Acts that the Christian Should Perform Every Day

Acts that the Christian Should Perform Every Day

On Rising, after having made the Sign of the Cross

My God! I adore You, I love You with my whole heart. I thank You for all Your benefits, especially for having preserved me during the past night. I offer You all my actions and sufferings of this day, in union with the actions of Jesus and Mary; and I make the intention of gaining all the indulgences that I can gain. I purpose, O Lord! to avoid offending You this day, especially.

It is good to make a resolution, particularly about the fault into which we fall the most often.

I beg You, for the love of Jesus, to grant me the grace of perseverance. I resolve to conform myself to Your holy will, and particularly in those things that are contrary to my inclination, saying always, O Lord! Your will be done. My Jesus, keep Your hand over me this day! Most Holy Virgin Mary, take me beneath your mantle. And do You, O Eternal Father, help me for the love of Jesus and Mary! O my angel guardian and my holy patron saints, assist me.

Say the Our Father, Hail Mary, Creed; three Hail Marys: in honor of the purity of Mary.

My Week in the Wounds

My Week in the Wounds

“Everyday of the week enter into one of the Wounds of the Saviour and remain in it with love.”  - Saint Francis of Sales to Saint Jeanne of Chantal

SUNDAY

O my most amiable Lord Jesus, filled with respect, I associate myself to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, your Mother, to adore your Holy Humanity humiliated. I adore the Holy Wound of your Right Hand and I thank You for the infinite love with which You wanted to endure so numerous and cruel sufferings to expiate for my sins which I detest with all my heart. I recommend to You your Cherished People, your Church for which You gave yourself up, out of love. Bless and protect your Vicar on earth.

O my most amiable Lord Jesus, Immolated Lamb, United to the whole Celestial Court and with all the faithful on earth, I adore the Wound of your Left Hand. I thank You, 0 Lord, it is on account of our sins that You have been transfixed. I recommend to You all the dying people of this day. Touch the hearts of the most hardened sinners.

Eternal Father, Father of mercy and God of all consolations, under the movement of your Holy Spirit and through the most pure hands of Mary, I offer You my humble life in union with the Passion and Resurrection of your Son Jesus. Receive his Sacred Wounds which implore mercy for everyone of us and heal the wounds of humanity.

O my most amiable Jesus, You, who for our sins have been struck unto death, I love You. Humbly, I adore the Sacred Wound of your Right Foot. Help all people who want to serve You more closely. Make of your priests and of all your consecrated souls ardent lamps that light and warm up today's world.

O my most amiable Jesus, in union with all the souls that are still detained far from You in the expiatory flames of Purgatory and who yearn to be with You, I adore the Sacred Wound of your Left Foot. Have mercy on those souls that languish while waiting for your mercy. Help the persons tried by the difficulties of life and who walk in darkness. Be their only hope.

Eternal Father, most loving Father, I offer You the Wounds of Jesus crucified and resurrected to heal the wounds of our souls.

O my most amiable Jesus, it is through your sufferings that You have saved the multitudes. You who let Yourself be crushed under the weight of the sins of the world, receive our love, receive our worship. I particularly adore the Wound of your Open Side, your Transfixed Heart. Be our refuge; it is through your Wounds that we are healed.

O my most amiable Lord Jesus, your Holy Face was marred by the wickedness of men, by our sins. The chastisement which brings us peace fell upon You. The Crown of thorns ploughs into your Skull, your venerable Brow, your Sacred Head, Temple of the Divine Wisdom. I love You and adore You, 0 Lord Jesus. The Wound of your Bruised Shoulder, the Wounds of your Lacerated Knees and those of your atrocious scourging are as so many mouths that shout to us your love, amiable Savior. I recommend to You all the miserable and those for whom I must pray and who rely upon my prayers.

Eternal Father, most loving Father, I offer You with my humble life all the Bloody and Triumphant Wounds of your Son Jesus to heal the wounds of humanity.

MONDAY

Through You, Lord Jesus crucified and resurrected, the world will be renewed. Change the hearts, one by one, through contact with your Transfixed Heart, rectify the minds through contact with your Sacred Head crowned with thorns, Temple of the Divine Wisdom; change all our habits through contact with every one of your Bloody and Triumphant Wounds.

O Mary, Sorrowful Mother, offer to the Holy Trinity the Wounds and sufferings of the Sacred Humanity of our Savior Jesus Christ, your Son; to this offering, join our sinful lives with their joys, their pains, their worries, their works.

Lord Jesus crucified, your hands are nailed down; we will be your hands throughout the world, to bless, to work, to nurse, and to serve; your feet are nailed down; everywhere we will bear your Presence and your Word. Yes, 0 beloved Jesus, we will be your Head in humiliation, your Limbs in action, your Heart in love!

Lord Jesus, your Body crucified and resurrected is an immense glowing fire. Every one of your Glorious Wounds radiates beneficial light and redeeming warmth upon the world.

