Virgo Potens

Go to Joseph! An ANCIENT PRAYER to SAINT JOSEPH O ST. JOSEPH, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in thee all my interests and desires. O Saint Joseph, assist me by thy powerful intercession and obiain for me all spiritual blessings through thy foster Son, Jesus Christ Our Lord, so that having engaged here below thy heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage. O Saint Joseph, I never weary contemplating thee and Jesus asleep in thine arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near thy 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. Saint Joseph, Patron of departing souls, pray for us. Amen. Favorite Prayers to Saint Joseph (1997)

Month of the St. Joseph ~ March 23rd Application.— Like St. Joseph, let us be submissive to the Will of God, even should painful and unexpected incidents befall us. It is in such times of sudden adversity that most of all we need to turn to God in prayer and acts of resignation, and then to abandon ourselves blindly and in loving trustfulness to the guidance of His Providence. Beg of the Divine Infant, through the merits of St. Joseph, to overthrow in your heart the idols of self-love, pride, and other disorderly affections, and to enable you to conquer your predominant passions. Affections and Resolutions.— “In Thee, O Lord ! have I hoped; I shall not be confounded for ever.” ~ Rev. Joseph McDonnell, S.J., St. Joseph, A Novena of Meditations and Prayers (1926)

2 of 2 Prayer for Priests (continued from above) Obtain for them the humility of St. John the Baptist, the faith of St. Peter, the zeal and charity of St. Paul, the purity of St. John and the spirit of prayer and recollection of which Thou, my dear Saint, are the model, so that, after having been on earth, the faithful dispensers of the Mysteries of thy foster Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, they may in Heaven receive the recompense promised to pastors according to the Heart of God. Amen. Favorite Prayers to Saint Joseph (1997)

(continued below) 2 of 2 Prayer for Priests (continued from above) Obtain for them the humility of St. John the Baptist, the faith of St. Peter, the zeal and charity of St. Paul, the purity of St. John and the spirit of prayer and recollection of which Thou, my dear Saint, are the model, so that, after having been on earth, the faithful dispensers of the Mysteries of thy foster Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, they may in Heaven receive the recompense promised to pastors according to the Heart of God. Amen. Favorite Prayers to Saint Joseph (1997)

1 of 2 PRAYER for PRIESTS O illustrious Patriarch St. Joseph, who carried the Infant Jesus in thy blessed arms and who, during the space of thirty years, lived in the most intimate familiarity with Him, take under thy powerful protection those whom He has clothed with His authority and honored with with the dignity of His priesthood, whom He has charged to continue His mission to preach His Gospel, and to dispense everywhere His graces and blessings. Sustain them in their fatigues and labors; console them in their pains; fortify them in their combats; but above all, keep far from them all the evils of sin. (continued below)

2 of 2 Month of St. Joseph ~ March 22nd 2. Strange rumours reached them on the very night of their arrival in the land of Egypt. The wonder was on every lip. On all sides, it was related, the idols had just fallen prostrate in the pagan temples, struck down by an invisible hand. And Joseph clasped the little Infant to his breast in wondering love and admiration. For now, indeed, for the first time, the omnipotence of the Divinity was clearly manifested in his precious charge. ~ Rev. Joseph McDonnell, S.J., St. Joseph, A Novena of Meditations and Prayers (1926)

1 of 2 Month of the St. Joseph ~ March 22nd 2nd Point — St. Joseph’s Fifth Sorrow and Fifth Joy Consideration.— One night a vision came to Joseph in his sleep. An angel bade him rise and take the Child and His Mother and fly into Egypt. Joseph wakened up his spouse, and with the Child they hurried forth into the darkness. On and on they went across the sandy wastes that seemed to stretch interminably towards Egypt. The weary night winds sigh around them, and the sunrise comes, and still they are toiling on. Sunrise and glowing moon, and sunset and starry midnight, and still the weary travellers journey on, carrying their precious Burden to a far off foreign land. For there are those behind them that would have robbed them of their treasure, had they not hurried out into the desert. And St. Joseph’s heart is full of apprehension lest even still they might be overtaken by their enemies. (continued below)

Dearest St. Joseph, pray for us and help us to defend human life. PRAYER to ST. JOSEPH, Defender of Life USCCB Prayer Campaign to End Abortion March 25, 2024 ~ Supreme Court Ruling in June 2024 Dearest St. Joseph, at the word of an angel, you lovingly took Mary into your home. As God’s humble servant, you guided the Holy Family on the road to Bethlehem, welcomed Jesus as your own Son in the shelter of a manger, and fled far from your homeland for the safety of both Mother and Child. We praise God that as their faithful protector, you never hesitated to sacrifice for those entrusted to you. May your example inspire us also to welcome, cherish, and safeguard God’s most precious gift of life. Help us to faithfully commit ourselves to the service and defense of human life — especially where it is vulnerable or threatened. Obtain for us the grace to do the will of God in all things. Amen. ~ USCCB

