[athenacp]

A Prayer to St. Joseph the Worker

O Glorious St. Joseph, model of all those who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my natural inclinations, to work with gratitude and joy, in a spirit of penance for the remission of my sins, considering it an honor to employ and develop by means of labor the gifts received from God, to work with order, peace, moderation and patience, without ever shrinking from weariness and difficulties, to work above all with purity of intention and detachment from self, having always death before my eyes and the account that I must render of time lost, of talents wasted, of good omitted, of vain complacency in success, so fatal to the work of God.

All for Jesus, all through Mary, all after thine example, O Patriarch, St. Joseph. Such shall be my watch-word in life and in death.

– Composed by St. Pius X

[athenacp]

Prayer to St. Joseph

Guard and protect me St. Joseph each day
As onward we journey, to heaven we pray.
I ask when I'm dying that you will be there,
To cheer by thy presence, aid by your prayer.
Now hear me St. Joseph, I count upon thee
To grant my petition whatever it be.

__._,_.___

[athenacp]

Saint Joseph Novena

Thursday, March 10 - Friday, March 18

Feast Day, Saturday, March 19



O glorious Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ,

to thee do we raise our hearts and hands to implore thy powerful intercession

in obtaining from the benign Heart of Jesus all the helps and graces necessary

for our spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death,

and the special favor we now implore (state your petition).


O Guardian of the Word Incarnate, we have confidence that thy prayers

on our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. Amen.


(Then say the following seven times in honor of the seven sorrows and joys of St. Joseph.)


V. O Glorious St. Joseph! Through thy love for Jesus Christ and for the glory of His Name,
R. Hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.
V. Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
R. Assist us!

[athenacp]

Prayer to Saint Joseph

We come to you, O blessed Joseph, in our distress. Having sought the aid of your most blessed spouse, we now confidently implore your assistance also. We humbly beg that, mindful of the affection which bound you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, and of the fatherly love with which you cherished the child Jesus, you will lovingly watch over the heritage which Jesus Christ purchased with His blood, and by your powerful intercession help us in our urgent need. Prudent guardian of the Holy Family, protect chosen people of Jesus Christ; drive far from us, most loving father, all error and corrupting sin. From your place in heaven, most powerful protector, graciously come to our aid in this conflict with the powers of darkness, and as of old you delivered the Child Jesus from danger of death, so now defend the holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity. Extend to each one of us your continual protection, that, led on by your example, and borne up by your strength, we may be able to live and die in holiness and obtain everlasting happiness in heaven. Amen.

[athenacp]

March 19th is the Feast Day of St Joseph. The scriptures have taught us a few things about St Joseph. We know he was a carpenter, a working man. He wasn't rich for when he took Jesus to the Temple to be circumcised and Mary to be purified he offered the sacrifice of two turtledoves or a pair of pigeons, allowed only for those who could not afford a lamb (Luke 2:24).

Despite his humble work and means, Joseph came from a royal lineage. Luke and Matthew disagree some about the details of Joseph's genealogy but they both mark his descent from David, the greatest king of Israel (Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38). Indeed the angel who first tells Joseph about Jesus greets him as "son of David," a royal title used also for Jesus.

We know Joseph was a compassionate, caring man. When he discovered Mary was pregnant after they had been betrothed (engaged to be married) he wanted to break the engagement to Mary, but he feared for her safety because women accused to adultery could be stoned to death, so he was thinking about breaking the engagement privately. But an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife, for Mary was carrying the Son of God. So, Joseph immediately and without question or concern for gossip, took Mary as his wife (Matthew 1:19-25). Joseph was man of faith, obedient to whatever God asked of him without knowing the outcome.

When the angel came again to tell him that his family was in danger, he immediately left everything he owned, all his family and friends, and fled to a strange country with his young wife and the baby. He waited in Egypt without question until the angel told him it was safe to go back (Matthew 2:13-23).

We know Joseph loved Jesus. His one concern was for the safety of this child entrusted to him. Not only did he leave his home to protect Jesus, but upon his return settled in the obscure town of Nazareth out of fear for his life. When Jesus stayed in the Temple we are told Joseph (along with Mary) searched with great anxiety for three days for him (Luke 2:48). We also know that Joseph treated Jesus as his own son for over and over the people of Nazareth say of Jesus, "Is this not the son of Joseph?" (Luke 4:22)

Since Joseph does not appear in Jesus' public life, at his death, or resurrection, many historians believe Joseph probably had died before Jesus entered public ministry. Joseph is the patron of the dying because, assuming he died before Jesus' public life, he died with Jesus and Mary close to him, the way we all would like to leave this earth. Joseph is also patron of the universal Church, fathers, carpenters, and social justice. We celebrate two feast days for Joseph: March 19 for Joseph the Husband of Mary and May 1 for Joseph the Worker.