TUESDAY

O my amiable Jesus crucified and resurrected, You are the BOOK of the unlearned and of the simple of heart, the PARDON of sinners, the LIGHT of the unbelievers, the CONQUEROR of the godless, the FIRE that set ablaze the lukewarm. Bea most loving BROTHER, the ALL to the fervent souls.

Eternal Father, most loving Father, under the loving impulse of your Holy Spirit, I offer You the Painful and Glorious Wounds of your beloved Son; receive also, for our salvation, the co-redemptrix tears of his Immaculate Mother.

Mary, Immaculate Mother, compassionate Mother of Jesus crucified, trade our hearts for yours. We give you our heart, our thoughts, our miseries, our wishes, and you will give us your Heart which burns in unison to that of your Son's, with his thoughts, his mercies and his wishes.

With all the Celestial Court, I adore You, 0 Jesus crucified and resurrected, particularly with the angels of God. I cling to You, my only certitude; I hold fast to You, my life-saving buoy.

Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, compassionate Mother, you have contemplated the Wounds of Jesus one by one, your motherly Heart has also been deeply transfixed. All those sufferings, you wanted them, accepted them, offered them because they were the Father's will to save us through the Wounds and the Blood of your beloved Son.

WEDNESDAY

Eternal Father, Author of all perfect gift, in order to make us understand your merciful love for us, You have not disdained to send us your only-begotten Son on earth where He lived in the conditions of a slave. It is through love for us that He has wanted to endure his horrible Passion, be scourged, crowned with thorns, be overlaid with wounds and die on the Cross. You have therefore exalted Him by giving Him a Name that is above all names. Lord, your mysteries are unfathomable!

Most loving Father, I offer You my life and my actions, in union with the Holy Wounds of Jesus and the tears of his Blessed Mother.

O Sorrowful Mother, with you, I contemplate, one after the other, the Wounds of your Divine Son. I contemplate those Glorious Wounds through which the sufferings of humanity are transformed into eternal glory.

O Jesus, your Wounds are wide-opened doors to Heaven; remember me in your Paradise.

THURSDAY

O Lord Jesus, You have loved us so much that You have given Yourself up for every one of men; You have become one of us, spoken our language, You the Word, and You have wanted to restore everything in your Blood with which You sprinkled the whole earth. You have given Yourself up into our hands: "Take... eat... for this is my Body"! However, in daily life, men do not believe You and do not trust your love. You, "who has vanquished the world", when, Lord Jesus, will You conquer our mistrusting and incredulous hearts?

Lord Jesus, through your Sacrifice on the Cross, You have kindled the fire of love on hearth. This fire, You wish to see it revived and spread through the whole world so that it become a huge and unextinguishable glowing fire. May the sight of your Wounds, O amiable Jesus, rekindle a simple feeling of compassion in the most hardened hearts. That humble spark, all humane, will suffice to fan the ardour of your Love and then it will burst out like a violent conflagration. Yes, 0 Jesus, You are truly marvelous in your tenderness and your might! Your Glorified Wounds are as so many suns which light and purify hearts. By your sign, the sign of the Cross, you shall conquer!

FRIDAY

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, we often experience confusion but we rarely practice true humility which is the virtue of the trusting, simple and pure souls. It is in the widely-opened Wounds of your Sacred Heart, that through your merits, we shall acquire it. It is there also that we shall understand meekness and gentleness and that we shall renounce our own will as your dead Heart has let itself be transfixed by the lance. May your love teach us renouncement of self, so that we wish only your glory and the salvation of souls.

Lord Jesus crucified and resurrected, let us hear anew your supreme cry of mercy: "Father, pardon them for they do not know what they are doing!" We shall hear You deplore the thirst of souls; we join our voices to yours and shout out a vibrant call to all, particularly to those who oppose it, the revolted, the embittered, the lukewarm, the apostates, and the divorced... Father, hear our sighs united to that of your beloved Son; rectify all minds and purify all hearts in the love of your Holy Spirit.

O Jesus, the absence of your apostle Peter on Calvary has torn your Heart; it was then that your imploring gaze was directed towards a criminal who was insulting You. Cast, 0 Lord, a glance of kindness and love upon us as You did for the thief, and after his example, repentant, grant us to openly proclaim your glory, being assured of your might and mercy.

SATURDAY

O Mary, Sorrowful Mother, you want to bring everyone of us to recognize your Son crucified and resurrected as our only Savior; unite our lives to His and His Sacrifice, offer them to our common Heavenly Father. Gather us all in the Wounds of Jesus as in a safe shelter. You are, 0 Mary, the mother of the weak, the suffering, the discouraged, the embittered, the revolted and the soiled. We rely upon you to lead us, full of hope, to the foot of the Crucifix, the standard of the Holy Church. Make us all zealous and faithful standard-bearers.

O Mary, Immaculate Mother, the Wounds of your Son Jesus are eternally engraved in your Heart; grant us that, for us also, his Sacred Wounds be deeply imprinted in our hearts.

