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
Stanzas of the Soul by St. John of the Cross
Stanzas of the Soul shows the journey a soul takes from its bodily home to its union with God. The journey is called “The Dark Night”, because darkness represents the hardships and difficulties of the soul in its journey toward detachment from the world and union with God.
Beautiful Prayer for Priests by Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
This beautiful prayer for priests was written by St. Thérèse of Lisieux, and is a wonderful way to support our clergy while we are praying to Jesus in the adoration chapel.
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. When St. Francis died, St. Clare continued the vision he had put forth for the Church.
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.
Litany of Transverberation: a Prayer to Saints with Mystical Heart Pangs
The Litany of Transverberation is a prayer to saints who experienced heart pangs in prayer. Transverberation is the act of being ‘pierced through.’