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Daily Novena Prayer
This prayer is to be said at the end of each day's devotion

 to Saint Joseph. After the prayers, we have provided a meditation about Saint Joseph for each day.

I, thy unworthy child, greet thee. Thou art the faithful protector and intercessor of all who love and venerate thee. Thou knowest that I have special confidence in thee and that, after Our Lord and Our Lady, I place all my hope of salvation in thee, for thou art especially powerful with God and will never abandon thy faithful servants. Therefore I humbly invoke thee and commend myself, with all who are dear to me and all that belongs to me, to thy intercession.
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I beg thee, by thy love for Our Lord and Our Lady, not to abandon me during life and to assist me at the hour of my death.

 Glorious Saint Joseph, spouse of the Immaculate Virgin, obtain for me a pure, humble, charitable mind and perfect resignation to the divine Will. Be my guide, my father and my model through life that I may merit to die as Thou didst in the arms of Our Lord and Our Lady.



Loving Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, I raise my heart to thee to implore thy powerful intercession in obtaining from the Divine Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death and the special grace I now implore:

 [State your request here.] 

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, I feel confident that thy prayers on my behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. Amen.


These prayers might also be said.

Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, 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.

Litany to Saint 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 Spirit,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary,
Pray for us.
St. Joseph,
Pray for us.
Renowned offspring 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.
Diligent protector 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 strong,
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 artisans,
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 wretched,
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, You who take away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, You who take away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, You who take 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.


A Meditation about Saint Joseph for Each Day of the Novena

Day One
Quamquam Pluries
By Pope Leo XIII

The special motives for which St. Joseph has been proclaimed Patron of the Church, and from which the Church looks for singular benefit from his patronage and protection, are that Joseph was the spouse of Mary and that he was reputed the Father of Jesus Christ. From these sources have sprung his dignity, his holiness, his glory. In truth, the dignity of the Mother of God is so lofty that naught created can rank above it. But as Joseph has been united to the Blessed Virgin by the ties of marriage, it may not be doubted that he approached nearer than any to the eminent dignity by which the Mother of God surpasses so nobly all created natures. For marriage is the most intimate of all unions which from its essence imparts a community of gifts between those that by it are joined together.

Thus in giving Joseph the Blessed Virgin as spouse, God appointed him to be not only her life's companion, the witness of her maidenhood, the protector of her honor, but also, by virtue of the conjugal tie, a participator in her sublime dignity. And Joseph shines among all mankind by the most august dignity, since by divine will, he was the guardian of the Son of God and reputed as His father among men. Hence it came about that the Word of God was humbly subject to Joseph, that He obeyed him, and that He rendered to him all those offices that children are bound to render to their parents.

From this twofold dignity flowed the obligation which nature lays upon the head of families, so that Joseph became the guardian, the administrator, and the legal defender of the divine house whose chief he was. And during the whole course of his life he fulfilled those charges and those duties. He set himself to protect with a mighty love and a daily solicitude his spouse and the Divine Infant; regularly by his work he earned what was necessary for the one and the other for nourishment and clothing; he guarded from death the Child threatened by a monarch's jealousy, and found for Him a refuge; in the miseries of the journey and in the bitterness of exile he was ever the companion, the assistance and the upholder of the Virgin and of Jesus.

Now the divine house which Joseph ruled with the authority of a father, contained within its limits the scarce-born Church. From the same fact that the most holy Virgin is the mother of Jesus Christ is she the mother of all Christians whom she bore on Mount Calvary amid the supreme throes of the Redemption; Jesus Christ is, in a manner, the first-born of Christians, who by the adoption and Redemption are his brothers. And for such reasons the Blessed Patriarch looks upon the multitude of Christians who make up the Church as confided specially to his trust - this limitless family spread over the earth, over which, because he is the spouse of Mary and the Father of Jesus Christ he holds, as it were, a paternal authority. It is, then, natural and worthy that as the Blessed Joseph ministered to all the needs of the family at Nazareth and girt it about with his protection, he should now cover with the cloak of his heavenly patronage and defend the Church of Jesus Christ.



Day Two
Saint Joseph: Marytr of Grandeur
By Plinio Correa de Oliveira

To even begin to comprehend the nature of Saint Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, we must bear in mind two awe-inspiring facts. St. Joseph is the virgin-husband of Our Lady and the guardian-father of Our Lord.

