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Saint Joseph



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 propitious to us and from heaven assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness; and, 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 holily, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven. Amen.


LITANY OF ST JOSEPH

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

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 (after each line)

Saint Joseph,

Renowned offspring of David,

Light of Patriarchs,

Spouse of the Mother of God,

Chaste guardian of the Virgin,

Foster-father of the Son of God,

Diligent protector of Christ,

Head of the Holy Family,

Joseph most just,

Joseph most chaste,

Joseph most prudent,

Joseph most strong,

Joseph most obedient,

Joseph most faithful,

Mirror of patience,

Lover of poverty,

Model of artisans,

Glory of home life,

Guardian of virgins,

Pillar of families,

Solace of the wretched,

Hope of the sick,

Patron of the dying,

Terror of demons,

Protector of Holy Church,

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,

Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,

Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,

Have mercy on us.

  1. He made him the lord of His house:
  2. And ruler of all His substance.

Let us pray

O God, who in Thine unspeakable providence didst vouchsafe to choose blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Thine own most holy Mother: grant, we beseech Thee, that we may deserve to have him for our intercessor in heaven, whom we reverence as our defender on earth: who lives and reigns world without end. Amen.

 




THIRTY DAY PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH IN HONOR OF THE 30 YEARS HE SPENT WITH JESUS AND MARY

 



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 defenceless, t

he 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 favours 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 the 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 labours 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 honours.

 



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.

 



(Here name your petitions or think of them.)

 



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.

 



“A blameless life, St. Joseph, may we lead, by your kind patronage from danger freed.”

 



St Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, PRAY FOR US!

 




HOLY CLOAK OF ST JOSEPH NOVENA


CALLING ON ST JOSEPH’S SPECIAL PATRONAGE

 



To be prayed over 30 days in honour of 30 days St Joseph spent on earth together with Jesus and Mary. Incredible devotion to be ended with consecration on St Joseph’s feast day – 19th March, however it can also be prayed at any point during the year.


As this is a special calling for patronage it is recommended to make additional offering, for example daily prayer of Angelus over these 30 days at 6pm, or daily prayer over Souls in Purgatory.

 


This devotion must be prayed every day over these 30 days, however if any day is missed, should be prayed additionally on the last day of devotion. For example, if 2 days were missed in total, then on the final day, the devotion should be prayed three times.

 


This devotion is also a fundamental preparation to Consecration to St Joseph, where St Joseph is accepted and acknowledged as spiritual father to whom all respect and obedience is required. In return in trust he will lead the soul to God through Mary and Jesus Christ.

 



Section I: Prayers



Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give Thee my heart and my soul.

 


3x Glory Be…

 



OFFERING I:



O Glorious Patriarch St. Joseph, I humbly prostrate myself before Thee. I beg the Lord Jesus, thine Immaculate Spouse, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and all the Angels and Saints in the Heavenly Court, to join me in this devotion. I offer thee this precious cloak, while pledging my sincerest faith and devotion. I promise to do all in my power to honour thee throughout my lifetime to prove my love for thee.

 



Help me, St. Joseph. Assist me now and throughout my lifetime, but especially at the moment of my death, as thou wert assisted by Jesus and Mary, that I may join thee one day in Heaven and there honour thee for all eternity. Amen.



OFFERING II:



O Glorious Patriarch St. Joseph, prostrate, before thee and thy Divine Son, Jesus, I offer thee, with heartfelt devotion, this precious treasury of prayers, being ever mindful of the numerous virtues which adorned thy sacred person. In thee, O Glorious Patriarch, was fulfilled the dream of thy precursor the first Joseph, who indeed seemed to have been sent by God to prepare the way for thy presence on this earth. In fact, not only wert thou surrounded by the shining splendour of the rays of the Divine Sun, Jesus, but thou wert splendidly reflected in the brilliant light of the mystic moon, the Blessed Virgin Mary. O Glorious Patriarch, if the example of the ancient Jacob, who personally went to congratulate his favourite son, who was exalted on the throne of Egypt, served to bring all his progeny there, should not the example of Jesus and Mary, who honoured thee with their greatest respect and trust, serve to bring me, thy devoted servant, to present thee with this precious cloak in thy honour.

