaplain all three ever day. Father Son Holy Spirit & all saints Lord have mercy,Thank you for all your Love.
I have been completely blind in one eye since for about 55 years now and Bartimaeus has always been close to my heart, so my vote is for the miracle of healed sight! 🙂
My husband’s middle name is Jude.
We have a statue of St. Jude next to our patio.
My husband has an artificial heart valve manufactured by St. Jude.
No lost cause or despair here.
To me, Bartimaeus represents being blessed by the Lord, realizing his blessing came from Lord, and therefore follows the Lord. We could use a little more of that in this world.
I voted for Timeus’s son, Bartimeus. Had I voted for the other candidate, I would not have been certain whether I had voted for Jude, or Thaddeus, or Judas, or Jude of James, or Danny Thomas, or King Abgar, or the city of Edessa!
I voted for Jude because his miracles have resulted in amazing events even in the 20th century. And because a friend, a young man named Jude has cystic fibrosis and needs prayers and miracles NOW
I liked Bartimaeus‘s story better but that’s my opinion
I think it was a good story.
I voted for Jude because my husband & I support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Being cancer free since May 2017, it breaks my heart to think of any child having cancer. God bless everyone who works at St. Jude.
One of my aunts, who was also my godmother, was very devoted to St. Jude, the patron of hopeless causes. It took me some years to figure out that my mentally ill mother was the hopeless cause for which she was praying. So even though the personas and names may have some confusion, I had to go with St. Jude today.
As a visually challenged person, given much more normal sight by the invention of the corneal contact lens, I have always identified with Blind Bart. It is my privilege to vote for him, his faith, and Jesus’ love made manifest in healing him.
My vote is in honor of St. Simon & St. Jude Episcopal Church in Irmo, South Carolina!
We are voting for Jude in honor of our 10 year old cousin Amris who is a patient at ST. Jude hospital. (She’s the cutie in the Easter donation letter if anyone is on their mailing list.)
Voting for Jude as the go-to guy in desperate times like those we’re in with corona virus and current White House occupant
Jude. In honor of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Also patron saint of lost causes.
Go Bartimaeus!
U Rock!