In your Glorious Wounds, Lord Jesus, I have nothing to fear neither from myself, nor from others, nor from the devil; You are, 0 Jesus, my shield, my ram part, my refuge, my rock; before whom should I tremble?

Most Holy Father, most Merciful Father, through the breath of your Spirit and the most pure hands of Mary, I offer You my humble life, the cruel Passion of your Son, his transfixed Heart, his Sacred Head crowned with thorns, his Holy Face marred, his Precious Blood, the Wounds of his Hands, of his Feet, of his Shoulder and of all his dislocated Body. Father, receive this infinite offering and make us the zealous apostles and the faithful companions of Jesus crucified and resurrected and of Mary Immaculate.

Lord Jesus, we lay our humble lives in your Sacred Wounds; make us participants of your Divinity so that with You and all humanity, we constitute a pure offering to the glory of our Heavenly Father.

O my Jesus, through the merits of your Holy Wounds and your Precious Blood, we beseech You, inflame with the zeal of your love and your glory all the priests of the world, all the missionaries and every one of us, so that we proclaim your Word and, by so doing, the souls be taken away from the devil and led into the asylum of your Heart where they will, with You, eternally be able to glorify the infinite mercy of the Father. Amen.

Image taken from Wikimedia Commons

Prayers and Meditations to Our Lady of Sorrows for each Day of the Week

Prayers and Meditations 

to Our Lady of Sorrows for each Day of the Week

MONDAY

V. O God, come to my assistance.

R. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be ...

The First Sorrow of Mary

St. Simeon’s  Prophecy

In the Temple, St. Simeon had received the Divine Child in his arms and predicted that this Child would be a sign (of God) which shall be contradicted by men. “Behold this Child is set … for a sign which shall be contradicted. And Thy own soul a sword shall pierce.” (Lk. 2:34-35).

Verse: My Mother! share Thy grief with me, and let me bear Thee company to mourn Thy Jesus’ death with Thee.

Meditation

The Blessed Virgin told St. Matilda that when St. Simeon pronounced these words “all Her joy was changed into sorrow.” For, as was revealed to St. Teresa, although the Blessed Mother already knew that the life of Her Son would be sacrificed for the salvation of the world, She then learned more distinctly and in greater detail what sufferings and what a cruel death awaited Him. She knew that He would be persecuted and opposed in every way. He would be opposed in His teaching: instead of being believed, He would be called a blasphemer for claiming to be the Son of God. The reprobate Caiphas was to say: “He hath blasphemed … He is guilty of death” (Mt. 26:65-66). He would be opposed in His reputation: for though He was of noble, even of royal descent, He was despised as a peasant: “Is not this the carpenter’s son?” (Mt. 13:55). “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?” (Mk. 6:3). He was Wisdom itself, and was treated as ignorant: “How doth this man know letters, having never learned?” (Jn. 7:15). As a false prophet: “And they blindfolded Him, and smote His face … saying: Prophesy, who is it that struck Thee?” (Lk. 22:64). He was treated as a madman: “He is mad, why hear you Him?” (Jn. 10:20). As a drunkard, a glutton, and a friend of sinners: “Behold a man that is a glutton, and a drinker of wine, a friend of publicans and sinners” (Lk. 7:34). As a sorcerer: “By the prince of devils He casteth out devils” (Mt. 9:34). As a heretic and one possessed by the evil spirit: “Do not we say well that Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?” (Jn. 8:48). In short, Jesus was considered so notoriously wicked that, as the Jews said to Pilate, no trial was necessary to condemn Him. “If He were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered Him up to thee” (Jn. 18:30).

One Our Father … Seven Hail Marys ...

Flower Prayers of St. Gertrude

Flower Prayers of St. Gertrude

To Jesus

Hail! Vivifying Gem of Divine Nobility! 
Hail, Most Loving Jesus, Unfading 
Flower of Human Dignity! 
Thou art my Sovereign and only Good.

Promise: After reciting this prayer, St. Gertrude was visited by Our Lord, who told her: "Whosover salutes Me, as you have done, in reparation for the blasphemies and outrages which are poured forth on me throughout the world, when he is tempted at the hour of his death and accused by the demon, will be consoled by me.

To Mary

HAIL, White Lily, of the ever-peaceful and glorious Trinity! 
Hail, Vermilion Rose, the delight of Heaven, of whom the King 
of Heaven was born and by whose milk He was nourished! 
Do thou feed our souls with the effusions of your divine influences.

Version taken from Herald of Divine Love

Hail O radiant Lily of the ever-peaceful Trinity! O resplendent rose of Heavenly Charm! Hail paradise of delights, O most beautiful habitation of God! 

Promise: During an apparition of the Blessed Mother, St. Gertrude noted that the Holy Trinity was depicted under the form of a white lily with three petals. The Blessed Mother made it known that she would exert her influence with the Holy Trinity on behalf of those who saluted her as the White Lily of the Trinity and the Vermilion Rose of Heaven. She then added: "I will appear at the hour of death to those who salute me thus, in such glory that they will anticipate the very joys of Heaven."