The husband must be proportional to the wife. Saint Joseph's spouse is the Blessed Virgin Mary, the most perfect of all creatures and masterpiece of the Creator's handiwork. In her incomparable person, we find the sum of all the virtues of all the angels, and saints, indeed all creation until the end of time. Even these poor considerations, of course, fail to convey adequately the sublime perfection of the Most Holy Mother of God.

From among all men, God chose one man worthy to love and honor the Mother of His Only-Begotten Son as her husband He was a husband proportional to his wife in love of God, purity, wisdom, justice-in every virtue. Saint Joseph was that man. However there remains something even more incomprehensible. The father must be proportional to his son, and, as we have noted, the Son for Whom God sought an earthly father was none other than His Own. There could be but one man fit for such an awesome responsibility, the man God created for precisely this vocation and whose soul He crowned with every virtue. That man, too, was Saint Joseph.

Saint Joseph is proportional to the Blessed Mother and her Divine Son. What greater homage could we render him? It is beyond our power to imagine the grandeur of Saint Joseph's exaltation. Words cannot express the depth of his penetration of the most holy soul of Our Lady and the degree of his intimacy with the Incarnate Word.

Saint Anthony of Padua is commonly depicted holding the Child Jesus. Because the Divine Child rested in his arms for a few moments, we deem Saint Anthony particularly blessed. Yet how many times did Saint Joseph hold the Christ Child in his arms?

Saint Joseph's were the pure lips that taught Jesus and answered His questions. Consider Saint Joseph's carpenter shop in Nazareth, where a son learns the trade of his father. If you can conceive of a man with the purity, humility, and wisdom to govern the Holy Family as its lord, you may begin to appreciate the sublime virtue of Saint Joseph. But how did Saint Joseph's contemporaries react in the face of this grandeur? Saint Luke provides clear testimony. "And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2:7)

These last words reveal a bitter truth. In their petty selfishness, men find it difficult to accept that which is great - much less that which is divine. We may think that men like to deal with important matters. Indeed some men do enjoy such things, but in a superficial and selfish manner. What attracts men is not so much grandeur as mediocrity, a mixture of good and evil in which evil predominates. So we can understand why the innkeepers of Bethlehem were unwilling to make room for the Holy Family. Saint Joseph and Mary showed them the most tender kindness. Their majesty was unmistakable, even in their poverty.

However distinction is only acceptable when it is accompanied by wealth, for the latter pardons the former. Moreover, greed incites flattery, which takes the place of respect. Thus, when a poor man of great distinction knocks at the door, there is no room. It would have taken but five minutes to arrange ample accommodation for mediocre rich men, but there was no room in the inn for Saint Joseph or for his wife with Child. Even had they known that the Child was the promised Messiah, they still would not have received them. As Donoso Cortes aptly reminds us, "The human spirit hungers for absurdity and sin."

The Child Jesus resembled Our Lady. She was the prefigure of the Redeemer. Saint Joseph also looked like Him, but there was no room in the inn for the Holy Family. Thus history records the first refusal of the Hebrew people. Our Lord knocks at the doors - at the hearts of men, through the paternal intercession of Saint Joseph and He is refused.

Saint Joseph, prince of the House of David, the royal family from which would come the Hope of the Nations - knocks at the door and is rejected, but in this rejection lies his glory. Taking another step toward martyrdom, he leads his august spouse to a poor stable, where the Lord of the Universe will be born.

To this glory would be added many others: the glory of being considered a person of little worth; the glory of taking upon himself the humiliation, ignominy and opprobrium that was to fall upon Our Lord; or the glory of being scorned by men for the grandeur of his soul. Even to this day, that same glory leads us to implore, "Saint Joseph, Martyr of Grandeur, Pray for us!"



Day Three
Prayer to Saint Joseph the Workman
By Pope St. Pius X

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 death always 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 watchword in life and in death. Amen.







Day Four
How Strongly do you Confide in Saint Joseph?
By Saint Teresa of Avila

“Would that I could persuade all men to be devoted to this glorious Saint, for I know by long experience what blessings he can obtain for us from God. I have never known anyone who was truly devoted to him and honored him by particular services who did not advance greatly in virtue: for he helps in a special way those souls who commend themselves to him.