There is much we wish we could know about Joseph -- where and when he was born, how he spent his days, when and how he died. But Scripture has left us with the most important knowledge... Joseph was a righteous man (Matthew 1:19).

(According to one legend, Mary's many suitors left their staffs in the temple one night so that God could indicate who she should marry. The next morning, Joseph's staff blossomed with white flowers and leaves and sent forth a white dove, indicating that he was the chosen one. This explains why statues of St. Joseph typically show him holding the Christ Child and a stalk of white lilies.)

Prayer:
Saint Joseph, patron of the universal Church, watch over the Church as carefully as you watched over Jesus, help protect it and guide it as you did with your adopted son. Amen
__._,_.___

[athenacp]

A MORNING OFFERING THROUGH ST. JOSEPH
Receive me, dear and chosen Father, and the offering of every
movement of my body and soul, which I desire to present
through thee to my blessed Lord.

Purify all! Make all a perfect holocaust! May every pulsation
of my heart be a Spiritual Communion, every look and
thought an act of love, every action a sweet sacrifice,
every word an arrow of Divine love, every step
an advance toward Jesus, every visit to Our Lord as
pleasing to God as the errands of Angels, every thought
of thee, dear Saint, an act to remind thee that I am thy child.

I recommend to thee the occasions in which I usually fail,
particularly . . . [Mention these]. Accept each little devotion
of the day, though replete with imperfection, and offer it
to Jesus, Whose mercy will overlook all, since He
regards not so much the gift as the love of the giver.
Amen.

__._,_.___

[athenacp]

St. Joseph
Chaplet of
Seven Sorrows
and
Seven Joys

Seven Sorrows Seven Joys
The doubt of St. Joseph. (Matt. 1:19) 1 The message of the Angel. (Matt. 1:20)
The poverty of Jesus' birth. (Luke 2:7) 2 The birth of the Savior. (Luke 2:10-11)
The Circumcision. (Luke 2:21) 3 The Holy Name of Jesus. (Matt. 1:25)
The prophecy of Simeon. (Luke 2:34) 4 The effects of the Redemption. (Luke 2:38)
The flight into Egypt. (Matt. 2:14) 5 The overthrow of the idols of Egypt. (Is. 19:1)
The return from Egypt. (Matt. 2:22) 6 Life with Jesus and Mary at Nazareth. (Luke 2:39)
The loss of the Child Jesus. (Luke 2:45) 7 The finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple. (Luke 2:46)
+
PRAYERS IN HONOR OF THE SEVEN SORROWS AND JOYS OF ST. JOSEPH

Composed by Ven. Januarius Sarnelli, C.SS.R. (d. 1744)

1. Sorrow: The doubt of St. Joseph. (Matt. 1:19)........

But Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wishing to expose her to reproach, was minded to put her away privately.

Joy: The message of the Angel. (Matt. 1:20).

But while he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Do not be afraid, Joseph, son of David, to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is begotten in her is of the Holy Spirit.

O chaste Spouse of Mary most holy, glorious St. Joseph, great was the trouble and anguish of your heart when you wert minded to put away privately your inviolate Spouse, yet your joy was unspeakable when the surpassing mystery of the Incarnation was made known to you by the Angel!

By this sorrow and this joy, we beseech you to comfort our souls, both now and in the sorrows of our final hour, with the joy of a good life and a holy death after the pattern of your own, in the arms of Jesus and Mary.

Our Father . . . Hail Mary . . . Glory be . . .



2. Sorrow: The poverty of Jesus' birth. (Luke 2:7).

And she brought forth her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Joy: The birth of the Savior. (Luke 2:10-11).

And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which shall be to all people; for today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you, who is Christ the Lord."

O most blessed Patriarch, glorious St. Joseph, who was chosen to be the foster father of the Word made flesh, your sorrow at seeing the Child Jesus born in such poverty was suddenly changed into heavenly exultation when you did hear the angelic hymn and beheld the glories of that resplendent night.

By this sorrow and this joy, we implore you to obtain for us the grace to pass over from life's pathway to hear the angelic songs of praise, and to rejoice in the shining splendour of celestial glory.

Our Father . . . Hail Mary . . . Glory be . . .



3. Sorrow: The Circumcision. (Luke 2:21).

And when eight days were fulfilled for his circumcision, his name was called Jesus, the name given to him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Joy: The Holy Name of Jesus. (Matt. 1:25).

And he did not know her until she brought forth her first born son. And he called his name Jesus.

O glorious St. Joseph you faithfully obeyed the law of God, and your heart was pierced at the sight of the Precious Blood that was shed by the Infant Savior during His Circumcision, but the Name of Jesus gave you new life and filled you with quiet joy.