Image from Waiting for the Word

Daily Act of Oblation

Daily Act of Oblation

O LORD JESUS CHRIST, in union with that divine intention with which Thou didst on earth offer praises to GOD through thy Sacred Heart, and now dost continue to offer them in all places in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and wilt do so to the end of the world, I most willingly offer Thee, throughout this entire day without the smallest exception, all my intentions and thoughts, all my affections and desires, all my words and actions, that they may be conformed to the most sacred heart of the blessed Virgin Mary ever Immaculate.

From the Raccolta
Image Credit Waiting for the Word

Daily Act of Oblation

Daily Act of Oblation

O LORD JESUS CHRIST, in union with that divine intention with which Thou didst on earth offer praises to GOD through thy Sacred Heart, and now dost continue to offer them in all places in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and wilt do so to the end of the world, I most willingly offer Thee, throughout this entire day without the smallest exception, all my intentions and thoughts, all my affections and desires, all my words and actions, that they may be conformed to the most sacred heart of the blessed Virgin Mary ever Immaculate.

From the Raccolta

Image Credit Waiting for the Word

The Seven Fatima Prayers

The Seven Fatima Prayers

During the course of the apparitions at Fatima, the three child seers were taught five unique and powerful prayers, two by the Angel of Peace and three by the Mother of God. Later, appearing to Sister Lucy at Rianjo, Spain, Our Lord Jesus Christ dictated two further prayers. For millions of people, these prayers are today a living embodiment of the Message of hope and peace which Our Lady gave the world at Fatima. 

In the past few years, through the efforts of Our Lady's Apostolate, a pious practice has developed of reciting one (or more) of these prayers on a daily basis. The following schedule of prayers is a suggestion only; please feel free to recite them in any order which you find most comforting and appropriate.

MONDAY

"Sweet Heart of Mary, be the salvation of Russia, Spain, Portugal, Europe (Brazil, Canada, the United States) and the whole world." 

TUESDAY

"By Thy pure and Immaculate Conception, O Mary, obtain for me the conversion of Russia, Spain, Portugal, Europe (Brazil, Canada, the United States) and the whole world."

WEDNESDAY

"My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee. I ask pardon for all those who do not believe in Thee, do not adore Thee, do not hope in Thee, do not love Thee!"

THURSDAY

"Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, I adore Thee profoundly, and I offer Thee the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of the same Son Jesus Christ, present in the Tabernacles of the world, in reparation for all the sacrileges, outrages and indifferences by which He is offended. And by the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart, and through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners."

FRIDAY

O Most Holy Trinity, I adore Thee; My God, My God, I love Thee in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

SATURDAY

O My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need.

SUNDAY

O My Jesus, it is for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer this sacrifice to Thee. 

For more information on Fatima visit Fatima.org

Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons

Did you enjoy this Post? Share it by clicking one of the Icons below 

An Aspiration to the Eternal Father to Be Frequently Recited During the Day

An Aspiration to the Eternal Father 

to Be Frequently Recited During the Day

ETERNAL FATHER, 

I offer Thee the Holy Face of Jesus, 

covered with blood, sweat, dust and spittle, 

in reparation for the crimes of communists, 

blasphemers, and for the profaners of the Holy Name 

and of the Holy Day of Sunday.

Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons

Daily Consecration to the Holy Ghost

Daily Consecration to the Holy Ghost

MOST HOLY GHOST, receive the consecration that I make of my entire being. From this moment on, come into every area of my life and into each of my actions. Thou art my Light, my Guide, my Strength, and the sole desire of my heart. I abandon myself without reserve to Thy Divine action, and I desire to be ever docile to Thine inspirations. O Holy Ghost, transform me, with and through Mary, into another Christ Jesus, for the glory of the Father and the salvation of the world. Amen.

Image Credit Waiting forthe Word

Prayers for Each Day in the Week in Aid of the Souls in Purgatory

Prayers for Each Day in the Week in Aid of the Souls in Purgatory

SUNDAY 
Lord God omnipotent, I beseech Thee, by the Precious Blood which Thy Divine Son Jesus shed in the garden, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and amongst them all especially that soul which is most destitute of aid; and bring it to Thy glory, there to praise and bless Thee forever. Amen. 

Our Father, Hail Mary, and the De Profundis 

MONDAY 
Lord God omnipotent, I beseech Thee, by the Precious Blood which Thy Divine Son Jesus shed in His cruel scourging, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and amongst them all, especially that Soul which is nearest to its entrance into Thy glory; that so, it may soon begin to praise and bless Thee forever. Amen. 

Our Father, Hail Mary, and the De Profundis 

TUESDAY 
Lord God omnipotent, I beseech Thee, by the Precious Blood which Thy Divine Son Jesus shed in His bitter crowning with thorns, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and in particular, amongst them all, deliver that one which would be the last to issue from those pains, that it tarry not so long a time before it comes to praise Thee in Thy glory and bless Thee forever. Amen. 