 



Grant, O Great St. Joseph, that the Almighty God may turn a benevolent glance toward me. As the ancient Joseph did not reject his guilty and cruel brothers, but rather accepted them with love and protected and saved them from hunger and death, I beseech thee, O Glorious Patriarch, through thine intercession, grant that the Lord may never abandon me in this exiled valley of sorrows. Grant that He may always number me as one of thy devoted servants who dost live serenely under the patronage of thy Holy Cloak. Grant that I may live always within the protection of this patronage, every day of my life and particularly at that moment when I draw my dying breath. Amen.

 



PRAYER I:



Hail O Glorious St. Joseph, thou who art entrusted with the priceless treasures of heaven and earth and foster-father of Him Who doth nourish all the creatures of the universe. Thou art, after Mary, the Saint most worthy of our love and devotion. Thou alone, above all the Saints, wert chosen for that supreme honour of rearing, guiding, nourishing and even embracing the Messiah, Whom so many kings and prophets would have so desired to behold.

 



St. Joseph, save my soul and obtain for me from the Divine Mercy of God that petition for which I humbly pray.

 



And for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, grant a great comfort from their pain. Amen.

 


3x Glory Be



PRAYER II:



O powerful St. Joseph, thou wert proclaimed the Patron of the Universal Church, therefore, I invoke thee, above all the other Saints, as the greatest protector of the afflicted, and I offer countless blessings to thy most generous heart, always ready to help in any need.

 



To thee, O Glorious St. Joseph, come the widows, the orphans, the abandoned, the afflicted, the oppressed. There is no sorrow, heartache, or anguish which thou hast not consoled. Deign, I beseech thee, to use on my behalf those gifts which God hast given thee, until I too shall be granted the answer to my petition. And thou, Holy Souls in Purgatory, pray to St. Joseph for me. Amen.

 


3x Glory Be

 



PRAYER III:



Countless are those who have prayed to thee before me and have received comfort and peace, graces and favours. My heart, so sad and sorrowful, cannot find rest in the midst of this trial which besets me. O Glorious St. Joseph, thou knowest all my needs even before I set them forth in prayer. Thou knowest how important this petition is for me. I prostrate myself before thee as I sigh under the heavy weight of the problem which confronts me.

 



There is no human heart in which I can confide my sorrow; and even if I should find a compassionate creature who would be willing to assist me, still he would be unable to help me. Only thou can help me in my sorrow, St. Joseph, and I beg thee to hear my plea.

 



Has not St. Teresa left it written in her dialogues that the world may always know “Whatever you ask of St. Joseph, you shall receive.”

 



O St. Joseph, comforter of the afflicted, have pity on my sorrow and pity on those Poor Souls who place so much hope in their prayers to thee. Amen.

 


3x Glory Be

 



PRAYER IV:



O Sublime Patriarch St. Joseph, because of thy perfect obedience to God, thou mayest intercede for me.

 



For thy holy life full of grace and merit, hear my prayer.


For thy most sweet name, help me.


For thy most holy tears, comfort me.


For thy seven sorrows, intercede for me.


For thy seven joys, console me.


From all harm of body and soul, deliver me.


From all danger and disaster, save me.

 



Assist me with thy powerful intercession and seek for me, through thy power and mercy, all that is necessary for my salvation and particularly the favour of which I now stand in such great need. Amen.

 


3x Glory Be

 



PRAYER V:



O Glorious St. Joseph, countless are the graces and favours which thou hast obtained for afflicted souls. Illness of every nature, those who are oppressed, persecuted, betrayed, bereft of all human comfort, even those in need of their life bread — all who imploreth thy powerful intercession are comforted in their affliction.

 



Do not permit, O dearest St. Joseph, that I alone be the only one of all who hast appealed to thee, to be denied this petition which I so earnestly beg of thee. Show thy kindness and generosity even to me, that I may cry out in thanksgiving, “Eternal glory to our Holy Patriarch St. Joseph, my great protector on earth and the defender of the Holy Souls in Purgatory.” Amen.

 


3x Glory Be

 



PRAYER VI:



Eternal Father, Who art in Heaven, through the merits of Jesus and Mary, I beg Thee to grant my petition. In the name of Jesus and Mary I prostrate myself before Thy Divine presence and I beseech Thee to accept my hopeful plea to persevere in my prayers that I may be numbered among the throngs of those who live under the patronage of St. Joseph.

 



Extend Thy blessing on this precious treasury of prayers which I today offer to him as a pledge of my devotion. Amen.

 


3x Glory Be

 



Section II



Supplications in honour of St. Joseph’s hidden life with Jesus and Mary

 



St. Joseph, pray that Jesus may come into my soul and sanctify me.


