Honoring Saint Joseph

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Honoring Saint Joseph



I’m very blessed to live in a city that has the largest shrine in the world dedicated to St. Joseph. It’s amazing how much can be known about St. Joseph, considering that not even one word ever said by him is recorded anywhere in Scripture. Devotion to St. Joseph is a sure sign of faith … devotion to the one God Himself chose to be his virginal father here on earth…and the one who would head His holy family and contribute profoundly to His human formation.

The wish would be that, beginning on this feast of St. Joseph, fellow members might post something they know or have heard about St. Joseph in this thread – a prayer, a thought , anything really…so that we might each help each other to know a little more about and better appreciate this great Saint.
Here is a prayer that can be found at various sites on the net. The first place I saw it was on a prayer card. The prayer, and the words about it’s origin were printed word for word on that card :

PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH

Oh, 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. Oh, 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.

Oh, 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 (us).

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 battle.

Say for nine mornings for anything you may desire. It has never been known to fail, so be sure you really want what you ask.
Here is a quote from St. Theresa of Avila on her confidence in St. Joseph’s good care, and a type of admonishment that we should also share this same trust:

**St. Theresa of Avila’s Plea **

"Would that I could persuade all men to be devoted to this glorious Saint [St Joseph], 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 honoured 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." From her Autobiography, VI, 11-12
 
Happy Feast Day of St. Joseph!🙂
I do know that prayer to St. Joseph. It is indeed a powerful prayer.
 
Walking to Mass this noon, I felt called to ask St. Joseph’s intercession on behalf of parish priests. That they may have the strength to be nurturing “fathers” to their flocks and to live lives of holiness, purity and chastity. I went through my mind and listed all the many priests I could remember who have helped me on my journey.
 
I’d like to thank OP for that prayer.

I’d planned tonight to say the Litany of St. Joseph in honor of his day. Sadly, I couldn’t find it in one of my more modern missals and searched in vain through Fr. Lasance’s Missal.

**Question: **Can anyone suggest a nice little book of traditionally worded prayers / litanies for handy use? (I had to go to the internet for the Litany to St. Joseph - and I’m sure I have it somewhere.) I do think we should pray more to St. Joseph - daily - not just on his feast.

A belated Happy St. Joseph’s Day !
 
ConservativeOne said:
I’d like to thank OP for that prayer.

I’d planned tonight to say the Litany of St. Joseph in honor of his day. Sadly, I couldn’t find it in one of my more modern missals and searched in vain through Fr. Lasance’s Missal.

**Question: **Can anyone suggest a nice little book of traditionally worded prayers / litanies for handy use? (I had to go to the internet for the Litany to St. Joseph - and I’m sure I have it somewhere.) I do think we should pray more to St. Joseph - daily - not just on his feast.

A belated Happy St. Joseph’s Day !
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You might like the “Handbook of Prayers” ,by SCEPTER PUBLISHERS AND MIDWEST THEOLOGICAL FORUM . I don’t believe all the litanies are in this book, but it does contain: The Litany to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Litany to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the** Litany to Saint Joseph **… all in a literary form where (one might say) the integrity of the language has been preserved (;))
There is a little **Novena To St. Joseph **booklet published by St. Joseph’s Oratory here in Montreal, which is available all year around in about 4 or 5 different languages. I can’t recall how many times I’ve used this little booklet, but some of the prayers in it most certainly are the fruits of true, inspired contemplation of Saint Joseph in the life of Jesus. For example, has anyone ever heard of a link between St. Joseph and the Gospel of Luke 12:27 being suggested before. It would be a little time consuming to transcribe the entire booklet, but here is the prayer for the Fourth Day of the Novena as it appears in the booklet:

Saint Joseph, the Father of Jesus

Saint Joseph, to the people of Nazareth Jesus was your son, for they themselves said when he visited Nazareth during his ministry: “Is this not the carpenter’s son?” You truly were a father to Jesus, the Son of God.

Your fatherly concern was shown in your tender care for Mary during the months which preceded the birth of Jesus. You constantly helped and encouraged her. God chose you because he knew you would have a tender love for Mary. He knew that you would know how to speak comfortingly to her when she was tired or in difficulty: this love contributed in the formation of the human character of God’s Son.