Our Father, Hail Mary, and the De Profundis  

WEDNESDAY 
LORD God omnipotent, I beseech Thee, by the Precious Blood which Thy Divine Son Jesus shed through the streets of Jerusalem when He carried the crust upon His sacred shoulders, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and especially that Soul which is richest in merits before Thee; that so, on that throne of glory which awaits it, it may magnify Thee and bless Thee forever. Amen. 

Our Father, Hail Mary, and the De Profundis 

THURSDAY 
LORD God omnipotent, I beseech Thee, by the Precious Body and Blood of Thy Divine Son Jesus, which He gave with His Own hand upon the eve of His passion to His beloved Apostles to be their meat and drink, and which He left to His whole Church to be a perpetual sacrifice and life-giving food of His Own faithful people, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and especially that one which was most devoted to this mystery of infinite love; that, with Thy Divine Son, and with Thy Holy Spirit, it may ever praise Thee for this Thy wondrous love in Thy eternal glory. Amen. 

Our Father, Hail Mary, and the De Profundis 

FRIDAY 
LORD God omnipotent, I beseech Thee, by the Precious Blood which Thy Divine Son shed on this day, upon the wood of the Cross, from His most sacred hands and feet, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and especially that Soul for which I am most bound to pray; that the blame rest not with me that Thou bringest it not forthwith to praise Thee in Thy glory and to bless Thee forever. Amen. 

Our Father, Hail Mary, and the De Profundis 

SATURDAY
Lord God omnipotent, I beseech Thee, by the Precious Blood which gushed forth from the side of Thy Divine Son Jesus in the sight and to the extreme pain of His most holy Mother deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and especially that one amongst them all which was ever the most devout to this great Lady; that it may soon attain unto Thy glory, there to praise Thee in her, and her in Thee, world without end. Amen. 

Our Father, Hail Mary, and the De Profundis 

Image Credit Waiting for the Word

Daily Devotions to Saint Joseph with Reflections for Every Day

Prayer To Be Said Every Day After Each Day's Special Reflection

Most holy patriarch, St. Joseph, I rejoice at the great dignity to which thou hast been raised in being made foster father of the Son of God, endowed with authority to command Him Whom Heaven and earth obey. 

My holy patron, since Jesus Himself respected and served thee as His father, I, too, wish to enroll myself in thy service. I choose thee, after Mary, for my principal advocate and protector. I promise to honor thee every day with some special devotion, and each day I will place myself under thy protection.

As thou didst enjoy the sweet company of Jesus and Mary during thy life on earth, grant that I may ever live close to them and never be separated from God by losing His grace. And as thou wert assisted by Jesus and Mary at the hour of thy death, so grant me protection at the hour of my death, that, dying in thy presence and that of Jesus and Mary, I may one day go to thank thee in Paradise, and in thy company praise and love God for all eternity. Amen. 

St. Joseph, patron of the universal Church, protect us. Protect our Holy Father, the Pope,      and our Mother, Holy Church.

FIRST DAY

God, because of the great love He bears us, and His great desire to see us saved, has given us among other means of salvation the practice of devotion to the Saints. It is His will that they, who are His friends, should intercede for us, and by their merits and prayers obtain graces for us which we ourselves do not deserve.

But everyone must know that, after the Mother of God, St. Joseph is, of all the Saints, the one dearest to God. He has, therefore, great power with Him and can obtain graces for His devout clients. Let us then frequently say: 

St. Joseph, give me the greatest confidence in thy powerful intercession. 

SECOND DAY
We should, indeed, honor St. Joseph, since the Son of God Himself was graciously pleased to honor him by calling him father. "Christ," says Origen, "gave to Joseph the honor due to a parent." The Holy Scriptures speak of him as the father of Jesus. "His father and mother were marveling at the things spoken concerning Him" (Luke 2:33). Mary also used this name: "in sorrow thy father and I have been seeking thee" (Luke 2:48 ). If, then, the King of Kings was pleased to raise Joseph to so high a dignity, it is right and obligatory on our part to endeavor to honor him as much as we can.  

St. Joseph, I consecrate myself to thy service forever. Protect me all the days of my life.  

THIRD DAY
The example of Jesus Christ, Who wished to honor St. Joseph so much, and to be subject to him on earth, ought to inflame all with a fervent devotion toward this great Saint. Since the Eternal Father shared His Own authority with St. Joseph, Jesus always regarded him as a father, and respected and obeyed him for thirty years. St. Luke says He "was subject to them" (Luke 2:51). These words mean that during all this time the sole occupation of the Redeemer was to obey Mary and Joseph. To St. Joseph, as head of the little family, belonged the office of commanding, and to Jesus as a subject, the duty of obedience. Hence, a learned author has justly said: "Men should pay great honor to him whom the King of Kings wished to raise to such a height."  

