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To Honor St. Joseph Josephite Fathers

Fifth Sunday:

Watchful guardian, bosom friend of the incarnate Son of God, glorious St. Joseph, how didst thou toil to nurture and to serve the Son of the Most High, especially in the flight into Egypt; but far greater was thy joy in having with thee God Himself, and in seeing Egypt's idols fall to the earth!

By this thy sorrow and thy joy, obtain for us to keep aloof from the infernal tyrant, quitting all dangerous occasions, that all earthly idols may be cast out from our hearts, and that, employed in the service of Jesus and Mary, we may ever live for them alone, and with them calmly die.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.

Ant. Jesus was about thirty years old, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph

V. Pray for us, Blessed Joseph

R. That was may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: God, Who in Thine ineffable providence didst vouchsafe to choose blessed Joseph to be the husband of Thy most holy Mother: grant, we beseech Thee, that we may be made worthy to receive him for our intercessor in heaven, whom on earth we venerate as our holy protector. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

Source: My Prayer Book by Father Lasance

To Honor St. Joseph Josephite Fathers

Fourth Sunday:

Faithful saint, who was admitted to take part in man's redemption, glorious St. Joseph, Simeon's prophecy of the coming woes of Jesus and of Mary filled thy soul with agony like death but thy soul was filled with blessedness when he foretold salvation and glorious resurrection to innumerable souls.

By this thy sorrow and thy joy, help us with thy prayers to be of those who, by the merits of Jesus and His virgin Mother, shall be partakers of the glorious resurrection.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.

Ant. Jesus was about thirty years old, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph

V. Pray for us, Blessed Joseph

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: God, Who in Thine ineffable providence didst vouchsafe to choose blessed Joseph to be the husband of Thy most holy Mother: grant, we beseech Thee, that we may be made worthy to receive him for our intercessor in heaven, whom on earth we venerate as our holy protector. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

Source: My Prayer Book by Father Lasance

Imprimatur: Most Rev. Vincent S. Waters, D.D. May 2, 1949

Source: Cure d'Ars Prayer Group

To Honor St. Joseph Josephite Fathers

Third Sunday:

O thou who was ever most obedient in fulfilling the law of God, glorious St. Joseph! when, at His circumcision, the infant Savior's precious blood was shed, thy heart was pierced through and through; but with the name of Jesus came again to thee new life and heavenly joy.

By this thy sorrow and thy joy, obtain for us that, freed in life from the vile yoke of sin, we too may die with joy, with the sweet name of Jesus in our hearts and on our lips.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.

Ant. Jesus was about thirty years old, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph

V. Pray for us, Blessed Joseph

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: God, Who in Thine ineffable providence didst vouchsafe to choose blessed Joseph to be the husband of Thy most holy Mother: grant, we beseech Thee, that we may be made worthy to receive him for our intercessor in heaven, whom on earth we venerate as our holy protector. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

Source: My Prayer Book by Father Lasance

To Honor St. Joseph Josephite Fathers

Second Sunday:

Thrice happy patriarch, glorious St. Joseph, chosen to be the foster-father of the Word made man, keen was the pain thou didst feel when thou didst see the infant Jesus born in abject poverty; but thy pain was suddenly changed into heavenly joy when upon thee burst the harmony of the angel choirs, and thou didst behold the glory of that refulgent night.

By this thy sorrow and thy joy, we pray thee, obtain for us that, when the journey of our life is over, we too may pass to that blessed land where we shall hear the angel-chants, and enjoy the brightness of celestial glory.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.

Ant. Jesus was about thirty years old, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph

V. Pray for us, Blessed Joseph

R. That was may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: God, Who in Thine ineffable providence didst vouchsafe to choose blessed Joseph to be the husband of Thy most holy Mother: grant, we beseech Thee, that we may be made worthy to receive him for our intercessor in heaven, whom on earth we venerate as our holy protector. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

Source: My Prayer Book by Father Lasance

St. Joseph, God has appointed you patron of the Catholic Church, because you were the head of the Holy Family, the type and starting-point of the Church. You were the father, protector, guide and support of the Holy Family. For that reason you belong in a particular way to the Church, which was the purpose of the Holy Family’s existence.

I believe that the Church is the family of God on earth. Its government is represented in priestly authority which consists above all in its power over the true Body of Christ, really present in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, thus continuing Christ's life in the Church. From this power, too, comes authority over the Mystical Body of Christ, the members of the Church — the power to teach and govern souls, to reconcile them with God, to bless them, and to pray for them.

You have a special relationship to the priesthood because you possessed a wonderful power over our Savior Himself. Your life and office were of a priestly nature, even as the priestly functions are especially connected with the Blessed Sacrament. To some extent you were the means of bringing the Redeemer to us — as it is the priest’s function to bring Him to us in the Mass — for you reared Jesus, supported, nourished, protected and sheltered Him. You were prefigured by the patriarch Joseph, who kept supplies of wheat for his people. But how much greater than he were you! Joseph of old gave the Egyptians mere bread for their bodies. You nourished and with tenderest care preserved for the Church Him who is the Bread of Heaven and who gives eternal life in Holy Communion.

