This prayer to St. Joseph, “To You, O blessed Joseph” asks the guardian of the Holy Family to also guard us through his prayers from the power of darkness. The Holy Father Pope Francis asked the faithful to add this prayer to the end of the Rosary.
Why Pray a daily Prayer to St. Joseph?
Blessed Pope Pius IX published the encyclical: Quemadmodum Deus, and declared St. Joseph Patron of the Universal Church. Blessed Pope Pius IX, who also declared the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, and who prophetically died, “prisoner in the Vatican” was troubled by the attacks against the Church and so he declared Saint Joseph the Patron of the Catholic Church.
He said, “These most troublesome times the Church is beset by enemies on every side, and is weighed down by calamities so heavy that ungodly men assert that the gates of hell have at length prevailed against her.”
We can see the same threats in these present times against the Church and this is why Pope Francis asked for a year of St. Joseph in December 2020, and for the faithful to add “To You, O Blessed Joseph” to the end of our daily rosary.
St. Joseph Prayer:
"To You O Blessed Joseph"
To you, O blessed Joseph, do we come in our afflictions, and having implored the help of your most holy Spouse, we confidently invoke your patronage also.
Through that charity which bound you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the paternal love with which you embraced the Child Jesus, we humbly beg you graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ has purchased by his Blood, and with your power and strength to aid us in our necessities.
O most watchful guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ; O most loving father, ward off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence; O our most mighty protector, be kind to us and from heaven assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness.
As once you rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril, so now protect God’s Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; shield, too, each one of us by your constant protection, so that, supported by your example and your aid, we may be able to live piously, to die in holiness, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven.
Amen.
Meditation for the Year of St. Joseph
“Inspired by the Gospel, the Fathers of the Church from the earliest centuries stressed that just as St. Joseph took loving care of Mary and gladly dedicated himself to Jesus Christ’s upbringing, he likewise watches over and protects Christ’s Mystical Body, that is, the Church.”
Saint Pope John Paul II
About the Saints
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower
St. Thérèse of Lisieux was a beautiful soul who longed to do great things for God but soon learned that the “little way” was most efficacious and pleasing to Him. She is a doctor of the Church.
St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi, the Passion Flower of the Eucharist
St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi experienced many ecstasies while suffering a grave illness. Throughout her suffering she drew close to the Divine Heart of Christ.
St. John of the Cross, Doctor of Divine Love
Read the biography of St. John of the Cross, a mystical saint from Spain who was a friend of St. Theresa of Avila.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta Prayer for Priests
“Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration with exposition needs a great push. People ask me: ‘What will convert America and save the world?’ My answer is prayer. What
Prayer for Divine Transformation from Within by St Faustina
The Lord Jesus Christ gave St. Faustina Kowalska a beautiful gift and through her obedience to Him she gave a message of God’s mercy to the world. Jesus revealed to Saint Faustina the way of Christian perfection based on trust in God having mercy on our neighbors.
Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi before the Crucifix
Saint Francis of Assisi had a deep devotion to Jesus in adoration. When he began his ministry of rebuilding the church he entered a ruined church and heard Jesus speak to him from the crucifix.