St. Joseph: Various Prayers Page 1
 

A MORNING OFFERING THROUGH ST. JOSEPH
 PREPARATION FOR THE FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH AND IN HONOR OF THE HOLY CHILD
THE DEVOTION OF THE SEVEN SUNDAYS
APPEAL TO ST. JOSEPH

A Morning Offering Through St. Joseph
 

Receive me, dear and chosen Father, and the offering of every
movement of my body and soul, which I desire to present
through thee to my blessed Lord.

Purify all! Make all a perfect holocaust! May every pulsation
of my heart be a Spiritual Communion, every look and
thought an act of love, every action a sweet sacrifice,
every word an arrow of Divine love, every step
an advance toward Jesus, every visit to Our Lord as
pleasing to God as the errands of Angels, every thought
of thee, dear Saint, an act to remind thee that I am thy child.

I recommend to thee the occasions in which I usually fail,
particularly . . . [Mention these]. Accept each little devotion
of the day, though replete with imperfection, and offer it
to Jesus, Whose mercy will overlook all, since He
regards not so much the gift as the love of the giver.
Amen.
 

From the Booklet, Favorite Prayers to St. Joseph
TAN BOOKS AND PUBLISHERS

In Preparation for the Feast of St. Joseph and in Honor of the Holy Child
 

The Blessed Virgin Mary said to Ven. Mary Agreda:

"The whole human race has much undervalued the privilege and prerogatives conceded to my blessed husband, St. joseph. I assure you that he is one of the the greatly favored personages in the Divine Presence, and he has immense power to stay the arms of Divine vengeance. That which my husband asks of the Lord in heaven is granted upon earth, and on his intercession depend many extraordinary favors for men."

HYMN TO ST. JOSEPH

Dear Saint Joseph, Jesus called thee
Father when on earth He dwelt;
With His infant arms twined round thee
Thou His loving kiss hast felt.

So, we too, would Father call thee
Show us then a father's care,
And beneath thy strong protection
Keep us safe from sinful snare.

Think how once the God-child, Jesus,
On thy tender bosom lay,
And for His dear sake, Saint Joseph,
Take us to thy heart today.

The Devotion of the Seven Sundays

The Seven Sundays in honor of St. Joseph are observed in the following manner: Holy Communion is received in his honor on seven consecutive Sundays, and on each Sunday the prayers in honor of the Seven Sorrows and the Seven Joys of St. Joseph are recited. For the Seven Sorrows and Joys, click Here.

An excellent means of obtaining special favors through the intercession of St. Joseph is to honor his seven sorrows and seven joys by the devotion of the Seven Sundays. This devotion may be practiced at any time of the year, but fervent clients of St. Joseph like to venerate him especially on the seven Sundays preceding his feast, March 19. Then they more confidently hope to obtain some particular favor; often the favors they receive are greater than they had expected. St. Teresa of Avila tells us that St. Joseph frequently obtained for her much greater favors than those for which she had petitioned.

It is related that a ship containing a number of passengers was wrecked off the coast of Holland. Two Franciscan monks, who had clung to a plank for two days, were saved by a man of venerable appearance who miraculously brought them to shore. Upon their asking him who he was, he replied, "I am Joseph, and I desire you to honor my seven sorrows and seven joys." This was the origin of the devotion to the sorrows and joys of St. Joseph.

Those who are seeking a special request may also have seven Masses said in honor of St. Joseph, or assist at seven Masses, give alms or fast seven times, make seven visits to a chapel or to an image of the Saint. A novena may be made by daily saying the prayers of the Seven Sorrows and Seven Joys of St. Joseph; or this devotion may be performed for thirty days and ended with the reception of the Sacraments. One can also make a novena by saying the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be seven times on each of seven consecutive Sundays, in honor of the Seven Sorrows and Joys of St. Joseph. It is very pleasing to St. Joseph and a great act of charity to aid, in his honor, those souls in Purgatory who during life practiced special devotion to him. In our various necessities, we might promise St. Joseph that if he comes to our aid we will have one or more Masses said for the Poor Souls, or offer Holy Communion for them.

Appeal to St. Joseph

 O BLESSED ST. JOSEPH, tenderhearted Father, faithful guardian of Jesus, chaste spouse of the Mother of God, I pray and beseech thee to offer to God the Father, His Divine Son, bathed in Blood on the Cross for sinners, and through the thrice Holy Name of Jesus, obtain for us from the Eternal Father,  the favor we implore ... Amen.