The Litany of St. Joseph

This is the fifth in a series of posts about St. Joseph leading up to the Solemnity of St Joseph, spouse of the Virgin Mary, which is one of the solemnities during which altar flowers are permitted even though it is Lent.  Praying the litany is especially appropriate for a triduum or novena to St. Joseph.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ have mercy.
Holy Trinity, one God. Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Noble son of the House of David, pray for us.
Light of patriarchs, pray for us.
Husband of the Mother of God, pray for us.
Guardian of the Virgin, pray for us.
Foster father of the Son of God, pray for us.
Faithful guardian of Christ, pray for us.
Head of the holy family, pray for us.
Joseph, chaste and just, pray for us.
Joseph, prudent and brave, pray for us.
Joseph, obedient and loyal, pray for us.
Pattern of patience, pray for us.
Lover of poverty, pray for us.
Model of workers, pray for us.
Example to parents, pray for us.
Guardian of virgins, pray for us.
Pillar of family life, pray for us.
Comfort of the troubled, pray for us.
Hope of the sick, pray for us.
Patron of the dying, pray for us.
Terror of evil spirits, pray for us.
Protector of the Church, pray for us.

Lamb of God, you take away
the sins of the world.
Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away
the sins of the world.
Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away
the sins of the world.
Have mercy on us.

V. God made him master of his household.
R. And put him in charge of all that he owned.

Let us pray.
Almighty God,
in your infinite wisdom and love
you chose Joseph to be the husband of Mary,
the mother of your Son.
As we enjoy his protection on earth,
may we have the help of his prayers in heaven.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.

March 19 is the feast day of St. Joseph, patron of the universal Church.
The image above is the painting "Joseph with the Infant Christ" by Murillo (1666)

St. Joseph: The Model of Manhood

This is the fourth in a series of posts leading up to the Solemnity of St. Joseph on March 19 when altar flowers are permitted even though it is Lent.

As one commentator states:

"Why did God choose St. Joseph? Of all the thousands of Jewish men, many of whom no doubt were righteous, why was a humble carpenter chosen for the task of being the earthly father of the Savior? The answer is simple: God knew St. Joseph would immediately do anything that was asked of him, no matter how difficult.

"The saints agree that conformity to the will of God through prompt obedience is one of the surest paths to holiness. St. Joseph exemplified this virtue, and a perfect example is the flight into Egypt. The angel of the Lord appeared to St. Joseph in a dream, warning him of the danger that was coming. Scripture then tells us that, “When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt.” Did you catch that? The minute he woke up, he obeyed. He didn’t let fear of uncertainty paralyze him, he didn’t spend weeks planning, and he didn’t save up some money first. He took Jesus and Mary and left for Egypt, entrusting his family to the providence of God. That is prompt obedience, and that is why  St. Joseph was entrusted with the greatest responsibility ever given to a man."

 From The Catholic Gentleman via Tea at Trianon

 Image: James Tissot's Flight into Egypt.  Brooklyn Museum

St. Joseph, Mary Garden Patron

This is the third in a series about St. Joseph leading up to the Solemnity of St. Joseph on March 19, one of the Lenten days during which altar flowers are permitted.

Artist Ade Bethune, a Mary gardener, designed the statue depicted above for placement in her Mary Garden. I found an article about the statue on the extensive Mary Gardens website years ago.  Unfortunately, the University of Dayton, the holder of Mary gardener John Stokes' very rich Mary Gardens treasure trove, recently reconfigured the website and I am no longer able to provide a link.

Here is what the article said about St. Joseph:

"As prayerful workman, most chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin, and foster father of Jesus, he is the example and inspiration for every aspect of our Mary Garden work, both prayerful and practical. . . .

"To bring St. Joseph closer to us as we work with the soil, and to assist us in meditating on his example, in beseeching his intercession and in contemplating his life with Mary and Jesus, we can use to advantage a suitable outdoor image or likeness of St. Joseph. . . .

"This statue is identified as that of St. Joseph, most chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin and foster father of Jesus, by the flowering staff, the traditional emblem of St. Joseph, clasped in his left hand.

"St. Joseph, patron of all workmen and provider for the Holy Family, is represented in a special manner for garden and farm workmen as kneeling at garden work with a small cultivating tool in his right hand.

"A sense of St. Joseph's fidelity to grace and to the interior life, and of his faithful watchfulness for God's will and providence, is conveyed by the artist's representation of his countenance and of the entire bearing of his body.

"At the same time, the statue's body and countenance show a strength which bespeaks St. Joseph's fitness as protector of the Holy Family and the Church and also as model for all workmen. It likewise testifies to the strength of his purity and chastity.

"The cultivating tool recalls for us that garden work and all work is a stewardship of God's creatures. It recalls also the analogies between the cultivation of plant life and of the spiritual life. . . .

"Beholding the statue as we work outdoors, we are reminded that all our work, too, should be performed recollectedly, with prayerful intentions and custody of heart, and that from time to time we should pause for a moment to give our attention fully to Our Lady and to the divine Child, that our work, like St. Joseph's, will become a continual prayer of devotion, praise and thanksgiving."