Prayer to Saint Joseph

To you, O blessed Joseph,

do we come in our tribulation,
and having implored the help of your most holy Spouse,
we confidently invoke your patronage also.

Through that charity which bound you

to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God
and through the paternal love
with which you embraced the Child Jesus,
we humbly beg you graciously to regard the inheritance
which Jesus Christ has purchased by his Blood,
and with your power and strength to aid us in our necessities.

O most watchful guardian of the Holy Family,

defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ;
O most loving father, ward off from us
every contagion of error and corrupting influence;
O our most mighty protector, be kind to us
and from heaven assist us in our struggle
with the power of darkness.

As once you rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril,

so now protect God's Holy Church
from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity;
shield, too, each one of us by your constant protection,
so that, supported by your example and your aid,
we may be able to live piously, to die in holiness,
and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven.

Amen.

Dive into God's Word

Daily Rea
 Litany of St. Joseph
 Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
 God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
 Holy Mary, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
Illustrious son of David, pray for us.
Light of patriarchs, pray for us.
Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us.
Chaste guardian of the Virgin, pray for us.
Foster father of the Son of God, pray for us.
Watchful defender of Christ, pray for us.
Head of the Holy Family, pray for us.
 Joseph most just, pray for us.
Joseph most chaste, pray for us.
Joseph most prudent, pray for us.
Joseph most valiant, pray for us.
Joseph most obedient, pray for us.
Joseph most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of patience, pray for us.
Lover of poverty, pray for us.
Model of workmen, pray for us.
Glory of home life, pray for us.
Guardian of virgins, pray for us.
Pillar of families, pray for us.
 Solace of the afflicted, pray for us.
Hope of the sick, pray for us.
Patron of the dying, pray for us.
Terror of demons, pray for us.
Protector of Holy Church, pray for us.
 Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us!
 V. He made him the lord of His household,
R. And prince over all His possessions.
 Let Us Pray
O God, Who in Thine ineffable Providence didst vouchsafe to choose
Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Thy most holy Mother, grant, we beseech
Thee, that he whom we venerate as our protector on earth may be our
intercessor in Heaven. Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

Daily Novena Prayer to St. Joseph

O Saint Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the
throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires.

O Saint Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me

from your divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord,
so that having experienced here below your heavenly power, I may offer my
thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of fathers.

O Saint Joseph, I never weary of contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your
arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Hold Him close
in my name and kiss His fine head from me, and ask Him to return the kiss
when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for
me. Amen.
Prayer Before Work to St. Joseph the Worker
O Glorious Saint Joseph, model of all those who are devoted to labor, obtain
for me the grace to work in a spirit of penance for the expiation of my many
sins; to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my natural
inclinations; to work with thankfulness and joy, 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, never shrinking from weariness
and trials; to work above all with purity of intention and detachment from
self, keeping unceasingly before my eyes death and the account that I must
give of time lost, talents unused, good omitted, and vain complacency in
success, so fatal to the work of God.

All for Jesus, all through Mary, all after thy example, O Patriarch, Saint
Joseph. Such shall be my watch-word in life and in death. Amen. (Composed
by Pope St. Pius X)

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.
Memorare to St. Joseph
Remember, O most pure spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, my great
protector, Saint Joseph, that no one ever had recourse to your protection, or
implored your aid without obtaining relief. Confiding therefore in your
goodness, I come before you. Do not turn down my petitions, foster father of
the Redeemer, but graciously receive them. Amen.

Prayer Before Adoration, Invoking St. Joseph

Dear Jesus, we believe that You are here, truly present in the Blessed
Sacrament: that You see us, that You hear us. We adore You with profound
reverence. We beg pardon for our sins and the grace to make this time of
prayer fruitful.

Our Immaculate Mother, St. Joseph our Patron, our guardian angels, our
patron saints, intercede for us during this time of prayer and adoration. We
ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Consecration to St. Joseph

O dearest St. Joseph, I consecrate myself to thy honor and give myself to
thee, that thou mayest always be my father, my protector, and my guide in the
way of salvation. Obtain for me a great purity of heart and a fervent love of
the interior life. After thine example, may I do all my actions for the greater
glory of God, in union with the Divine Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate
Heart of Mary! And do thou, O Blessed St. Joseph, pray for me that I may
share in the peace and joy of thy holy death Amen.