St. Joseph, pray that Jesus may come into my heart and inspire it with charity.


St. Joseph, pray that Jesus may come into my mind and enlighten it.


St. Joseph, pray that Jesus may guide my will and strengthen it.


St. Joseph, pray that Jesus may direct my thoughts and purify them.


St. Joseph, pray that Jesus may guide my desires and direct them.


St. Joseph, pray that Jesus may look upon my deeds and extend His blessings.


St. Joseph, pray that Jesus may inflame me with love for Him.


St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus the imitation of thine virtues.


St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus true humility of spirit.


St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus meekness of heart.


St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus peace of soul.


St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus a holy fear of the Lord.


St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus a desire for perfection.


St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus a gentleness of heart.


St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus a holy acceptance of suffering.


St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus the wisdom of faith.


St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus His blessing of perseverance in my good deeds.


St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus the strength to carry my crosses.


St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus a disdain for the material goods of this world.


St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus the grace to always walk on the narrow path towards heaven.


St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus the grace to avoid all occasion of sin.


St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus a holy desire for eternal bliss.


St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus the grace of final perseverance.


St. Joseph, do not abandon me.


St. Joseph, pray that my heart may never cease to love thee and that my lips may ever praise thee.


St. Joseph, for the love thou bore for Jesus, grant that I may learn to love Him.


St. Joseph, graciously accept me as thy devoted servant.


St. Joseph, I give myself to thee; accept my pleas and hear my prayers.


St. Joseph, do not abandon me at the hour of my death.

 



Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give Thee my heart and my soul.

 


3x Glory Be

 



Section III: Invocations to St. Joseph



Remember O most chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, my good protector St. Joseph, that never was it known that anyone who came to thy protection, and sought thy intercession was left unaided. Confidently I prostrate myself before thee and fervently beg for thy powerful intervention. O foster-Father of our dear Redeemer, despise not my petition, but in thy mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.

 



Glorious St. Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and virginal father of Jesus, look upon me and watch over me; lead me on the path of sanctifying grace; take heed of the urgent needs which I now beg thee to envelop within the folds of thy fatherly cloak. Dismiss those obstacles and difficulties standing in the way of my prayer and grant that the happy answer to my petition may serve for the greater glory of God and my eternal salvation. As a pledge of my undying gratitude, I promise to spread the word of thy glory while offering thanks to the Lord for having so blessed thy power and might in heaven and earth. Amen.



Section IV: 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)


Noble son of David, (*)


Light of the Patriarchs, (*)


Spouse of the Mother of God, (*)


Chaste Guardian of the Virgin, (*)


Foster-father of the Son of God, (*)


Careful Defender of Christ, (*)


Head of the Holy Family, (*)


Joseph most just, (*)


Joseph most chaste, (*)


Joseph most prudent, (*)


Joseph most valiant, (*)


Joseph most obedient, (*)


Joseph most faithful, (*)


Mirror of patience, (*)


Lover of poverty, (*)


Model of all who labour, (*)


Glory of family life, (*)


Protector of virgins, (*)


Pillar of families, (*)


Consolation of the afflicted, (*)


Hope of the sick, (*)


Patron of the dying, (*)


Terror of the demons, (*)


Protector of Holy Church, (*)

 



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.)

 



He made him the lord of His household. (And prince over all his possessions.)

 



Let us pray.



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 we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom, on earth, we venerate as our protector. Who lives and reigns world without end. (Amen.)

 



Section V: Closing Prayer of the Holy Cloak



O Glorious Patriarch St. Joseph, thou who wert chosen by God above all men to be the earthly head of the most holy of families, I beseech thee to accept me within the folds of thy holy cloak, that thou mayest become the guardian and custodian of my soul.

 



From this moment on, I choose thee as my father, my protector, my counsellor, my patron and I beseech thee to place in thy custody my body, my soul, all that I am, all that I possess, my life and my death.

 



Look upon me as one of thy children; defend me from the treachery of my enemies, invisible or otherwise, assist me at all times in all my necessities; console me in the bitterness of my life, and especially at the hour of my death. Say but one word for me to the Divine Redeemer Whom thou wert deemed worthy to hold in thine arms, and to the Blessed Virgin Mary, thy most chaste spouse. Request for me those blessings which will lead me to salvation. Include me amongst those who art most dear to thee and I shall set forth to prove myself worthy of thy special patronage. Amen.