Prayers for Impossible Causes
St. Rita is popularly invoked as the Saint of the Impossible; St. Jude, of hopeless causes. The Church canonized specialists in lost causes on the strength of Gabriel's line to Mary: no word shall be impossible with God.
Traditional prayers
Memorare
that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee,
O Virgin of virgins, my Mother;
to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions,
but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
From Scripture
37Because no word shall be impossible with God.
— Luke 1, vv. 37, Douay-Rheims · read the full chapter
27And Jesus looking on them, saith with men it is impossible; but not with God. For all things are possible with God.
— Mark 10, vv. 27, Douay-Rheims · read the full chapter
26And Jesus beholding, said to them: With men this is impossible: but with God all things are possible.
— Matthew 19, vv. 26, Douay-Rheims · read the full chapter
Pray a novena
Patron saints for this intention
How to use these prayers
Traditional practice with St. Jude: pray the novena, and if your prayer is answered, thank him publicly — the newspaper classifieds full of 'Thank you St. Jude' notices were this custom.