Includes prayers for many occasions, as well as a novena
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St. Joseph is one of the greatest saints.
But not much is known about him. He disappears from the gospels by the time Jesus begins to preach, most likely because he was dead by then.
St. Joseph’s life was dedicated to the protection of his family. He is the pinnacle of fatherhood. He was also a hard worker, laboring alongside Jesus.
In marriage, St. Joseph excelled. His love for Mary was only exceeded by God’s love for her.
If you are a man, the exemplary example for us to follow after the life of Jesus is the life of Joseph.
Praying to Saints
If you have never prayed to a saint before, don’t mistake the act of praying to a saint as worshiping a saint. Worship, Catholics believe, is reserved for God alone.
See this type of prayer almost as a conversation, a talk with a friend. Since the saints are in Heaven, these are your friends in Heaven who, since they fully know the love of God, want us to join them in God’s love.
We ask the saints to “pray for us” the same way we would ask a friend to pray for us. But the prayers of the saints are more powerful than the prayers of our friends because they are so close to the throne of God. If we pray to them, they will plea to God on our behalf.
There’s no such thing as praying to too many saints.
It is also good practice to pray to patron saints. Some saints are models of certain things. St. Paul is the patron saint of writers; I pray to him to help me write. St. Jerome is a saint who once had a bad temper; pray to him for help in conquering your bad temper. There is a saint for everything.
Praying to saints is not an esoteric practice. Almost all Christians for the first 1500 years of Christianity prayed to saints before the Protestants “simplified” the traditional practices of Christianity (the majority of Christians still pray to saints). The Protestants, by simplifying these age-old practices, sterilized the faith and got rid of a lot of its richness.
A basic Protestant argument for not praying to the saints is that: Since God can do all things, we should only pray to God. The Catholic response is that: The saints pray on our behalf; God is still the one who acts.
Our greatest calling in life is to become a saint. God made saints so that we can see how to become a saint; and He lets us pray to them directly so that they can help us become saints.
See, God made thousands of men and women holy so that we could see the effects of holiness. The saints are examples for us. We should shape and strive to make our lives like theirs. God is not jealous when we pray to the saints; instead, He is pleased.
Prayers to St. Joseph
Novena:
A novena is a nine-day prayer where you ask for something; while growing closer to a saint, and while growing your dedication to prayer. You can either ask for help in overcoming a certain sin or request a special favor.
To do a novena to St. Joseph, pray the next two prayers every day, possibly in the morning or before bed, for nine straight days.
1900-year-old prayer for St. Joseph’s intercession:
“Oh 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. 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 us.” Amen.
Now mention your request . . .
Memorare to St. Joseph
“Remember, O most pure spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, my great protector, Saint Joseph, that no one ever had recourse to your protection, or implored your aid without obtaining relief. Confiding therefore in your goodness, I come before you. Do not turn down my petitions, foster father of the Redeemer, but graciously receive them.” Amen.
More Prayers:
Consecration to St. Joseph
“O dearest St. Joseph, I consecrate myself to thy honor and give myself to thee, that thou mayest always be my father, my protector, and my guide in the way of salvation. Obtain for me a great purity of heart and a fervent love of the interior life. After thine example, may I do all my actions for the greater glory of God, in union with the Divine Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary! And do thou, O Blessed St. Joseph, pray for me that I may share in the peace and joy of thy holy death.” Amen.
Prayer to St. Joseph the Worker (by Pope St. Pius X)
“O Glorious Saint Joseph, model of all those who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in a spirit of penance for the expiation of my many sins; to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my natural inclinations; to work with thankfulness and joy, considering it an honor to employ and develop by means of labor the gifts received from God; to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience, never shrinking from weariness and trials; to work above all with purity of intention and detachment from self, keeping unceasingly before my eyes death and the account that I must give of time lost, talents unused, good omitted, and vain complacency in success, so fatal to the work of God. All for Jesus, all through Mary, all after thy example, O Patriarch, Saint Joseph. Such shall be my watch-word in life and in death.” Amen.
Prayer for a Happy Death
“O Blessed Joseph, who yielded up thy last breath in the arms of Jesus and Mary, obtain for me this grace, O holy Joseph, that I may breathe forth my soul in praise, saying in spirit, if I am unable to do so in words:“Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give Thee my heart and my soul.” Amen.
Prayer for Protection
“O St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so prompt, so strong, 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 me.” Amen.
Petition for a Blessing from St. Joseph
“Bless me, O dearly beloved father, St. Joseph; bless my body and my soul; bless my resolutions, my words and deeds, all my actions and omissions, my every step; bless all that I possess, all my interior and exterior goods, that all may redound to the greater honor of God. Bless me for time and eternity, and preserve me from every sin. Obtain for me the grace to make atonement for all my sins by love and contrition here on earth, so that after my last breath I may, without delay, prostrate at thy feet and return thee thanks in heaven for all the love and goodness thou, O dearest father, hast shown me here below.” Amen.
Follow this petition with an Our Father, Haily Mary, and three Glory Be prayers.
Litany of Saint Joseph
“Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, hear us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father in heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us. Holy Mary, pray for us. Saint Joseph, pray for us. Illustrious son of David, pray for us. Light of Patriarchs, pray for us. Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us. Guardian of the Redeemer, pray for us. Pure Guardian of the Virgin, pray for us. Provider for the Son of God, pray for us. Zealous defender of Christ, pray for us. Servant of Christ, pray for us. Minister of salvation, pray for us. Head of the Holy Family, pray for us. Joseph, most just, pray for us. Joseph, most chaste, pray for us. Joseph, most prudent, pray for us. Joseph, most brave, pray for us. Joseph, most obedient, pray for us. Joseph, most loyal, pray for us. Mirror of patience, pray for us. Lover of poverty, pray for us. Model for workers, pray for us. Glory of family life, pray for us. Guardian of virgins, pray for us. Cornerstone of families, pray for us. Support in difficulties, pray for us. Comfort of the sorrowing, pray for us. Hope of the sick, pray for us. Patron of exiles, pray for us. Patron of the afflicted, pray for us. Patron of the poor, pray for us. Patron of the dying, pray for us. Terror of demons, pray for us. Protector of the Holy Church, pray for us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. He made him master of his house, and ruler of all his possessions. Let us pray. O God, who in your inexpressible providence were pleased to choose Saint Joseph as spouse of your most holy Mother, grant, we pray, that we, who revere him as our protector on earth, may be worthy of his heavenly intercession. Who live and reign for ever and ever. Saint Joseph, pray for us.” Amen.