 God has appointed you patron of the Church, because the glorious title of patriarch also falls by special right to you. The patriarchs were the heads of families of the Chosen People, and theirs was the honor to prepare for the Savior’s incarnation. You belonged to this line of patriarchs, for you were one of the last descendants of the family of David and one of the nearest forebears of Christ according to the flesh. As husband of Mary, the Mother of God, and as the foster-father of the Savior, you were directly connected with Christ. Your vocation was especially concerned with the Person of Jesus; your entire activity centered about Him. You are, therefore, the closing of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New, which took its rise with the Holy Family of Nazareth. Because the New Testament surpasses the Old in every respect, you are the patriarch of patriarchs, the most venerable, exalted, and amiable of all the patriarchs.

Through Mary, the Church received Christ, and therefore the Church is indebted to her. But the Church owes her debt of gratitude and veneration to you also, for you were the chosen one who enabled Christ to enter into the world according to the laws of order and fitness. It was by you that the patriarchs and the prophets and the faithful reaped the fruit of God's promise. Alone among them all, you saw with your own eyes and possessed the Redeemer promised to the rest of men.

St. Joseph, I thank God for your privilege of being the Patron of the Church. As a token of your own gratitude to God, obtain for me the grace to live always as a worthy member of this Church, so that through it I may save my soul; Bless the priests, the religious, and the laity of the Catholic Church that they may ever grow in God’s love and faithfulness in His service. Protect the Church from the evils of our day and from the persecution of her enemies. Through your powerful intercession may the Church successfully accomplish its mission in this world — the glory of God and the salvation of souls!

Source: Saint Joseph: the Family Saint by Fr. Lovasik

Illustrious Patriarch

O illustrious Patriarch St. Joseph, who carried the Infant Jesus in thy blessed arms and who, during the space of thirty years, lived in the most intimate familiarity with Him, take under thy powerful protection those whom He has clothed with His authority and honored with the dignity of His priesthood, whom He has charged to continue His mission, to preach His Gospel, and to dispense everywhere His graces and blessings.

Sustain them in their fatigues and labors; console them in their pains; fortify them in their combats; but above all, keep far from them all the evils of sin.

Obtain for them the humility of St. John the Baptist, the faith of St. Peter, the zeal and charity of St. Paul, the purity of St. John and the spirit of prayer and recollection of which thou, my dear Saint, art the model, so that, after having been on earth, the faithful dispensers of the Mysteries of thy foster Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, they may in Heaven receive the recompense promised to pastors according to the Heart of God. Amen.

                                                                                                                  Sacred Heart of Jesus, Sacred Heart Raleigh NC

Remember, O most loving Heart of Jesus, that they for whom I pray are those for whom You prayed so earnestly the night before Your death. These are they to whom You look to continue with You in Your sorrows when others forsake You, who share Your griefs and have inherited your persecutions, according to Your word: That the servant is not greater than his Lord.

Remember, O Heart of Jesus, that they are the objects of the world's hatred and Satan's deadliest snares. Keep them then, 0 Jesus, in the safe citadel of Your Sacred Heart and there let them be sanctified in truth.

May they be one with you and one among themselves, and grant that multitudes may be brought through their word to believe in You and love You. Amen.

Source: CAPG

                                                                                                                    Sacred Heart, Brittany France, @VP

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Thine excessive love for men, in order to redeem souls and save them for heaven, Thou didst shed Thy Precious Blood. With all the fervor of our hearts we beg of Thee to accompany with Thy blessing and Thy grace the labors of priests for the salvation of souls. Grant that with all zeal they may preach Thy sacred doctrine, that they may move to repentance the hearts of sinners, that they may strengthen the good in virtue.

Keep far from our congregation the assaults of the evil one; ward off all scandal and seduction, enmities and envy, uncharitable and bad example. Let Thy love and Thy grace abide in all hearts, that we may strive with great fervor to reach our eternal goal, to avoid sin, to practice virtue, and to encourage each other by a devout life, so that in the everlasting happiness of heaven above we may rejoice in union with Thee. Amen.

O Divine Heart of Jesus, convert sinners, save the dying, deliver the holy souls in purgatory.

Source: CAPG

Blessed be the Divine Providence of God, who in this age of trials has appointed the great St. Joseph Patron of the Universal Church.

Infinite praise, honor, glory and thanksgiving, at every moment, from every creature, and for all eternity, be to Jesus,

who is ever with His Church, and protects her in every trial and in every necessity.

Foster-father Joseph, our guide, protect us and holy Church.

O most holy Patriarch St. Joseph! ever protect the holy Church of Jesus; humble her enemies, confound their wisdom, and defeat their plots.

O great St. Joseph! obtain from Jesus, for His Church, holy Popes, holy prelates, holy priests, and holy religious. Amen.

Source: St. Joseph, his life, his virtues, his privileges, his power: a month of March in his honor, 1884.