By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us the grace to be freed from all sin during life, and to die rejoicing, with the holy Name of Jesus in our hearts and on our lips.

Our Father . . . Hail Mary . . . Glory be . . .



4. Sorrow: The prophecy of Simeon. (Luke 2:34).

And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother, "Behold this child is destined for the fall and the rise of many in Israel, and for a sign that shall be contradicted. And your own soul a sword shall pierce.

Joy: The effects of the Redemption. (Luke 2:38).

And coming up at that very hour, she began to give praise to the Lord, and spoke of him to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

O most faithful Saint who shared the mysteries of our Redemption, glorious St. Joseph, the prophecy of Simeon regarding the sufferings of Jesus and Mary caused you to shudder with mortal dread, but at the same time filled you with a blessed joy for the salvation and glorious resurrection which, he foretold, would be attained by countless souls.

By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us that we may be among the number of those who, through the merits of Jesus and the intercession of Mary the Virgin Mother, are predestined to a glorious resurrection.

Our Father . . . Hail Mary . . . Glory be . . .



5. Sorrow: The flight into Egypt. (Matt. 2:14).

So he arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and withdrew into Egypt.

Joy: The overthrow of the idols of Egypt. (Is. 19:1).

The burden of Egypt. Behold the Lord will ascend upon a swift cloud and will enter into Egypt, and the idols of Egypt will be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst thereof.

O most watchful Guardian of the Incarnate Son of God, glorious St. Joseph, what toil was your in supporting and waiting upon the Son of the most high God, especially in the flight into Egypt! Yet at the same time, how you did rejoice to have always near you God Himself, and to see the idols of the Egyptians fall prostrate to the ground before Him.

By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us the grace of keeping ourselves in safety from the infernal tyrant, especially by flight from dangerous occasions; may every idol of earthly affection fall from our hearts; may we be wholly employed in serving Jesus and Mary, and for them alone may we live and happily die.

Our Father . . . Hail Mary . . . Glory be . . .



6. Sorrow: The return from Egypt. (Matt. 2:22).

But hearing that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there; and being warned in a dream, he withdrew into the region of Galilee.

Joy: Life with Jesus and Mary at Nazareth. (Luke 2:39).

And when they had fulfilled all things prescribed in the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, into their own town of Nazareth.

O glorious St. Joseph, an angel on earth, you did marvel to see the King of Heaven obedient to your commands, but your consolation in bringing Jesus out of the land of Egypt was troubled by your fear of Archelaus; nevertheless, being assured by the Angel, you dwelt in gladness at Nazareth with Jesus and Mary.

By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us that our hearts may be delivered from harmful fears, so that we may rejoice in peace of conscience and may live in safety with Jesus and Mary and may, like you, die in their company.

Our Father . . . Hail Mary . . . Glory be . . .



7. Sorrow: The loss of the Child Jesus. (Luke 2:45).

And not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem in search of him

Joy: The finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple. (Luke 2:46).

And it came to pass after three days, that they found him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

O glorious St. Joseph, pattern of all holiness, when you did lose, through no fault of your own, the Child Jesus, you sought Him sorrowing for the space of three days, until with great joy you did find Him again in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors.

By this sorrow and this joy, we supplicate you, with our hearts upon our lips, to keep us from ever having the misfortune to lose Jesus through mortal sin; but if this supreme misfortune should befall us, grant that we may seek Him with unceasing sorrow until we find Him again, ready to show us His great mercy, especially at the hour of death; so that we may pass over to enjoy His presence in Heaven; and there, in company with you, may we sing the praises of His Divine mercy forever.

Our Father . . . Hail Mary . . . Glory be . . .



Antiphon . And Jesus Himself was beginning about the age of thirty years, being (as it was supposed) the Son of Joseph.

V. Pray for us, O holy Joseph.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.



Let Us Pray .

O God, Who in Your ineffable Providence did vouchsafe to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Your most holy Mother, grant, we beseech You, that he whom we venerate as our protector on earth may be our intercessor in Heaven. Who lives and reigns forever and ever.

Amen.

[athenacp]

A Prayer To St. Joseph


O blessed Joseph, faithful guardian of my Redeemer, Jesus Christ, protector
of thy chaste spouse, the virgin Mother of God, I choose thee this day to
be my special patron and advocate and I firmly resolve to honor thee all
the days of my life. Therefore I humbly beseech thee to receive me as thy
client, to instruct me in every doubt, to comfort me in every affliction,
to obtain for me and for all the knowledge and love of the Heart of Jesus,
and finally to defend and protect me at the hour of my death. Amen

"I know by experience," says St. Teresa of Avila,
"that the glorious St. Joseph assists us generally in all necessities.
I never asked him for anything which he did not obtain for me."