St. Joseph, by the obedience which Jesus rendered to thee, make me always obedient to the will of God. 

FOURTH DAY
St. Bernardine of Siena says that we should be persuaded that Our Lord, Who respected St. Joseph on earth as His father, will refuse Him nothing in Heaven; but on the contrary, will most abundantly grant His petitions. Jesus Himself advised St. Margaret of Cortona to cherish a special devotion to St. Joseph, and never to allow a day to pass without rendering some homage to him as His foster father. Let us not, then, fail to recommend ourselves each day to St. Joseph and to ask him for graces. 

St. Joseph, make me faithful in invoking thee daily. 

FIFTH DAY
All the faithful should be devoted to St. Joseph in order to obtain the grace of a good death, and this for three reasons. 1. Because Jesus Christ loved him not only as a friend, but as a father, and, therefore, his intercession is more powerful than that of the other Saints. 2. Because Our Lord, in return for having saved Him from Herod, has given St. Joseph the special privilege of protecting the dying against the snares of the devil. 3. Because St. Joseph, who died in the company of Jesus and Mary, is the model of a holy death and can obtain this grace for his clients. 

St. Joseph, obtain for me that, like thee, I may die in the arms of Jesus and Mary.  

SIXTH DAY
According to St. John Damascene: "God gave St. Joseph the love, the care, and the authority of a father over Jesus. He gave him the affection of a father that he might guard Him with great love; the solicitude of a father, that he might watch over Him with care; and the authority of a father that he might feel sure that he would be obeyed in all that he arranged concerning this Son."  

St. Joseph, be always a father to us; and grant that we may be always thy faithful children.  

SEVENTH DAY
When God, destines anyone for a particular office, He gives him the graces that fit him for it. Therefore, since God chose St. Joseph to fill the office of father over the person of the Incarnate Word, we must certainly believe that he conferred upon him all the sanctity which belonged to such an office. Gerson says that among other privileges Joseph had three which were special to him. 1. That he was sanctified in his mother's womb, as ere Jeremias and St. John the Baptist. 2. That he was at the same time confirmed in grace. 3. That he was always exempt from the inclinations of concupiscence-----a privilege with which St. Joseph by the merit of his purity, favors his devout clients by delivering them from carnal appetites.

St. Joseph, shining light of chastity, preserve the angelic virtue in me.  

EIGHTH DAY
In the Gospels St. Joseph is called "just." What is meant by a just man? St. Peter Chrysologus says: "It means a perfect man-----one who possesses all virtues." Joseph was already holy before his marriage; but how much must his sanctity have increased after his union with the Blessed Virgin? The example of his holy spouse sufficed to sanctify him; and since Mary is the dispenser of all the graces which God grants to men, in what profusion must she not have showered them down upon her spouse, who she loved so much and by whom she was so tenderly loved!

St. Joseph, increase my devotion to Mary.  

NINTH DAY
The two disciples, going to Emmaus were inflamed with Divine love by the few moments which they spent in company with our Savior, and by His words. What flames of holy love must not, then, have been enkindled in the heart of St. Joseph, who for thirty years conversed with Jesus Christ, and listened to His words of eternal life; who observed the perfect example which Jesus gave of humility and patience, and saw the promptness with which He obeyed and helped him in his labors, and all that was needed for the household!

St. Joseph, inflame us with the love of Jesus. 

TENTH DAY
St. Paul writes that in the next life Jesus Christ "will render to every man according to His works" (Rom. 2:6). What great glory must we not suppose that He has bestowed upon St. Joseph, who served and loved Him so much while He lived on earth! Our Lord has promised a reward to him who gives a cup of cold water to the poor in His name. What, then, must be the reward of St. Joseph, who can say to Jesus Christ: "I not only provided Thee with food, with a dwelling, and with clothes, but I saved Thee from death, delivering Thee from the hands of Herod."

St. Joseph, increase our zeal for growing in holiness by the hope of eternal reward.  

ELEVENTH DAY
We must believe that the life of St. Joseph, spent in the presence of Jesus and Mary, was a continual prayer, abounding in acts of faith, confidence, love, resignation, and oblation. Since, then, the reward of the Saints corresponds to their merits during life, consider how great must be the glory of St. Joseph in Heaven. St. Augustine compares the other Saints to the stars, but St. Joseph to the sun.

It is, then, very reasonable to suppose that St. Joseph, after Mary, surpasses all the other Saints in merit and glory. The Venerable Bernardine de Bustis says that when St. Joseph asks any grace for those who are devoted to him, his prayers have in a certain manner the force of a command with Jesus and Mary.

St. Joseph, obtain for us a great spirit of prayer. 

TWELFTH DAY
To prove the power which St. Joseph possesses in Paradise, St. Bernardine of Siena writes thus: "We cannot doubt that Christ accords to St. Joseph, now that he is in Heaven, even more perfectly the respect and reverence which He paid to him on earth. Our Lord, Who on earth revered St. Joseph as His father, will certainly deny him nothing that he asks in Heaven." Let us then say to him with confidence:

St. Joseph, powerful protector of souls, keep us from all sin. 