It is now very many years since I began asking him for something on his feast, and I have always received it. If the petition was in any way amiss, he rectified it for my greater good. I ask for the love of God that he who does not believe me will make the trial for himself—then he will find out by experience the great good that results from commending oneself to this glorious Patriarch and in being devoted to him” Saint Joseph, Pray for us!








Day Five
Selfless love for hierarchy
By Plinio Correa de Oliveira, Nov. 2 1992

Let us see the example of St. Joseph, Our Lady and Our Lord Jesus Christ to understand hierarchy in its purest, most clear and most perfect expression. A practice of this virtue that was devoid of all egoism and pretension; one that is a pure love of God. It begets the love for every sort of hierarchy without the preoccupation of being great, doing much or having a lot of power. It is the love of hierarchy for God's sake.

Souls who have the true sense of hierarchy selflessly love their superiors. For them, the word majesty has meaning. It is the mystery and special light that makes kings and emperors venerable and respectable, even when due to personal defects, they do not deserve the homage they receive for being who they are.

If a king or emperor corresponds in someway to being what he was called to be, this correspondence however small, is like the scent from a most extraordinary flower. A single drop of scent from this august flower produces an effect upon the upright man similar to that produced by greater holiness upon lesser holiness. This is an analogy of what took place among the three unspeakably sublime persons of the Holy Family - one of them God.

These are reflections about the lofty admiration and enthusiasm that true hierarchies should spark in souls that are upright and authentically Catholic. Like the perfect hierarchy that existed in the Holy Family in an archetypal manner.



Day Six
Saint Joseph: Participant in the Greatest Events in History
By Plinio Correa de Oliveira

The great Saint Joseph was of illustrious ancestry, yet lived in obscurity among those of the lowest social class of his time; a marked contrast with his high birth. He has little of the natural means by which men become great. He has neither armies nor subjects to spread about the glory of his name.

He had not the funds to climb to high position. He lived humbly and unknown in the shadow of the majestic temple of David, in the land where Solomon’s wisdom once reigned. Nevertheless, he shines with the fire of charity. His intense love of God, his admirable spirituality and interior life, make his soul pleasing to the Most Holy Trinity. It is this humble man who is called to participate directly in events that caused the most remarkable facts in history, such as the Redemption of mankind.








Day Seven
Excerpt from a sermon on Saint Joseph
By Saint Bernardine of Siena

It is beyond doubt that Christ did not deny to Joseph in heaven that intimacy, respect and high honor which he showed to him as to a father during his own human life, but rather completed and perfected it. Justifiably the words of Our Lord should be applied to him, "Enter into the joy of your Lord." Although it is the joy of eternal happiness that comes into the heart of man, Our Lord prefers to say to him "enter into joy".

The mystical implication is that this joy is not just inside man, but surrounds him everywhere and absorbs him, as if he were plunged in an infinite abyss. Therefore be mindful of us, blessed Joseph and intercede for us with Him Whom men thought to be your Son. Win for us the favor of the most Blessed Virgin your spouse, the Mother of Him Who lives and reigns with the Holy Spirit through ages unending. Amen.







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Day Eight
The Virtues of Saint Joseph
By Saint Francis de Sales

"All virtues and perfections were then reflected absolutely in Saint Joseph, so that it almost seemed as if he were as perfect and possessed all virtues in as high a degree as the glorious Virgin, our Mistress." Conf XIX, On the Virtues of Saint Joseph, p. 368.
"Certainly Saint Joseph is most justly said to resemble the palm (tree), always constant, persevering, strong and valiant. There is a great difference between these four virtues.

We call a man constant when he remains firm and prepared to suffer the assaults of the enemy, without surprise or loss of courage during the combat. Perseverance, however, has chiefly to do with a certain weariness of mind which comes upon us when we have suffered a long time, and this weariness is as powerful an enemy as we can meet with. Now, perseverance enables a man to disregard this enemy that he gains the victory over it by continual calmness and submission to the will of God.

Strength makes a man vigorously resist the attacks of his enemies, and valor is a virtue which makes us not only hold ourselves in readiness to fight or to offer resistance when the occasion presents itself, but also to attack the enemy at the moment when he least expects it." Conf XIX, On the Virtues of St. Joseph, p. 378.


