novena in honor of saint joseph

Novena in Honor of Saint JosephNovember 12-20, 2021

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.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 Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us. St. Joseph, pray for us.

Noble offspring of David, pray for us.Light of 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. Zealous Defender 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 workmen, pray for us. Glory of domestic life, pray for us. Guardian of virgins, pray for us.

Pillar of families, pray for us. Comfort of the afflicted, 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 Holy Church, pray for us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

V. He made him the lord of his household. R. And prince over all his possessions.

Let us pray: O God, in your loving providence, chose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of your most holy Mother; grant, us the favor of having him for our intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerate as our protector. You, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen. Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Litany of St. Joseph

St. Joseph, whose intercession is so great, so strong, so prompt before your beloved foster-son Jesus Our Lord, I place in you all my desires for myself, my family and friends and my Church. Oh, St. Joseph, do assist me and obtain from your divine Son all spiritual blessings, (mention intentions) and in a special way for the success of the Year of the Eucharist in the Diocese of Springfield. So that, having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers. St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for me.

Novena

DAY 1THE LEADER

Most Rev. William Byrne

“Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

- Matthew 20, xxviii

Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Our great Leader taught us that great leaders are not served, but are those who serve. He laid down His life for us on the Cross and so showed us that sacrifice is the way of true love. St. Joseph was model of this love, a love that taught his boy true leadership. Shepherding his family to Egypt to keep Jesus safe from the deadly plans of Herod, Joseph was a leader of courage and ingenuity. A young Jesus must have watched Joseph crafting with a mallet and chisel. Great leaders roll up their sleeves and get the job done. Jesus would have seen His foster father give all to keep Him and His Blessed Mother provided for and protected. This all-in type of love modeled to our Lord what a good pastor should be.

St. Joseph is a model of leadership that shows us how to lay down our lives for others in the tasks both great and small of each day.

Pray the Novena Prayer

DAY 2FOSTER-FATHER OF THE SON OF GOD

Very Rev. Piotr Calik

“When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.

The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.”

- Luke 2, xxxix-lx

A foster father is a man who takes the place of a biological father in raising a child. With that in mind, we can in a very simple way describe St. Joseph who became a foster father of Jesus.

First, he followed the Law of the Lord, as every person to whom the care of the child is entrusted by the parent. Second, he did everything he should, not only protect a child, but also to help Him grow in all aspects that might be helpful in life. Third, St. Joseph was a very humble man. He recognized his place with respect to Mary and Jesus. He accepted his role as spouse of Mary and guardian of Jesus. He truly knew his mission and never considered himself more than he was—but also not less than he was. He was just there to watch over the Son of God and prepare him for his mission.

The beauty of his role was his simple way of living and carrying.


DAY 3FAITHFUL & MOST CHASTE SPOUSE

Rev. Ryan Rooney

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from unchastity; that each one of you

knows how to keep his own body with holiness and reverence, not as the object of lustful passions.”

- 1 Thessalonians 4, iii-v

According to St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Joseph’s original decision to divorce Mary in secret when he found she was with child was not because he thought Mary was unfaithful, but because he did not find himself worthy to be a chaste spouse. It’s only natural that a man would want to have relations with his wife. Mary was to remain a virgin, and he was afraid he couldn’t accept a celibate life while being married to the most beautiful woman ever created. But after the angel Gabriel’s visit to him in a dream, Joseph’s faith in God’s plan allowed him to become the faithful husband he was. Not all are called to celibacy, but all are called to self-mastery and a sincere gift of one’s self. He gives us the confidence to accept our own vocations, because with God’s help we can live them out in our bodies with holiness and reverence.


DAY 4PROTECTOR OF THE HOLY CHURCH

Rev. Ryan Sliwa

“Just as Mary, Mother of the Savior, is spiritual mother of all Christians . . . Joseph looks on all Christians as

having been confided to himself . . . He is the defender of the Holy Church, which is truly the House of God

and the Kingdom of God on earth.”- Leo XIII, Quamquam pluries

A bit of Latin etymology tells us that a protector is someone who puts a roof over you. Every father does this for his family, and we know St. Joseph did this preeminently. The evidence of the Gospels is clear on that score. But far be it from us to think that St. Joseph’s solicitude ended on the day he died. After all, if St. Thérèse could say that she would spend her heaven doing good on earth, surely we can imagine St Joseph doing the same.

Indeed, the Church is the House of God, and St. Joseph knows about roofs: he more than once provided a roof for Our Lord and Our Lady. But there’s a reminder for us contained in all this —Our lives are filled with goods that need protecting; without protecting them, we lose them. Jesus and Mary were supreme gifts for the salvation of the human race, and St. Joseph kept them safe from all harm. Therefore, then as now, St. Joseph is adept at protecting us from whatever sort of Herod or hostile element may come threatening.


DAY 5PRUDENT MAN OF ACTION

Rev. John McDonagh

“At the end of every account in which Joseph plays a role, the Gospel tells us that he gets up, takes the child and

his mother and does what God commands him.”- Francis, Patris Corde

God trusts that Joseph is a man of action. Crisis after crisis, Joseph prudently responds to the latest on God’s “to do list.” When Mary announces she is pregnant, Joseph generously protects her and the child. When there is no possibility of an Airbnb reservation for the mother of our Savior, Joseph turns a stable into a safe house for Mary. When jealous Herod searches to kill the child, Joseph takes them away to Egypt. While the writers don’t offer details, it falls to Joseph to find food, housing and employment in a foreign country.