THIRTEENTH DAY
Oh great St. Joseph, since God has served thee, I also wish to enroll myself in thy service. I wish henceforth to serve thee, to honor and love thee. Take me under thy protection and dispose of me as thou pleasest. My holy St. Joseph, pray to Jesus for me. Having obeyed all thy commands on earth, He will certainly never refuse anything thou doth ask Him. Tell Him to pardon me the offenses that I have committed against Him. Tell Him to detach me from creatures and from myself. Ask Him to inflame me with His holy love.

St. Joseph, watch over us, thy children. 

FOURTEENTH DAY
Most holy patriarch, now that thou art on a lofty throne in Heaven near thy beloved Jesus, Who was subject to thee on earth, have pity on me, who am exposed to the attacks of so many enemies, to the evil spirits, and the passions that continually strive to rob me of the grace of God. Through the grace given to thee on earth of enjoying the continual society of Jesus and Mary, obtain for me the grace of living during the remaining days of my life united to God, by resisting the attacks of Hell. Grant, too, that I may die with the love of Jesus and Mary in my heart so that I may be able one day to enjoy with thee their company in the kingdom of Heaven.

St. Joseph, grant me a horror of sin and the grace to conquer my passions. 

FIFTEENTH DAY
St. Bernard, speaking of St. Joseph's power of dispensing graces to his devout servants, makes use of the following remarkable words: "To some of the Saints power is granted to succor us in particular necessities; but to St. Joseph power is granted to succor in all necessities, and to defend all those who, with devotion have recourse to him." Let us then often say to him:

St. Joseph, help us when we are in need. 

SIXTEENTH DAY
St. Teresa says: "I do not remember to have asked any favor from St. Joseph which he did not grant. An account of the many graces which God has bestowed upon me, and of the dangers, corporal and spiritual, from which He has delivered me through this Saint would excite wonder. The Lord appears to have given power to the other Saints to assist us in a single necessity; but experience shows that St. Joseph gives aid in all. The Lord gives us to understand that, as He was to be subject to St. Joseph on earth, so in Heaven He does whatever the Saint asks."

St. Joseph, obtain for me the grace of perseverance in prayer. 

SEVENTEENTH DAY
St. Teresa also writes: "I would wish to persuade all the world to be devoted to St. Joseph, because I have long experience of the great favors which he obtains from God. I have never known any soul especially devoted to him that did not always advance in virtue. I ask, for God's sake, that they who do not believe me will at least make a trial of this devotion. I cannot believe that favors are not grant ed to St. Joseph in return for the help which he gave on earth to Jesus and Mary."

St. Joseph, patron of the interior life, lead me to that perfection which God requires of me. 

EIGHTEENTH DAY
Let us ask St. Joseph for the grace to love our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the particular grace which St. Joseph obtains for those who are devout to him-----a tender love toward the Incarnate Word. The Saint merited the power to bestow this grace upon his servants by the great love which he himself bore toward Jesus while he lived on earth.

St. Joseph, make me love Jesus with all my heart.  

NINETEENTH DAY
When Jesus lived in this world in the house of St. Joseph, could a sinner who desired to obtain forgiveness from Our Lord have found a more efficacious means of obtaining pardon than through St. Joseph? If, then, we desire to receive the forgiveness of our sins, let us have recourse to St. Joseph who, now that he is in Heaven, is more loved by Jesus Christ than he was loved by Him on earth.

St. Joseph, obtain from Jesus the pardon of my sins. 

TWENTIETH DAY
"And Joseph also went from Galilee out of the town of Nazareth into Judea to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem" (Luke 2:4). In response to the decree of Caesar Augustus, St. Joseph made the long journey across the hills from Galilee to Bethlehem with Mary, who bore beneath her heart the Incarnate Son of God. What sweet conversations must Mary and Joseph have held on this journey on the mercy of God in sending His Son into the world to redeem the human race, and on the love of this Son in coming into this valley of tears in order to atone by His suffering and death for the sins of men!

St. Joseph, I wish to belong entirely to thee, so that through thee I may belong entirely to Jesus and Mary. 

TWENTY-FIRST DAY

"And it came to pass while they were there, that the days for her to be delivered were fulfilled. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn" (Luke 2:6-7). How great must have been the sorrow of St. Joseph when he could find no shelter for Mary on the night of the birth of the Divine Word, and was obliged to bring her to a stable! How his heart must have been pierced with anguish to see his holy spouse, who was pregnant, and near the time of childbirth, trembling with cold in that damp cave, which was open on every side.

Dear St. Joseph, through the pain which thou didst feel in seeing the Divine Word born in a stable, so poor, without fire, without clothes, and in hearing the cries caused by the cold which afflicted Him, I pray thee to obtain for me a true sorrow for my sins, by which I have drawn tears from Jesus.