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Day Nine
Saint Joseph's Constancy

By Saint Francis de Sales

"Now, our glorious Saint Joseph was endowed with all the virtues of constancy, perseverance, strength and valor, and practiced them marvelously well. As regards his constancy, did he not display it wonderfully when seeing Our Lady with child and not knowing how that could be, his mind was tossed with distress, perplexity, and trouble? Yet, in spite of all, he never complained, he was never harsh or ungracious towards his holy Spouse, but remained just as gentle and respectful in his demeanor as he had ever been.

But what valor and strength did he not display in the victory which he gained over the two greatest enemies of man, the devil and the world, and by the practice of a most perfect humility, as we have said, throughout the whole course of his life? The devil, who for want of humility, and because he would not accept if for his inseparable companion, was driven out of heaven and cast down into hell, is so great an enemy to the lowly virtue, that there is no sacrifice or invention he will not use to make men fall away from it - so much the more because it is a virtue which renders them infinitely pleasing to God. We may therefore well say, "Valiant and strong in humility; he will be conqueror at once of the devil and of the world, which is full of ambition, vanity and pride." Conf XIX, On the Virtues of St. Joseph, p. 379.

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30 Days Prayer to St Joseph

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 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.

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https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum ... ph-cenacle

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http://www.prayerbook.com/Devotions/Joseph/stjoseph.htm

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Prayers to Saint Joseph 2013
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We invite you to join us every Saturday in prayer to Saint Joseph
May this great and holy Saint intercede on behalf of all families on earth.






To Saint Joseph for Protection

Gracious Saint Joseph, protect me and my family from all evil as you did the Holy Family.

Kindly keep us ever united in the love of Christ, ever fervent in imitation of the virtue of our Blessed Lady,

your sinless spouse, and always faithful in devotion to you. Amen.

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Prayer to St. Joseph

Be mindful of us, O blessed Joseph,
and intercede for us with thy foster-Son by the pleading of thy prayer:
do thou, in like manner, render the blessed Virgin Mary thy Spouse, gracious onto us,
for she is the Mother of Him, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost
liveth and reigneth world without end. Amen

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Consecration to the Holy Family

Jesus, our most loving Redeemer, who having come to enlighten the world with Thy teaching and example, didst will to pass the greater part of Thy life in humility and subjection to Mary and Joseph in the poor home in Nazareth, thus sanctifying the Family that was to be an example for all Christian families, graciously receive our family as it dedicates and consecrates itself to Thee this day. Do Thou protect, guard us and establish amongst us Thy holy fear, true peace and concord in Christian love: in order that by living according to the Divine pattern of Thy family we may be able, all of us without exception, to attain to eternal happiness

Mary, dear Mother of Jesus and Mother of us, by the kindly intercession make this our humble offering acceptable in the sight of Jesus, and obtain for us His graces and Blessings

O St. Joseph, most holy Guardian of Jesus and Mary, help us by thy prayers in all our spiritual and temporal needs; so that we may be enabled to praise our Divine Saviour Jesus, together with Mary and thee, for all eternity Amen

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Novena to Saint Joseph

This prayer was found in the 50th year of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In 1505, it was sent by the Pope to Emperor Charles when he was going into battle. It is said that whoever shall read this prayer or take it with them, shall never die a sudden death or be drowned, nor shall poison take effect on them; neither shall they fall into the hands of the enemy, or shall be burned in any fire or shall be empowered in battle

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, 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 engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers

O Saint Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me, and ask Him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath Amen

O Saint Joseph, hear my prayers and obtain my petitions

O Saint Joseph, pray for me. (Mention your intention)

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Please pass this on to your friends.

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Prayer to St. Joseph (to be said after the Rosary)
by Pope Leo XIII

We come to thee, O blessed Joseph, in our sore distress. Having sought the aid of thy most blessed Spouse, we now confidently implore thy assistance also. We humbly beg that, mindful of the dutiful affection which bound thee to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, and of the fatherly love with which thou didst cherish the Child Jesus, thou wilt loving watch over the heritage which Jesus Christ purchased with His Blood, and by thy powerful intercession help us in our urgent need. Most powerful guardian of the Holy Family, protect the chosen race of Jesus Christ; drive far from us, most loving father, every pest of error and corrupting sin. From thy place in heaven, most powerful protector, graciously come to our aid in this conflict with the power of darkness, and as of old thou didst deliver the Child Jesus from supreme peril of life, so now defend the holy Church of God from the snares of Her enemies and from all adversity. Have each of us always in thy keeping, that, following thy example, and borne up by thy strength, we may be able to live holily, die happily, and so enter the everlasting bliss of heaven. Amen.

