The age difference between Jesus and his cousin Thaddeus was only six months and, like all children, they went to the Synagogue together.Biblical passages prove that the relationship between the two families was very close. Judas Thaddeus' stepfather, Cleopas, was one of the two pilgrims to whom Jesus appears during the road to Emmaus. Cleopas' mother Mary is one of the pious women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and who remained at the foot of the cross, together with Jesus' mother, during the ordeal.

Of Thaddeus' brothers, James the Lesser was one of the 12 apostles and the first Bishop of Jerusalem. Little is known about his brother José. Simon was the second Bishop of Jerusalem. His sister Maria Salome, who was married to Zebedee, was the mother of two other apostles: James the Greater and John the Evangelist, “he who loved Jesus”.

Judas, who was also known as Thaddeus, was the tenth apostle to be personally chosen by Jesus Christ. The name Judas derives from Judah, which means “very strong” and “celebrated”. Tadeu, on the other hand, means “brave”. Valiant as he always acted when defending the Word of God.

He witnessed many miracles performed by Jesus, having even participated in the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper and witnessed the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.

When Jesus called the disciples to join together in pairs, Thaddeus joined Matthew.

For his tireless task of preaching the Gospel, converting a large number of pagans, he was arrested together with his friend Simon and taken to the Temple of the Sun, which was in Edessa. There, both died after being cruelly martyred with spears and axes, which occurred on October 28, 70 AD.His strong testimony of life and his unshakable faith led to countless conversions, which, without a doubt, served to cause the envious fury of false preachers. The preaching and testimony of Judas Thaddeus, carried out in an energetic and vigorous way, attracted and captivated pagans and people of other religions who converted to Christianity. He showed, by actions, that his adherence to Christ was complete and unconditional, testifying to his faith by donating his own life.For this reason, Saint Jude Thaddeus is represented in his image holding a book, which symbolizes the Word that he always announced, and the instrument of his martyrdom, represented by a hatchet, which resembles a club, sword or even a halberd. The red cloak represents martyrdom.

Saint Jude remained in obscurity for several centuries as a result of confusion over the name of the traitor, Judas Iscariot.The reappearance of devotion to Saint Jude Thaddeus is due to Saint Bridget, who lived in Sweden. It is stated in his biography that Jesus Christ himself appeared to him, advising him to invoke Saint Jude Thaddeus even in the most desperate situations. This resulted in the people's faith in the special intercession of this saint in these types of cases.

In Brazil, the cult of the Apostle Saint Jude began after the Second World War. He is the second most popular saint in Brazil. Faith in God and humble trust in the intercession of Saint Jude Thaddeus has brought enormous comfort to many people.

Thaddeus – The Other Judas,The tenth apostle chosen by Jesus

Humberto Domingos Pastore.