Dedication of the Month
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NOVENA TO
ST. JOSEPH
O glorious St. 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!
Prayer to St. Joseph
by Pope Pius X
Also know as "Prayer to Saint Joseph for the Spirit of Work"
Pope Pius X composed this prayer to St. Joseph, patron of working people, that expresses concisely the Christian attitude toward labor. It summarizes also for us the lessons of the Holy Family's work at Nazareth.
Glorious St. Joseph, model of all who devote their lives to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in the spirit of penance in order thereby to atone for my many sins; to work conscientiously, setting devotion to duty in preference to my own whims; to work with thankfulness and joy, deeming it an honor to employ and to develop by my labor the gifts I have received from God; to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience, without ever shrinking from weariness and difficulties; to work above all with a pure intention and with detachment from self, having always before my eyes the hour of death and the accounting which I must then render of time ill spent, of talents wasted, of good omitted, and of vain complacency in success, which is so fatal to the work of God. All for Jesus, all through Mary, all in imitation of you, O Patriarch Joseph! This shall be my motto in life and in death, Amen.Prayer to St. Joseph
by Pope Pius X
Also know as "Prayer to Saint Joseph for the Spirit of Work"
Pope Pius X composed this prayer to St. Joseph, patron of working people, that expresses concisely the Christian attitude toward labor. It summarizes also for us the lessons of the Holy Family's work at Nazareth.
Glorious St. Joseph, model of all who devote their lives to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in the spirit of penance in order thereby to atone for my many sins; to work conscientiously, setting devotion to duty in preference to my own whims; to work with thankfulness and joy, deeming it an honor to employ and to develop by my labor the gifts I have received from God; to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience, without ever shrinking from weariness and difficulties; to work above all with a pure intention and with detachment from self, having always before my eyes the hour of death and the accounting which I must then render of time ill spent, of talents wasted, of good omitted, and of vain complacency in success, which is so fatal to the work of God. All for Jesus, all through Mary, all in imitation of you, O Patriarch Joseph! This shall be my motto in life and in death, Amen.
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March The Feast of St. Joseph
The Feast of the St. Joseph is celebrated on March 19th.
Matthew 1: 18-23 The birth of Jesus. Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, he was a righteous man yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,* because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.
In the Collect of the Mass of St. Joseph’s feast day, we hear:
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that by St. Joseph’s intercession your Church may constantly watch over the unfolding of the mysteries of human salvation, whose beginnings you entrusted to his faithful care. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
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St. Joseph, while he never spoke a word in scripture, is one of the most beloved saints of Christianity. His silent example of obedient faithfulness is one that spoke much louder than any words.
The spouse of Mary the mother of Jesus and the foster father of Jesus, St. Joseph is a model of humility and obedience to God’s will. He followed God’s instructions, given by angels in dreams, and took Mary with child into his home as his wife, protected her and Jesus at the child’s birth in Bethlehem through the family’s stay in Egypt, and provided for them as a carpenter in Nazareth. St. Joseph’s role as protector and guardian of the Holy Family makes him a model and example of what it means to be a Christian husband and father.
St. Joseph is known as the Patron of a Happy Death, Patron of Families and Patron of Workers.
Patron of a Happy Death St. Joseph is special patron of a happy death and of the dying. The reason why Joseph is chosen by the Church for this role is because he passed from this life with Jesus and Mary by his side. Though Jesus is the Savior of the world, He and his family tasted the pain of separation; death is not a friend but an “enemy to be destroyed” (1 Corinthians 15:26).
We too hope and pray that after our earthly lives are complete, we die “in the arms” of Mary and Jesus – with our souls in the state of grace and having faithfully served the Lord over the course of our earthly lives so that we may be welcomed into the heavenly kingdom.
Patron of Families
As head of the Holy Family, St. Joseph received from God the wisdom, light, prudence and all other virtues he so greatly needed to lead and protect his family. We, being members of Jesus Christ, share in the blessing of having such a father as our own. We also share in the dependence and filial respect, honor and love which Our Lord had for his father on earth, foster-father. Protector of Holy Mother Church
Patron of Workers
Since St. Joseph the carpenter supported his family by constant labor, he also is the model of those who must work - nearly the entire population of the world! The beautiful prayer of Pope St. Pius X in honor of and invoking St. Joseph's patronage as a laborer, reveals the many virtues of work worthy and pleasing before God.
There are many different devotions to St. Joseph, expressing a deep filial love for the foster-father of Jesus. Among them was the powerful Seven Sundays Devotion. This includes the Litany of St. Joseph,
(clink on the link in the upper right hand corner that reads
"Seven Sunday Devotion".
This page also contains the Memorare of St. Joseph, The Consecration to St. Joseph, & the Nine First Wednesdays)
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Special Novena to the Cloak of St. Joseph
Click on picture to say the Novena
Memorare of St. Joseph
Remember, O most chaste spouse of the Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who implored your help and sought your intercession were left unassisted.
Full of confidence in your power I fly unto you and beg your protection.
Despise not O Guardian of the Redeemer my humble supplication, but in your bounty, hear and answer me. Amen.
Act of Consecration to St. Joseph
O dearest St. Joseph, I consecrate myself to your honor and give myself to you, that you may always be my father, my protector and my guide in the way of salvation.
Obtain for me a greater purity of heart and fervent love of the interior life.
After your 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.
O Blessed St. Joseph, pray for me, that I may share in the peace and joy of your holy death. Amen.
Our Heavenly Father desires all three hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph to be honored.
And so along with devotion to Jesus on First Fridays, and to Mary on First Saturdays, Our Father longs for us to add devotion to St. Joseph on each First Wednesday of the month.
“The Sacred Hearts of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph have been chosen by the Most Holy Trinity to bring peace to the world.” It is at God’s request that “special love and honor be given to them” to help us “imitate” their love and their lives, as well as “offer reparation” for the sins committed against them and their love.
The St. Joseph First Wednesday devotion is:
1. Pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary – remembering St. Joseph’s love, his life, his role and his sufferings
2. Receive Holy Communion – in union with the love St. Joseph had for Jesus the first time and each time he held him – his son, his God and Savior – in his arms.
Link to more prayers to St. Joseph
https://catholictradition.org/Joseph/joseph-txt.htm