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October 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.

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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.

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"Hail Joseph, Son of David, Thou Whose Holiness surpasses that of all Holy Angels and Saints, Blessed art Thou amongst men, Thou Who wast Chosen to be The Spouse of The Blessed Virgin Mary, of Whom was born JESUS. Glorious Saint Joseph, now Reigning, Body and Soul in Heaven, Pray for us poor sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

(With + Imprimatur. Dublin Prayer Book 1800's) Saint Joseph can obtain 'the impossible' ! Try it and see!.

[V madone]

Hope this prayer can help me to search for a good job. Amen.

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Prayer to St. Joseph

Joseph

Be mindful of us, O blessed Joseph,
and intercede for us with thy foster-Son by the pleading of thy prayer:
do thou, in like manner, render the blessed Virgin Mary thy Spouse, gracious onto us,
for she is the Mother of Him, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost
liveth and reigneth world without end.
Amen.

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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."
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Saint Joseph with his foster sonNine days of prayer with Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph was the husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus.

Betrothed to Mary, Joseph decided to divorce her quietly when he found she was with child, but an angel of the Lord told him to take her as his wife, since the child was the "Holy One" of God.

Joseph was present at Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, and warned by an angel in a dream, he fled with the infant and his mother lest Herod kill the child.

They settled at Nazareth, a small town of Galilee. There Joseph, a carpenter, helped to raise the child, sharing the many hours of his trade with his young son. During those uneventful years, the people of Nazareth saw Jesus simply as "the son of Joseph, the carpenter."

As a person of faith, "a just man," Joseph followed God's call in the mysterious circumstances surrounding the coming of Jesus. And God entrusted this gentle humble man with the unique privilege of raising his only son as a growing child.

Over the centuries Christians have honored Joseph and sought his protection.

The novena, a nine day prayer, is a way of praying with perseverance. It is modeled after the nine day period the apostles prayed before Pentecost. Recite the first two prayers for the nine days. Then offer the special prayer for each day.

Learn about Saint Joseph

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In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Come to my aid, O God.
O Lord, make haste to help me.

Almighty God, Father of mercies
and giver of all good gifts,
I come before you to honor you
in your saints and ask their help
in my many needs.

You promised those who ask, would receive;
those who seek, would find;
those who knock,
would have the doors opened to them.

Hear the prayers of your church,
grant my requests,
and pardon my sins.
Amen.

Saint Joseph, just and true,
with a father's care
you raised the Child Jesus,
and with a husband's love
you shared your life with Mary, his mother.

I entrust myself to your care
and place in your hands
this request of mine...

(Bring your requests to God)

In quiet Nazareth long ago,
the Holy Spirit spoke to your heart
and you followed God's will
with wonderful faith.

In the quiet of my days,
and in the hard choices I must make,
help me follow the Spirit's guidance
and believe when I cannot see.

(Offer the prayer for the day)

Day 1
O God,
guide of those who listen
and helper of those who hear your voice,
speak to me, as you did to Saint Joseph,
and help me accomplish the things you give me to do.



Day 2
O God,
you love your people
and bless the ordinary lives we quietly live.
As you blessed Saint Joseph,
bless what I do, however hidden and simple it may be,
and let all I do be done with love.

Day 3
O God,
ever faithful,
you remember us always,
and in time reveal your blessings.
Help me trust in you,
as Saint Joseph faithfully trusted,
and never let me lose faith
in the wonderful gifts
you promise me.

Day 4
God of families,
bless the family that's mine.
Keep us safe from harm,
and never let evil come between us.
Let peace remain in our hearts.

Day 5
O God,
who loves children,
be kind to our children today.
Give them the eyes of faith for seeing far,
a loving heart for welcoming life,
and a place always at your side.

Day 6
God of our heavenly home,
bless our home on earth.
Let the spirit of Mary and Joseph
rest at our table, shape our words and actions,
and bring blessing to our children.

Day 7
God, our Father,
give your fatherly spirit
to those who are fathers now.
Like Joseph, give them hearts of devoted love
for their wives and children
and strength for forgiveness
and patience.

Day 8
Give shelter, O God,
to those who need it,
and bring together families divided.
Give us enough to eat,
and decent work to earn our bread.
Care for us, O God.

