SAINT JOSEPH PATRON OF THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH AND WORKERS GUARDIAN OF THE HOLY FAMILY, PRAY FOR US.

FEAST DAYS: MARCH 19TH (HUSBAND OF MARY) MAY 1ST (JOSEPH THE WORKER) (Both Calendars)

An Ancient Prayer to St. Joseph

O St. 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 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 most 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 me. Amen.

(Say for nine mornings in a row for anything you may desire. It has never been known to fail.) Imprimatur: Sept. 25, 1950..Hugh C. Boyle, Bishop of Pittsburgh (This prayer was found in the fiftieth year of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In 1505 it was sent from the Pope to Emperor Charles, when he was going into battle. Whoever shall read this prayer or hear it, or keep it about themselves, 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 overpowered in any battle.)

Prayer for a Happy Death

St. Joseph, protector of the dying, I ask you to intercede for all the dying, and I invoke your assistance in the hour of my own death. You merited a happy passing by a holy life, and in your last hours you had the great consolation of being assisted by Jesus and Mary. Deliver me from sudden death; obtain for me the grace to imitate you in life, to detach my heart from everything worldly, and daily to gather treasures for the moment of my death. Obtain for me the grace to receive the sacrament of the sick well, and with Mary, fill my heart with sentiments of faith, hope, love, and sorrow for sins, so that I may breathe forth my soul in peace. Amen

THE LIFE OF SAINT JOSEPH

A study of the life of St. Joseph centers around two themes. First, in Scripture as the husband of Mary and the Foster Father of Jesus; and next, his personality in order to fulfill the Divine Will of God in his life.

In Scripture, Joseph is first mentioned when Mary, is betrothed, conceived a child before Joseph took her into his home. An angel of the Lord visited him and assured him to take Mary into his home for the child was conceived by the Holy Ghost. (Mt. 1:20-24) After the birth of Jesus, an angel again appears to Joseph and tells him to take the Holy Family away to Egypt in order to escape the wrath of Herod. (Mt. 2:13-15) After awhile the angel again appeared to Joseph, telling him it was time to return to Israel, where he settled in the obscure town of Nazareth in the district of Galilee. (Mt. 2:19-23) The final time we hear of Joseph in Scripture is when Jesus was “lost” in the Temple. (Lk. 2:42-52) His name never again appears in scripture.

The name Joseph, in Hebrew, means “God will add.” He was an ordinary individual whom God relied upon to do great things. He did exactly what the Lord wanted him to do, in each and every event that went to make up his life. That is why Scripture praises Joseph as “a just man.” In Hebrew a just man means a good and faithful servant of God, someone who fulfills the Divine Will, or who is honorable and charitable toward his neighbor. Therefore a just man is someone who loves God and proves his love by keeping God’s commandments and directing his whole life to the service of his brothers, his fellow man. He faced problems, dealt with difficult situations and showed responsibility and initiative in whatever he was asked to do.

The virtues of St. Joseph can best be summarized in the words our Lady spoke to St. Bridget of Sweden: “St. Joseph was so reserved and careful in his speech that not one word ever issued from his mouth that was not good and holy, nor did he ever indulge in unnecessary or less than charitable conversation. He was most patient and diligent in bearing fatigue; he practiced extreme poverty; he was most meek in bearing injuries; he was strong and constant against my (Mary’s) enemies; he was the faithful witness of the wonders of Heaven, being dead to the flesh and the world, living only for God and for Heavenly goods, which were the only things he desired. He was perfectly conformed to the Divine Will and so resigned to the dispositions of Heaven that he ever repeated “May the Will of God ever be done in me!” He rarely spoke with men, but continually with God, whose Will he desired to perform. Wherefore, he now enjoys great glory in Heaven.”

WHY HAVE DEVOTION TO SAINT JOSEPH?

To the other Saints it appears that the Lord may have granted power to succor us on particular occasions; but to this Saint, as experience proves, He has granted power to help us on all occasions. Our Lord would teach us that, as he was pleased to be subject to Joseph upon the earth, so He is now pleased to grant whatever this Saint asks for in heaven. Others whom I have recommended to have recourse to Joseph, have known this from experience. I never knew any one who was particularly devout to him, that did not continually advance more and more in virtue.

For the love of God, let him who believes not this make his own trial. And I do not know how any one can think of the Queen of Angels, at the time when she labored so much in the infancy and childhood of Jesus, and not return thanks to Joseph for the assistance which he rendered both to the Mother and to the Son”. (St. Teresa of Avila)

SYMBOLS OF SAINT JOSEPH

The most well known symbol of St. Joseph is the Lily, a symbol of purity.

The other is a picture of St. Joseph holding tools, St. Joseph the worker.

There are also symbols of St. Joseph in Art:

The famous painting of the Wedding of Virgin Mary and St. Joseph has three symbols:

1. Obedience to God...the greatest is obedience to God’s instruction through an angel that he should wed Mary. 2. Courage...The second symbol for St. Joseph in the painting is courage in the face of possible public opposition and oppression. 3. Non-judgmental...St. Joseph’s symbol in the painting is the practice of not judging and condemning others.

Another famous painting of St. Joseph is the world renown, Nativity Scene. Here the presence of St. Joseph is also a symbol in three ways:

1. Joseph demonstrates civil obedience by responding to the census request of the government. 2. He demonstrates humility by accepting the stable for pregnant Mary to give birth, rather than causing a public disruption in the belief they were entitled to better accommodations. 3. He demonstrates steadfastness in honoring his marriage vows, seeing the pregnancy through to completion and accepting the new challenge of fatherhood.

*** PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH FOR EMPLOYMENT

Dear St. Joseph, you were yourself once faced with the responsibility of providing the necessities of life for Jesus and Mary. Look down with fatherly compassion upon me in my anxiety over my present inability to support my family. Please help me to find gainful employment very soon, so that this heavy burden of concern will be lifted from my heart and that I am soon able to provide for those whom God has entrusted to my care. Help us to guard against bitterness and discouragement, so that we may emerge from this trial spiritually enriched and with even greater blessings from God. Amen

Finally, Scripture has left us with the most important knowledge of who Saint Joseph was: “A RIGHTEOUS MAN”. (Mt 1:19) (douay rheims)