ANOTHER PRAYER FOR A HAPPY DEATH O Blessed Joseph, who yielded up thy last breath in arms of Jesus and Mary, obtain for me, I beseech thee, the grace of a happy death. Defend me from the attacks of my enemy in that hour of pain and anguish, to which I now invite thee, that thou mayest assist me by thy presence and protect me by thy power. Obtain for me this grace, O holy Joseph, that I may breathe forth my soul in praise, saying in spirit, if I am unable to do so in words: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give Thee my heart and my soul.” Amen. Favorite Prayers to Saint Joseph (1997)

ANOTHER PRAYER FOR A HAPPY DEATH O Blessed Joseph, who yielded up Thy last breath in arms of Jesus and Mary, obtain for me, I beseech Thee, the grace of a happy death. Defend me from the attacks of my enemy in that hour of pain and anguish, to which I now invite thee, that thou mayest assist me by Thy presence and protect me by thy power. Obtain for me this grace, O holy Joseph, that I may breathe forth my soul in praise, saying in spirit, if I am unable to do so in words: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give Thee my heart and my soul.” Amen. Favorite Prayers to Saint Joseph (1997)

Month of the St. Joseph ~ March 21st Application.— In our own case, too, how often does the prospect of trials awaiting us in days to come awaken feelings of undue anxiety and fear ? How often do we feel discouraged and disheartened at the opposition, the difficulties, the sufferings, that we meet with. The thought that these things are the raw material of our future glory, the price we have to pay for heaven, will console and strengthen us. In our work for God, success is often purchased at the cost of many little disappointments and failures, and of opposition, too, even on the part of well-meaning persons. Affections and Resolutions.— Not to give way to discouragements on such occasions. Be patient, trust in God, and persevere. Labour crossed and thwarted is often the most fruitful. ~ Rev. Joseph McDonnell, S.J., St. Joseph, A Novena of Meditations and Prayers (1926)

PRAYER FOR A HAPPY DEATH O Glorious St. Joseph, behold I choose thee today for my special patron in life and at the hour of my death. Preserve and increase in me the spirit of prayer and fervor in the service of God. Remove far from me every kind of sin; obtain for me that my death may not come upon me unawares, but that I may have time to confess my sins sacramentally and to bewail them with a most perfect understanding and a most sincere and perfect contrition, in order that I may breathe forth my soul into the hands of Jesus and Mary. Amen. Favorite Prayers to Saint Joseph (1997)

2 of 2 Month of St. Joseph ~ March 20th Strange were the words it uttered, “Behold this Child is set for the fall and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign that shall be contradicted”; and to the trembling mother standing by it also spoke, “And thine own soul a sword shall pierce.” The heart of Joseph sank within him as he heard the words of dreadful import opening such a vista of unutterable sorrow in the future lives of those he loved the best on earth. 2. Yet neither was this sorrow unalloyed. For with it came the thought of all the countless souls that this same Child would win for God and heaven above. The suffering and the sorrows of the Man-God and of His Blessed Mother were the price of the redemption of the human race. And joy and heavenly sweetness at the thought of heaven peopled for eternity with souls redeemed, struggled with his sorrow in the breast of Joseph. ~ Rev. Joseph McDonnell, S.J., St. Joseph, A Novena of Meditations and Prayers (1926)

1 of 2 Month of the St. Joseph ~ March 20th The Seven Joys and Sorrows of St. Joseph (continued) 1st Prelude — Behold St. Joseph carrying the Child Jesus up to the Temple, or hurrying with Him in his arms into Egypt. 2nd Prelude — Grace to undeistand and sympathise with the joys and sorrows of St. Joseph. 1st Point — St. Joseph’s Fourth Sorrow and Fourth Joy Consideration.— What a gathering there was, that famous February morning, within the solemn precincts of the second Temple, rendered this day holier than even was its predecessor by the visit of the Man-God. The Messiah and His Blessed Mother and St. Joseph, Holy Simeon and Anne the prophetess, they all were there. And when the rite was done, a voice was heard that broke with awful meaning on the soul of Joseph. (continued below)

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO ST. JOSEPH O dearest St. Joseph ! I consecrate myself to thy honor and give myself to thee, that thou mayest always be my Father, my Protector and my Guide in the way of salvation. Obtain for me a great purity of heart, and a fervent love of the interior life. After thy example may I do all my actions for the greater glory of God, in union with the Divine Heart of Jesus, and with the Immaculate Heart of Mary! And do thou, O blessed St. Joseph, pray for me, that I may share in the peace and joy of thy holy death. Amen. Who Is St. Joseph? (1889)