Like a good father you provided Jesus with an education. You taught him, when he was a child, all those things which a father shares with his son. His alertness to people and things developed under your influence so that together you admired the lilies of the field, the birds of the air, the vines and the wheat fields. In your company, Jesus came to experience the beauty of the earth and humanity. Without knowing it, you were helping to prepare some of the most beautiful pages of the Gospel.

Saint Joseph, teach us to love our own children as you loved Jesus. From the example of our love may they learn to appreciate faith, purity, devotion, and respect for all that is beautiful. May their vision of life always be Christ-centered.

Amen.

🙂
 
Thanks to “NeedImprovement” -

That “Handbook of Prayers” sounds familiar but I have several little books - some of which I know I’d recognize their value after using them…so, I know they’re around - but will have to look…(So much religious literature sent by charities - so much accumulation - and never enough time allotted to prayer…Mea culpa :o ).
Thanks ! And, God Bless You.
 
What a beautiful tribute to Saint Joseph!
What a great Church you must attend!
That food looks super yummy 🙂
 
Thanks GiuseppeTO… CatholicChick has the word - “beautiful”.

Something else that struck me watching the video was Fr. Pfeiffer’s sense of humor … made me LOL at least 4 times.

It reminded me that, although it isn’t really recounted in the Gospel and perhaps it isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when contemplating the Holy Family, there definitely had to be moments of mirth in their earthly lives together.

I’d read somewhere a while ago that St. Bernadette also had a devotion to St. Joseph, but haven’t been able to find much using my search engine…Anybody have something they could add here ?
 
My house needs a lot of work, I wish St Joseph would send me a good carpenter.
 
NeedImprovement said:
Thanks GiuseppeTO… CatholicChick has the word - “beautiful”.

Something else that struck me watching the video was Fr. Pfeiffer’s sense of humor … made me LOL at least 4 times.

It reminded me that, although it isn’t really recounted in the Gospel and perhaps it isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when contemplating the Holy Family, there definitely had to be moments of mirth in their earthly lives together.
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Every once in a while, I come across folks, both Catholic and non-Catholic alike, who expect that a Traditional Catholic would be someone with a long face who spends the best part of the day on a kneeler with rosary in hand or worse still, spends hours on the internet commiserating with like-minded folks on the crisis in the church.

Not so, in my experience. Most Traddies I know spend zero time on the internet and although they may say more rosaries in a week than the average Catholic, they can mix a mean martini and dance a good tarantella.
 
giuseppeTO said:
Every once in a while, I come across folks, both Catholic and non-Catholic alike, who expect that a Traditional Catholic would be someone with a long face who spends the best part of the day on a kneeler with rosary in hand or worse still, spends hours on the internet commiserating with like-minded folks on the crisis in the church.

Not so, in my experience. Most Traddies I know spend zero time on the internet and although they may say more rosaries in a week than the average Catholic, they can mix a mean martini and dance a good tarantella.
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(LOL) There was no implication intended re traditional or not … just plain funny - period. 🙂 … like your description of the stereotypical was. 👍

…Sort of like as St. Peter ( 1 Peter 4:8 ) and St. James (James 5:20 ) both tell us love covers a multitude of sin, I believe that laughter covers a multitude of hurt. I appreciate a good sense of humor.

It really is great to see St. Joseph so alive in your parish.
 
ConservativeOne said:
I’d like to thank OP for that prayer.

I’d planned tonight to say the Litany of St. Joseph in honor of his day. Sadly, I couldn’t find it in one of my more modern missals and searched in vain through Fr. Lasance’s Missal.

**Question: **Can anyone suggest a nice little book of traditionally worded prayers / litanies for handy use? (I had to go to the internet for the Litany to St. Joseph - and I’m sure I have it somewhere.) I do think we should pray more to St. Joseph - daily - not just on his feast.

A belated Happy St. Joseph’s Day !
Click to expand...
Go to TAN Books, they have an excellent little book of prayers to St. Joseph. Mine is in tatters and I have purchased one for all my family and most of my friends.
tanbooks.com/index.php/page/shop:flypage/product_id/436/keywords/favorite+prayers+joseph/

Has anyone heard or does anyone know of a poem describing Jesus’ decent to the place where the dead waited before His resurrection. According to the poem, as I heard recited by Archbishop Edmond O’Brien, He looked around searching for a particular soul, not stopping to speak to any of the Patriarchs, until He found Joseph, who hugged Him and asked “Son, how is your Mother?”
If anyone could help me find the title to this poem or point me to a website, I’d be eternally greatful!
 
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