St. Joseph the Workman

Saint Joseph

St Joseph is husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and foster father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  St. Joseph worked and labored to provide for the Holy Family over 2000 years ago.  The feast of St. Joseph under his title as Husband of Mary is celebrated March 19th.  Other than the Blessed Virgin Mary, he has long been celebrated as the greatest of the saints.  St. Joseph taught the Lord Jesus his trade as a carpenter where he lived and worked in Nazarath.   Although no words of St. Joseph are recorded in Sacred Scriptures, Joseph spent more time with Jesus than any of His diciples during His three year public ministry.  St. Joseph has seen Jesus Christ take his first steps, speak his first words, and assisted the Virgin Mary in teaching him the Psalms, the Prophets, indeed all of Scriptures, and all the traditions of the House of David.  We know that one of those traditions was to make a yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover(Luke 2:42-51).  As those great teachers of Israel were being taught by the true Pascal Lamb, Joseph frantically searched with the Virgin Mary for the Son of God and his own son.  God comissioned Joseph, the just man, as Gardian of the Redeemer until his death in the arms of Jesus and Mary.  

Our Patronal Feast Day - May 1st

In 1955 Pope Pius XII instituted the Feast of St. Joseph the Workman and decreed it be celebrated on May 1st., the first day of the month devoted to Our Lady.  Many countries of the world celebrate Labor Day on May 1st.  The Church teaches that ordinary work and family life is a path to holiness, offering up our difficulties to those of the Savior on the cross. 

http://www.therealpresence.org/archives/Josephology/Josephology_001.htm

Saint Joseph Novena

Below is a Novena prayer to be made to St. Joseph.  This can be made anytime, but is especially befitting leading up to the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary or St. Joseph the Workman.   

 Novena to St. Joseph.pdf 116.31 Kb

Litany of Saint Joseph
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Joseph, pray for us.
Illustrious Son of David, pray for us.
Light of the Patriarchs, pray for us.
Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us.
Chaste Guardian of the Virgin, pray for us.
Foster-Father of the Son of God, pray for us.
Faithful Protector of Christ, 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 courageous, pray for us.
Joseph most obedient, pray for us.
Joseph most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of patience, pray for us.
Lover of poverty, pray for us.
Model of working men, pray for us.
Ornament of the domestic life, pray for us.
Guardian of virgins, pray for us.
Pillar of the family, pray for us.
Consoler of the miserable, pray for us.
Hope of the sick, 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, who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.
V. He hath made him master of His house.
R. And ruler of all His possessions.

Let us pray.
O God, who in Thy ineffable providence didst vouchsafe to choose blessed Joseph to be the Spouse of Thy most holy Mother: grant, we beseech Thee, that we may have him for our intercessor in Heaven, whom on earth we venerate as out most holy Protector. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.