2 of 2 March 19th ~ FEAST of ST. JOSEPH, SPOUSE OF THE Blessed Virgin Mary, Confessor Devotion to St. Joseph has developed amongst Christian people in so marvelous a manner, following such wonderful laws, that it is impossible not to recognize therein the working of Divine Providence. In the early Church, the festivals were such as referred to the mystery of the salvation of the world. The golden period of devotion to Mary began with the Council of Ephesus. Second only to Mary comes Joseph, who although not the Father of Jesus, had a father’s authority over Him. He was invested with this authority by the Eternal Father. The commands of God to the Holy Family were delivered by an angel to Joseph. During the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries, devotion to him grew rapidly, fostered by St. Bridget of Sweden and St. Bernardine of Siena. Pius IX declared Joseph “Patron of the Universal Church.” ~ The New Roman Missal, 1937 St. Joseph, pray for us.

1 of 2 March 19th ~ FEAST of ST. JOSEPH, SPOUSE OF THE Blessed Virgin Mary, Confessor Joseph, says the Holy Scripture, was a just man; he was innocent and pure; he was gentle and tender; he was prudent and a lover of silence; above all he was faithful and obedient to divine calls. (continued below)

❀•°❀°•❀•°❀°•❀ True Comfort Is to be Sought In God Alone Imitation of Christ ~ Book III, Chapter 16 DISCIPLE WHATSOEVER I can desire or imagine for my comfort, I look not for it in this life, but hereafter. For if I alone should have all the comforts of this world, and might enjoy all its delights, it is certain they could not last long. Wherefore, thou canst not, O my soul, be fully comforted, nor perfectly delighted but in God, the comforter of the poor and the support of the humble. Expect a little while, my soul, wait for the divine promise, and thou wilt have plenty of all that is good in Heaven. If thou desirest too inordinately these pres­ent things, thou wilt lose those that are heavenly and everlasting. Let temporal things serve thine use, but the eternal be the object of thy desire. Thou canst not be fully satisfied with any tem­poral good, because thou wast not created for the enjoyment of such things. 2. Although thou shouldst have all created goods, yet this could not make thee happy and blessed; but in God, who created all things, thy beatitude and happiness consist. Not such a happiness as is seen or extolled by the foolish admirers of this world, but such as good Christians look for, and of which they have sometimes a foretaste who are spiritual and clean of heart, whose conversation is in Heaven. (Phil. 3:20). All human comfort is vain and short. Blessed and true is that comfort which is inwardly received from truth. A devout man always carries about him Jesus, his comforter, and saith to Him: Be with me, O Lord Jesus, in all places and at all times. Let this be my consolation, to be willing to want all human comfort. And if Thy comfort also be withdrawn, let Thy will and just appointment for my trial be to me as the greatest of comforts. "For thou wilt not be angry always, nor wilt thou threaten forever." (Ps. 102:9). ~ Thomas á Kempis, The Imitation of Christ. Translated by the Right Rev. Richard Challoner, D.D. ❀•°❀°•❀•°❀°•❀

2 of 2 Month of St. Joseph ~ March 19th 2. Yet this sorrow was accompanied by consolation. An angel had informed St. Joseph that the Child should be called Jesus. It was St. Joseph’s wondrous privilege to confer the Sacred Name. How great must have been the sanctity of him who thus was chosen to name the Godhead with the name of Jesus, Saviour. What sweetness filled his soul as, for the first time, he breathed that sweetest of all names. Application.— It is sweetness in the heart and honey on the lips of those who often use it with devotion. Affections and Resolutions.— Often to invoke the Sacred Name. “My Jesus, mercy; may I ever love Thee more and more.” Colloquy with St. Joseph. Spiritual Reading.— “Imitation of Christ” Book III., Chapter 16. ~ Rev. Joseph McDonnell, S.J., St. Joseph, A Novena of Meditations and Prayers (1926)

Month of the St. Joseph ~ March 19th 3rd Point — St. Joseph’s Third Sorrow omd Third Joy Consideration.— Eight days after the birth of a Jewish boy, took place the ceremony of circumcision. It was the first shedding of the Saviour’s Blood, His first keen sting of pain. Hard by, His Mother stood, and listened to His Infant cries, and bitter sorrow surged within her heart and that of her dear spouse as they thought of all the suffering that yet awaited Him. It was for our sins the Divine Infant and His Mother and St. Joseph suffered. Should not we, too, be willing to suffer in atonement for our own sins? (continued below)