1900-year-old prayer to St. Joseph?

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Damase

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So I was paging through the blue “Pieta Book”, and noticed this prayer:

Prayer to St. Joseph over 1900 years old

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 us. Amen.

Say for nine consecutive mornings for anything you may desire. It has seldom been known to fail. This prayer was found in the fiftieth year of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In 1505, it was sent by the Pope to Emperor Charles when he was going into battle. Whosoever reads this prayer or hears it or carries it, will never die a sudden death, nor be drowned, nor will poison take effect on them. They will not fall into the hands of the enemy nor be burned in any fire, nor will they be defeated in battle. Make this prayer known everywhere.

Imprimatur:
Most Rev. George W. Ahr
Bishop of Trenton

I’m dubious of the claim that this prayer was truly composed in the year 50 A.D. That would make it older than some of the Gospels! Even the date 1505 seems a little early for the prayer, to be honest.

Here are my concerns. First off, was there yet a cult of devotion in the Early Church to Saint Joseph and to the Child Jesus? I haven’t ever personally run into those sorts of images among the early Christians. And the entire composition seems very devotional in a sort of typically post-Reformation, even 19th-century, way. And the claim that those who pray this prayer “will never die a sudden death, nor be drowned, nor will poison take effect on them,” etc., seems… rather extraordinary.

Does anyone know anything about this prayer—its history, whether what the Pieta Book claims could possibly be true? Are there indulgences attached to it? (It’s not in my 1910 copy of the Raccolta.) Is there a Latin version?
 
Damase said:
So I was paging through the blue “Pieta Book”, and noticed this prayer:

Prayer to St. Joseph over 1900 years old

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 us. Amen.

Say for nine consecutive mornings for anything you may desire. It has seldom been known to fail. This prayer was found in the fiftieth year of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In 1505, it was sent by the Pope to Emperor Charles when he was going into battle. Whosoever reads this prayer or hears it or carries it, will never die a sudden death, nor be drowned, nor will poison take effect on them. They will not fall into the hands of the enemy nor be burned in any fire, nor will they be defeated in battle. Make this prayer known everywhere.

Imprimatur:
Most Rev. George W. Ahr
Bishop of Trenton

I’m dubious of the claim that this prayer was truly composed in the year 50 A.D. That would make it older than some of the Gospels! Even the date 1505 seems a little early for the prayer, to be honest.

Here are my concerns. First off, was there yet a cult of devotion in the Early Church to Saint Joseph and to the Child Jesus? I haven’t ever personally run into those sorts of images among the early Christians. And the entire composition seems very devotional in a sort of typically post-Reformation, even 19th-century, way. And the claim that those who pray this prayer “will never die a sudden death, nor be drowned, nor will poison take effect on them,” etc., seems… rather extraordinary.

Does anyone know anything about this prayer—its history, whether what the Pieta Book claims could possibly be true? Are there indulgences attached to it? (It’s not in my 1910 copy of the Raccolta.) Is there a Latin version?
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I’m curious about this too. I googled and there is not any article about this prayer which has evidentiary support for this claim.
 
I’m curious too - Though I suspect there will be little real historical proofs…

I confirmed the info in the OP in my Pieta booklet but with one small correction/addition.

The note about the age says, "This prayer was said to be found in the fiftieth year of Our Lord…No source given for who “said” this.

Peace
James
 
I love this prayer. I once prayed to St Joseph using this prayer for someone who had been out of work for quite some time and he got a job. Thank you St Joseph!
 
I love this prayer too, especially so.

One could always write or contact the Pieta prayer book publishers to see if they have more information, though they may not have it too, and that’s fine.

It’s one of my all time favorite prayers. 😃

I guess that’s something we share with a good number of people praying it.
 
HCC said:
I love this prayer. I once prayed to St Joseph using this prayer for someone who had been out of work for quite some time and he got a job. Thank you St Joseph!
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Shin said:
I love this prayer too, especially so.

One could always write or contact the Pieta prayer book publishers to see if they have more information, though they may not have it too, and that’s fine.

It’s one of my all time favorite prayers. 😃

I guess that’s something we share with a good number of people praying it.
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Certainly, regardless of where this prayer comes from, it is a beautiful prayer.
 
Damase said:
So I was paging through the blue “Pieta Book”, and noticed this prayer:

Prayer to St. Joseph over 1900 years old

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 us. Amen.