Remarkably, Joseph trusts that God works through one crisis after another. And, God trusts that Joseph will prudently know what to do in the middle of each. How God knows who to ask to be the father of Jesus: Joseph! Does not Jesus as a boy learn to trust God through Joseph’s way of proceeding?

St. Joseph, encourage us to pivot to trusting God upon the arrival of the next crisis in our times or lives. Amen.


DAY 6NOBLE OFFSPRING OF DAVID

Rev. Robert Miskell

“And David the king begot Solomon... And Solomon begot Roboam. And Roboam begot Abia. And Abia begot Asa. And Asa begot Josaphat. And Josaphat begot Joram. And Joram begot Ozias. And Ozias begot Joatham. And Joatham begot Achaz. And Achaz begot Ezechias. And

Ezechias begot Manasses. And Manasses begot Amon. And Amon begot Josias. And Josias begot Jechonias and his brethren in the

transmigration of Babylon... Jechonias begot Salathiel. And Salathiel begot Zorobabel. And Zorobabel begot Abiud. And Abiud begot Eliacim. And Eliacim begot Azor.And Azor begot Sadoc. And Sadoc begot Achim.

And Achim begot Eliud.And Eliud begot Eleazar. And Eleazar begot Mathan. And Mathan begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Joseph the

husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” - Matthew 1, vi-xvi

St. Joseph is certainly a most noble offspring of St. David the King, but what does this mean? The Oxford American Dictionary defines the word noble as both (1) belonging to a special, high social class and (2) as having high moral principles and personal qualities. Offspring means that one is descended from a person, such as being the son or grandson of someone. St. Joseph fits these well.

As the Gospels explain his family’s lineage, he is directly descended from King David, and thus he is born of a royal family line, one chosen by God Himself. His family lost power, but still kept their sacred right to the throne. He is a noble offspring by birth, but not that alone. St. Joseph showed real virtue and strength in his life, a real nobility of soul, despite the challenges he faced. God chose him to be foster father and husband in the Holy Family, protector of the greatest treasures on earth: God the Son (in Jesus) and the Mother of God, Mary. Adopting the Son of God as his own, he gave Jesus the earthly claim to the Kingdom of Israel, David’s own kingdom.

St. Joseph, Noble Offspring of David, pray for us!


DAY 7MOST COURAGEOUS

Rev. Stanislaus Achu

“An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and go….’

Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went.”- Matthew 2, xiii, xiv, xix-xxi

St. Joseph models the type of father and husband that is not deterred by danger, fear, uncertainty or comfort, for that matter. He is a brave and valiant father and husband; most courageous. His courage moved him to believe the word of God that came to him in a dream. This belief invigorated him the more to act without doubt or fear of the unknown. This courage sustained him through the arduous journey in the desert to Egypt and back, thus saving the life of his family.

St. Joseph, most courageous, obtain for me from your Son, that same courage to hear and believe the voice of God as to be His brave and courageous child in carrying out my duties virtuously, Amen.


DAY 8TERROR OF DEMONS

Rev. David Aufiero

“The whole of man’s history has been the story of dire combat with the powers of evil… Finding himself in the midst of the

battlefield man has to struggle to do what is right, and it is at great cost to himself, and aided by God’s grace, that he succeeds

in achieving his own inner integrity.”- Gaudium et Spes

Gaudium et Spes, which is the Pastoral Constitution of Vatican II, teaches that we engage in a battle of faith over the course of our lives. We have to struggle to grow in virtue, which are, good habits that help shape our character, giving the best of ourselves and performing right acts pleasing to God. By the work of the devil or Satan, we are constantly tempted to do the wrong thing. We need to look toward St. Joseph as a model of virtue. He was just, chaste, prudent, courageous and above all, was a faithful father and spouse. He conquered all temptation to sin and earns the title, Terror of Demons. Let us turn to him with confidence when we face temptation and ask for his intercession. St. Joseph, Terror of Demons, pray for us!


DAY 9HOPE OF THE SICK, PATRON OF THE DYING

Rev. Frank Furman

“Now you dismiss your servant, O Lord, according to your word in peace.”

- Luke 2, xxix

It might surprise some to hear that St. Joseph is a saint whom we can all look to in times of sickness and death. Tradition says that St. Joseph actually died from the joy of beholding God. That is because God had been protecting St. Joseph from more of the fullness of His presence in this life, which no mortal (including Moses) could handle. When we think about the choir of angels closest to God, the seraphim, aka the “burning ones,” their presence is so close to God that they are on fire from proximity to the Almighty; knowing this, the cause of St. Joseph’s death seems completely plausible. Joseph was always strengthened by the presence of both Jesus and Mary throughout his life. He was especially strengthened at his passing from this world to the next because Jesus and Mary were at his side when he died. What a way to depart this life, with such peace and in the best of company! When we are sick and pray for his help, we ask God’s presence to be increased in our lives. When we pray to St. Joseph for a happy death, we are praying for a death just as good as his before we enter eternal beatitude.

St. Joseph, hope of the sick and patron of the dying, pray for us!

Pray the Litany of St. Joseph


Diocese of springfielD

Cover Photo Courtesy of Jacob Bentzinger

novena in honor of saint joseph

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