The St Joseph prayer, “To You, O blessed Joseph” asks the guardian of the Holy Family to also guard us through his intercession 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 the St Joseph Prayer Daily?
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 the St Joseph prayer: “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.
“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.”
About the Saints
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.
Stanzas of the Soul by St. John of the Cross
Stanzas of the Soul by St. John of the Cross is a prayerful journey a soul takes toward union with God.
Beautiful Prayer for Priests by Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
Pray this prayer for priests written by St. Thérèse of Lisieux, to support parish priests in their vocations.
Prayer to St. Peter the Apostle
Pray this prayer to St. Peter the Apostle, the first Pope, who Jesus raised to high authority even though he denied Him three times on Good Friday.
Love Letter to St. Francis of Assisi by St. Clare of Assisi
St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare of Assisi had a profound spiritual friendship that withstood the test of time.
Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel
This prayer to St. Michael the Archangel was written by Pope Leo XIII and published in the Roman Raccolta on July 23, 1898. This prayer to St. Michael the Archangel was recited after Low Mass from 1886 to 1964 in the Catholic Church.