Day 9
Bless all families, O Lord,
especially those in need.
Remembering the life of your Son,
we pray for the poor,
for those you lack a good home,
for those in exile.
Grant them a protector like Joseph,
O God.

Each day conclude the novena with one Our Father, one Hail Mary and one Glory Be.

[athenacp]

http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/ ... Joseph.htm

[athenacp]

"Hail Joseph son of David, Thou whose Holiness surpasses that of all Angels and Saints, Blessed art Thou amongst men. Thou ...Who wast Chosen to be the Spouse of The Blessed Virgin Mary of Whom was born Jesus, Glorious Saint Joseph, now Reigning Body and Soul in Heaven, Protector of The Universal Church, pray for us poor sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen." (Imprimatur. Dublin Prayer Book 1800's)

[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]

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]

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 19, 2014


Feast of St. Joseph,

Husband of Mary

"Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt. Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt."

Matthew 2:13- 14

For Reflection:
St. Joseph responded to the word of God immediately. How quickly do I respond to God's word and the promptings of the Holy Spirit? St. Joseph's obedience to God saved his family from calamity. Can I remember a time when my obedience to God saved me from some disaster or unfortunate situation? To what extent will this help me to promptly obey God today and in the future?

__._,_.___

[athenacp]

St. Joseph

Holy God, you chose Saint Joseph to care for Mary and Jesus because his holiness and love for You was great, his compassion for others was outstanding, and his desire to protect and provide for his family was honorable. I ask Saint Joseph to intercede for all the men in my family. May they become fully the husbands and fathers You have called them to be in family leadership. Help them to rely on the Holy Spirit for strength and wisdom and guidance, just like Saint Joseph did. Teach them the glory of serving one's family with humility, and protect them from the influences of the world. Saint Joseph, pray for us. Amen.

__._,_.___

[athenacp]

Consecration Prayer
Act of Consecration to St. Joseph

O dearest Holy 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 Joseph, pray for me that I may share in the peace and joy of thy holy death. Amen.

Consecration Prayer
Act of Consecration to St. Joseph

O blessed Joseph, foster father of my Savior and chaste spouse of the mother of God, this day I irrevocably adopt thee for my intercessor with the Almighty as well as my model, my protector and my father in this valley of exile. O Holy Joseph, whom the Lord constituted guardian of His Family, I beseech thee to extender thy tender solicitude over all my interests. Kindle in my heart a vehement love for Jesus and enable me to serve Him with all thy devotedness and fidelity. Aid my inability to venerate Mary as my advocate, to honor her as my Queen and to love her as my Mother. Be my never-failing guide in the way of virtue and piety, and grant that, after having faithfully followed thee in the path of justice, I may receive thy powerful protection at the hour of my death. Amen.

[athenacp]

Daily Prayer to St Joseph



"O glorious St Joseph, never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, O foster father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, I come before you and bring to you myself, my loved ones, family and friends. I ask you to obtain for us all the grace of a Happy Death. I request that you appear with each one of us before the Judgment Seat of your foster Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, to obtain for each one of us mercy and compassion from Him on account of His love for you. I ask you to take us all under your powerful protection and to look after our temporal and spiritual welfare and I especially recommend to you the following (here make your petition).

Our Father.

Hail Mary

Glory Be

St Joseph, Pray for Us - St Joseph, Pray for Us - St Joseph, Pray for Us

St Joseph, Model and Patron of those who love the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pray for Us

St. Joseph, Foster Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ and True Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for the dying of this day and this night."

[V madone]

Is it a good prayer to mend the painful heart?

[athenacp]

I think so, St Joseph is very powerful, after all he looked after Our Lord and Our Lady and a lot of saints had a devotion to him, St Theresa for one, read here about the Holy CLoak novena:

http://www.catholictradition.org/Joseph/joseph28.htm

[athenacp]

This Prayer to St. Joseph is over 1900 years old, from the "Pieta Prayer Booklet".

O St. Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the Throne of God,
I place in you all my interest and desires. O St. 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 engaged here below
your Heavenly power I may offer my Thanksgiving and Homage
to the Loving of Fathers.
O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep
in your arms. I dare not approach while He reposes
near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss
His fine Head for me, and ask Him to return
the Kiss when I draw my dying breath.
St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls, pray for us. Amen.

Say for nine consecutive mornings for anything you may desire.
It has seldom been known to fail.