Thirty Days' Prayer to St.Joseph

[Tenebrae]

Is anyone familiar with this prayer? It’s a beautiful prayer said for thirty days in honor of the thirty years Jesus spent living at home. But there is one line in it which I don’t feel comfortable saying: “My sins have drawn down on me the just displeasure of my God, and so I am surrounded with unhappiness.” I feel it makes God out to be a vengeful diety just waiting to smite the sinner, and all the problems I have in my life are direct punishments from Him. What do you think?

 

[Joysong]

Many composed prayers have wording that is not in tune with one’s vocation or spiritual path, and those are best left “unprayed” since God sees that our hearts are not meaning the words. Prayer formulas are just that - prayer words of others, and not necessarily meant to become our own.

If the rest of the prayer is devotional to you, maybe pray just those parts.