Say for nine consecutive mornings for anything you may desire. It has seldom been known to fail. This prayer was found in the fiftieth year of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In 1505, it was sent by the Pope to Emperor Charles when he was going into battle. Whosoever reads this prayer or hears it or carries it, will never die a sudden death, nor be drowned, nor will poison take effect on them. They will not fall into the hands of the enemy nor be burned in any fire, nor will they be defeated in battle. Make this prayer known everywhere.

Imprimatur:
Most Rev. George W. Ahr
Bishop of Trenton

I’m dubious of the claim that this prayer was truly composed in the year 50 A.D. That would make it older than some of the Gospels! Even the date 1505 seems a little early for the prayer, to be honest.

Here are my concerns. First off, was there yet a cult of devotion in the Early Church to Saint Joseph and to the Child Jesus? I haven’t ever personally run into those sorts of images among the early Christians. And the entire composition seems very devotional in a sort of typically post-Reformation, even 19th-century, way. And the claim that those who pray this prayer “will never die a sudden death, nor be drowned, nor will poison take effect on them,” etc., seems… rather extraordinary.

Does anyone know anything about this prayer—its history, whether what the Pieta Book claims could possibly be true? Are there indulgences attached to it? (It’s not in my 1910 copy of the Raccolta.) Is there a Latin version?
Click to expand...
I think your concerns are spot on. I’d agree that this reads much like 18th or 19th-century pietistic spirituality. I don’t believe the concepts expressed - and certainly how they were expressed - were even formulated in 50 AD or even 1050 AD. Moreover, the wording with it comes across like one of those “chain letters” - do something for 9 times and the results are guaranteed not to fail.
 
Tarpeian_Rock said:
I think your concerns are spot on. I’d agree that this reads much like 18th or 19th-century pietistic spirituality. I don’t believe the concepts expressed - and certainly how they were expressed - were even formulated in 50 AD or even 1050 AD. Moreover, the wording with it comes across like one of those “chain letters” - do something for 9 times and the results are guaranteed not to fail.
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Agreed, except that instead of 18th-19th century I’d tentatively ascribe it to between about 1870 and 1930 based on the type of sentimentalism it’s dripping with. It certainly doesn’t appear in books before about 1998, so it may be an even later composition in imitative style. It obviously doesn’t have anything remotely in common with Christian prayers from the early era.

Oh, and BTW there was no Emperor Charles reigning in 1505. 😉
 
tee_eff_em said:
It appears (without the legend of antiquity, IIRC) in Fathers’ Manual by A. Francis Coomes SJ, (c) 1970.

tee
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Good to know. Poking around a bit more on the internet, I found references to people knowing it during the Vietnam War, that sort of thing.
 
Let me give a couple of my cents:

1.) It’s been a personal experience of mine that the Pieta Prayer Book, while being a very good and interesting prayer book, does have some rather dubious information in a few parts, say this one. For another example, it includes the promises to the 15 Prayers of St. Bridget (aka the 15 O’s, a rather well-known medieval set of prayers) which were actually condemned by the Holy See as spurious in the 1950’s!

2.) Claiming an antique provenance, a well-known personage, and certain promises for a particular prayer is a convention as old as dirt. This is basically the reason why prayers such as the Memorare and the Prayer of St. Francis are attributed to St. Francis of Assisi and St. Bernard of Clairvaux, respectively* and why there are purported letters from Jesus, found at the Holy Sepulchre at the year so-and-so of Our Lord, hidden inside a silver box, which would keep you from being drowned or poisoned or some other unfavorable fate as long as you hear it said or keep a copy of it in your person, while damning you to Divine abandonment should you disregard it: it perks up the faithful and brings it to their attention (notwithstanding the actual veracity or accuracy of the claims), thereby helping the prayer become more popular. I’m not saying that God is not able to keep you from falling into harm through the intercession of His angels and saints, mind you. Though I am concerned that the way in some of these promises are written that there is a danger of one falling into superstition (‘I keep a copy of St. Wumbledeedoo’s prayer that would preserve me from dying in my pocket, written in parchment and gold ink for more efficacy! Now watch me as I try to annoy a couple of drunk men with guns in their hands…’).
  • There are actually no pre-20th century prayer books in which the so-called Prayer of St. Francis (“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace…”) appears in any form. The first known printed copy of the prayer appears in a small 20th century Italian prayer book and therein the prayer is ascribed to ‘William the Norman’. A holy card from later on has it ascribed to William the Conqueror (!) It was not until sometime in the middle of the 20th century that it was first attributed to the founder of the Friars Minor. And while some of St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s writings do indeed echo the words of the Memorare, he did not in fact compose it. The prayer was first popularized not by St. Bernard of Clairvaux, but by a French priest named Fr. Claude Bernard (1588-1641), who even then, was not the one who composed it. First, Fr. Bernard stated that he learned the prayer from his own father. Secondly, the prayer was known to and used by St. Francis de Sales who is 21 years older than Fr. Bernard. Thirdly, the prayer appears as part of the 15th century prayer, Ad sanctitatis tuae pedes, dulcissima Virgo Maria.
3.) As Mark pointed out, there was no “Emperor Charles” (I assume that by ‘Emperor’, the Holy Roman Emperor is meant) in 1505. The Holy Roman Emperor at the time is Maximilian I (reigned 1493-1519), though his successor is indeed named Charles (V).
 