Trintena” 30-day prayer to St. Joseph for a special intention

Ever blessed and glorious Joseph, kind and loving father, and helpful friend
of all in sorrow! You are the good father and protector of orphans, the
defender of the defenseless, the patron of those in need and sorrow. Look
kindly on my request. My sins have drawn down on me the just displeasure
of my God, and so I am surrounded with unhappiness. To you, loving
guardian of the Family of Nazareth, do I go for help and protection.
Listen, then, I beg you, with fatherly concern, to my earnest prayers, and
obtain for me the favors I ask.

I ask it by the infinite mercy of the eternal Son of God, which moved Him to
take our nature and to be born into this world of sorrow.

I ask it by the weariness and suffering you endured when you found no
shelter at the inn of Bethlehem for the holy Virgin, nor a house where the Son
of God could be born. Then, being everywhere refused, you had to allow the
Queen of Heaven to give birth to the world’s Redeemer in a cave.

I ask it by the loveliness and power of that sacred Name, Jesus, which you
conferred on the adorable infant.

I ask it by that painful torture you felt at the prophecy of holy Simeon, which
declared the Child Jesus and His holy Mother future victims of our sins and
of their great love for us.

I ask it through your sorrow and pain of soul when the angel declared to you
that the life of the Child Jesus was sought by His enemies. From their evil
plan you had to flee with Him and His Blessed Mother to Egypt. I ask it by
all the suffering, weariness, and labors of that long and dangerous journey.

I ask it by all your care to protect the Sacred Child and His Immaculate
Mother during your second journey, when you were ordered to return to your
own country. I ask it by your peaceful life in Nazareth where you met with so
many joys and sorrows.

I ask it by your great distress when the adorable Child was lost to you and
His Mother for three days. I ask it by your joy at finding Him in the Temple,
and by the comfort you found at Nazareth, while living in the company of the
Child Jesus. I ask it by the wonderful submission He showed in His
obedience to you.

I ask it by the perfect love and conformity you showed in accepting the
Divine order to depart from this life, and from the company of Jesus and
Mary. I ask it by the joy which filled your soul, when the Redeemer of the
world, triumphant over death and hell, entered into the possession of His
kingdom and led you into it with special honors.
I ask it through Mary’s glorious Assumption, and through that endless
happiness you have with her in the presence of God.

O good father! I beg you, by all your sufferings, sorrows, and joys, to hear
me and obtain for me what I ask.

(make your request)

Obtain for all those who have asked my prayers everything that is useful to
them in the plan of God. Finally, my dear patron and father, be with me and
all who are dear to me in our last moments, that we may eternally sing the
praises of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Amen. (Source: EWTN)

St. Joseph Chaplet of Seven Sorrows and Seven Joys

JOSEPH’S SEVEN SORROWS JOSEPH’S SEVEN JOYS

1. The doubt of St. Joseph 1. The message of the Angel

(Matt. 1:19) (Matt. 1:20)

2. The birth of the Savior

2. The poverty of Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:7) (Luke 2:10-11)

3. The Circumcision 3. The Holy Name of Jesus

(Luke 2:21) (Matt. 1:25)

4. The effects of the Redemption

4. The prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:34) (Luke 2:38)

5. The flight into Egypt 5. The overthrow of the idols of Egypt

(Matt. 2:14) (Is. 19:1)

6. The return from Egypt

(Matt. 2:22) 6. Life with Jesus and Mary at Nazareth (Luke 2:39)

7. The finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

7. The loss of the Child Jesus (Luke 2:45) (Luke 2:46)
PRAYERS IN HONOR OF THE SEVEN SORROWS AND JOYS OF
ST. JOSEPH
Composed by Ven. Januarius Sarnelli, C.S.S.R. (d. 1744)

First 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.
First 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 . . .

Second 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.
Second 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 . . .
Third 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.
Third 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 . . .

Fourth 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.
Fourth 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 . . .

Fifth Sorrow: The flight into Egypt. (Matt. 2:14)
So he arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and withdrew into
Egypt.
Fifth 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 . . .

Sixth 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.
Sixth 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 . . .

Seventh Sorrow: The loss of the Child Jesus. (Luke 2:45)
And not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem in search of him
Seventh 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.
*** An effective means of obtaining special graces through the intercession
of St. Joseph is to honor his seven sorrows and seven joys by the practicing
the Seven Sundays devotion. The Seven Sundays in honor of St. Joseph are
observed by receiving Holy Communion in his honor on seven consecutive
Sundays, and on each Sunday the prayers in honor of the Seven Sorrows and
the Seven Joys of St. Joseph are recited. This devotion may be practiced at
any time of the year, but especially on the seven Sundays preceding his
solemnity on March 19th.