It greatly behooves Christians, while honoring the Virgin Mother of God, constantly to invoke with deep piety and confidence her most haste spouse, Saint Joseph. We have a well-grounded conviction that such is the special desire of the Blessed Virgin herself.
– POPE LEO XIII
FOR OUR WORK
Glorious Saint Joseph, pattern of all who are devoted to toil, obtain for me the grace to toil in the spirit of penance, in order thereby to atone for my many sins; to toil conscientiously, putting devotion to duty before my own inclinations; to labor with thankfulness and joy, deeming it an honor to employ and to develop, by my labor, the gifts I have received from Almighty God; to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience, without ever shrinking from weariness and difficulties; to work above all with a pure intention and with detachment from self, having always before my eyes the hour of death and the accounting which I must then render of time ill-spent, of talents unemployed, of good undone, and of my empty pride in success, which is so fatal to the work of God. All for Jesus, all through Mary, all in imitation of you, O Patriarch Joseph! This shall be my motto in life and in death. Amen.
Indulgence of 500 days.
OFFERING TO SAINT JOSEPH
O great Saint Joseph, thou generous depositary and dispenser of immortal riches, behold us prostrate at your feet, imploring you to receive us as your servants and as your children. Next to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, of which you are the faithful copy, we acknowledge that there is no heart more tender, more compassionate than yours.
What, then, have we to fear, or, rather, for what should we not hope, if you deign to be our benefactor, our master, our model, our father and our mediator? Refuse not, then, this favor, O powerful protector! We ask it of you by the love you have for Jesus and Mary. Into your hands we commit our souls and bodies, but above all the last moments of our lives.
May we, after having honored, imitated, and served you on earth, eternally sing with you the mercies of Jesus and Mary. Amen.
FOR THE INTERCESSION OF SAINT JOSEPH
O Joseph, virgin-father of Jesus, most pure spouse of the Virgin Mary, pray every day for us to the same Jesus, the Son of God, that we, being defended by the power of His grace and striving dutifully in life, may be crowned by Him at the hour of death.
Indulgence of 500 days.
* The faithful who in the month of March or, if that is impossible, in any other month of the year, are present at public devotions in honor of Saint Joseph, spouse of the B.V.M., may gain: an indulgence of 7 years, on any day of the month; a plenary indulgence, if they take part in ten such exercises at least, and, moreover, go to confession, receive Holy Communion and pray for the intentions of His Holiness the Pope.
Those who perform their devotions to Saint Joseph privately during the month of March, may gain: an indulgence of 5 years once, on any day of the month; a plenary indulgence on the usual conditions, if they perform such devotions daily throughout the entire month; but if public devotions are held, this indulgence is available only to those who are lawfully hindered from taking part therein.
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From The Prayer Book-Beautiful and Helpful Prayers from Ancient and Modern Sources edited by Reverend John P O’Connell, MA, STD and Jex Martin, MA The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago Illinois in 1959. 53-54. © 1954 Imprimatur Samuel Cardinal Stritch, Archbishop of Chicago May 10 1954. Print.