PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH

by Linda O'Brien, FTI on January 13, 2007 · 0 comments

PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH:

St. Joseph and Holy Family

O Holy St. Joseph!

hear thy suppliant's prayer,

And take me to thy own paternal care;

For thou whom God selected on this earth

To watch the infant Jesus at His birth,

And guard the Virgin Mother of the Child

The ever-blessed Mary, undefiled

 0 thou to whom such wondrous charge was given,

Must surely now be powerful in heaven!

Be, then, dear Father to my Jesus,

be A father and protector unto me ;

 Beseech of Jesus that I may obtain

What none through thee have ever sought in vain

the love of Jesus, with a heart sincere,

Free from the selfishness of hope or fear;

Thus, for God's glory, that I may adore

 Jesus, my Saviour, now and evermore.

And thou, 0 Mary! ever Blessed styled,

The Virgin Mother of the Saviour Child,

With Holy Joseph, take me to thy care,

 For, thus protected, God will hear my prayer!

Amen.

By Linda O'Brien

Prayer to St. Joseph

by Michael F. Flach on October 24, 2001



The fear of future terrorist attacks, including the potential for biological warfare, may be overwhelming to some people. Dr. Joseph Evers, a pediatrician from McLean, would like to share with our readers “an unfailing prayer of protection.” It is the prayer to St. Joseph, protector of the Holy Family and patron of the Universal Church. St. Joseph also is venerated in connection with prayers offered for the grace of a happy death.

Oh, St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires. Oh, St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your divine Son all spiritual blessings, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So that, having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers. Oh, St. Joseph I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me, and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for me.

According to Evers, this prayer was found in the 50th year of our Lord. In 1505 it was sent from the pope to Emperor Charles when he was going into battle. Church tradition states that “whoever reads this prayer or hears it or keeps it about themselves, shall never die a sudden death or be drowned, nor shall poison take effect on them, neither shall they fall into the hands of the enemy, or shall be burned in any fire or shall be overpowered in battle.”

“I have faithfully said this prayer for many, many years and have experienced his unfailing protection,” said Evers. “On two occasions from potential fatal automobile accidents without a scratch and on another occasion when, with my wife off the coast of Puerto Rico, we were caught in an undertow and even though we are terrible swimmers, escaped being drowned.

“The promises speak for themselves,” said Evers. “We hear about poisonous gas, viral particles such as smallpox and the bacterial spores of anthrax the terrorists are itching to use, yet a prayer composed almost 2,000 years ago will protect us today. How glorious is God’s providence and how powerful is St. Joseph.”

(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

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