As for St. Joseph, I’ll just quote what I wrote a year ago:
patrick457 said:
The others have given very well and solid answers so I won’t waste words by repeating themselves here, but there might also be a historical precedent for this:

Even in the early ages of Christian history, we already find Mary being well-known and held in high regard by the followers of her Son - many hymns were sung, many icons were painted, many churches were dedicated, and many debates were fought concerning the most holy, pure, blessed and glorious Godbearer. In contrast, St. Joseph is pretty much Mr. Invisible Guy Who Literally Gets Pushed Off Into The Background. The Gospels mention Mary more than Joseph, who just appears in the infancy narratives and goes out of its pages without having a dialogue of his own - as if he never existed (the only thing that keeps us aware of this Joseph guy is the complaint of the people of Nazareth: “Is this not the son of the workman/carpenter?”). Mary fared better than him in that she at least gets some cameo appearances well into her Son’s adulthood.

He gets no listing of his own in Migne’s well-known Patrologiae Latina, a 221-volume collection of Church writings in Latin up to 1216, is literally either pushed off the side in one corner, ignored, or made to do menial tasks in Christian art, given less-than-flattering portrayals in apocryphal literature, and even played the subordinate old man to Mary in medieval plays! No feastday, no icon of his own, no hymn, and no church did St. Joseph have for about 1000 years of Christian history (the cult of St. Joseph only caught up some steam in the medieval period, finally flourishing in the Counter-Reformation). Before Pope John XXIII inserted his name in the Roman Canon, his name does not even show up in the propers of the Mass; even today, St. Joseph is not mentioned in the Divine Liturgy, and probably, in OF Masses (no “Joseph” in Eucharistic Prayer II, III or IV). He was simply the Rodney Dangerfield in the Communion of Saints.

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/2373/josepho.jpg
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See the similarities in the pic? 😛
 
patrick457 said:
Let me give a couple of my cents:

1.) It’s been a personal experience of mine that the Pieta Prayer Book, while being a very good and interesting prayer book, does have some rather dubious information in a few parts, say this one. For another example, it includes the promises to the 15 Prayers of St. Bridget (aka the 15 O’s, a rather well-known medieval set of prayers) which were actually condemned by the Holy See as spurious in the 1950’s!
Click to expand...
Indeed, although, as a note of caution, the CMRI is a sedevacantist sect.
  • There are actually no pre-20th century prayer books in which the so-called Prayer of St. Francis (“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace…”) appears in any form. The first known printed copy of the prayer appears in a small 20th century Italian prayer book and therein the prayer is ascribed to ‘William the Norman’. A holy card from later on has it ascribed to William the Conqueror (!) It was not until sometime in the middle of the 20th century that it was first attributed to the founder of the Friars Minor.
Click to expand...
How funny, William the Conqueror! Now I know why the Prayer of St. Francis always reminded me of All Thine Castles Are Within Our Possession.
 
Well the prayer is a favourite of mine since the early 80s and I unknown to the latest generation of computers researchers:compcoff::compcoff: also took trips to the libraries and researched relating to Emperor Charles and noticed early in that he was not in power till later.
I also found Maximillian was in power at the time.
I also realised that when people take on new roles ie Emperors/ Popes etc they often have an original name! also they sometimes only take a host of names but are only known by the strongest of those and that is with Maximillian he was actually Maximillian. I Charles when crowned Emperor.
All the above is from memory as my research is now 20+ years ago.
But the prayer has helped me through many battles in my life and also when I have prayed for others.
Life is a constant battle and this prayer keeps on helping if you keep your faith.:):):tiphat::tiphat:
 
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