St. Joseph, penetrate my heart with contrition and obtain for me the grace never to sin again. 

TWENTY-SECOND DAY
"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger" (Luke 2 : 7). How great must have been the joy of St. Joseph when he heard Mary calling him and saying "Joseph, come, and adore our infant God, Who is just born in this cave. Behold how beautiful He is. Look at the King of the world in this manger, on this straw. See how He, Who makes the seraphs burn with love, trembles with cold. Behold how He Who is the joy of paradise weeps!" Dear St. Joseph, through the joy which thou didst receive at the first sight of the infant Jesus in the crib, so beautiful and lovely that thy heart began from that moment to beat with love for Him alone, obtain for me also the grace to love Jesus with an ardent love on earth so that I may one day go to enjoy Him in Heaven.

St. Joseph, share with me a little of the burning love that thou didst bear to Jesus. 

TWENTY-THIRD DAY
"Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men of good will" (Luke 2: 14). Consider how great was the love and tenderness of St. Joseph when he beheld with his own eyes the Son of God become an infant; when he heard the Angels singing around their newborn Lord, and saw the stable filled with light. Kneeling down and weeping with love and compassion, Joseph said: "I adore Thee, yes I adore Thee, my Lord and my God. How great is my happiness to be the first, after Mary, to see Thou born, and to know that in this world Thou wisheth to be called and reputed my Son! Allow me, then, also to call Thee my Son, and to say: My God and my Son, to Thee I consecrate my whole being. My life shall be no longer mine, but shall be Thine without reserve!"

St. Joseph, grant that I may spend my life, like thee, in the service of God.  

TWENTY-FOURTH DAY
"An Angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph, saying, Arise, and take the child and His mother and flee into Egypt" (Matt. 2:13). Consider the ready obedience of St. Joseph, who raised no doubts about the time of the journey, nor about the manner of traveling, nor about the place in Egypt in which they were to stay, but immediately prepared to set out. He instantly makes known to Mary the command of the Angel, and on the same night sets out without guide on a journey of 400 miles through mountains, across rugged roads and deserts.

My holy protector, obtain for me the grace of perfect obedience to the Divine will. 

TWENTY-FIFTH DAY
How much St. Joseph must have suffered on the journey into Egypt in seeing the sufferings of Jesus and Mary! Their food must have been a piece of hard bread. They could have slept only in some poor hut, or in the open air. Joseph was indeed conformed in all things to the will of the Eternal Father, but his tender and loving heart could not but feel pain in seeing the Son of God trembling and weeping from cold and the other hardships which He experienced.

St. Joseph, obtain for me the grace that in my journey to eternity I may never lose the company of Jesus and Mary. 

TWENTY-SIXTH DAY
"The boy Jesus remained in Jerusalem, and His parents did not know it" (Luke 2:43). How great was the pain of St. Joseph when Jesus was lost in the temple! Joseph was accustomed to the enjoyment of the sweet presence of his beloved Savior. What, then, must have been his sorrow when he was deprived of it for three days, without knowing whether he should evermore find Jesus, and most painful of all, without knowing why he had lost Him. How great, on the other hand, was Joseph's joy when he found Jesus and realized that the absence of the Child did not arise from any neglect on his part, but from a zeal for the glory of the Father.

St. Joseph, through the merits of the pains which thou didst suffer at losing Jesus, obtain for me tears to weep always for my sins.

TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY
"He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them" (Luke 2:51). Reflect on the holy life which Joseph led in the company of Jesus and Mary. In that family there was no business except that which tended to the greater glory of God; there were no thoughts or desires except the thought and desire of pleasing God; there were no discourses except on the love which men owe to God, and which God has shown to men, especially in sending His only begotten Son into the world to suffer and to end His life in a sea of sorrows and insults for the salvation of mankind.

St. Joseph, through the tears which thou didst shed in contemplating the future passion of Jesus, obtain for me a continual remembrance of the suffering of my Redeemer.

TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY
Consider the love which St. Joseph bore to Mary, his holy spouse. She was the most beautiful of all women. She was more humble, more meek, more pure, more obedient, more inflamed with the love of God, than all the Angels and than all men that have been or shall be created. Hence, she merited all his love. Add to this his realization of the love that she bore for him, and the fact that God had chosen her as His beloved Mother.

St. Joseph, obtain for me a great love for Mary, thy most holy spouse. 

TWENTY-NINTH DAY
Consider the love which Joseph bore to Jesus. This love was not purely human. like the love of other fathers, but superhuman; for he loved Jesus not only as his son but also as his God. Joseph knew from the Angel that his child was the Divine Word Who had become man to save mankind. He realized, too, that he himself had been chosen from among all men to be the protector and guardian of this Divine Infant. What a flame of holy love must, then, have been enkindled in the heart of Joseph by reflecting on all these things, and by the sight of his Lord obeying him like a little boy, opening and closing the door, helping him to saw or to plane, gathering fragments of wood, or sweeping the house!

St. Joseph, remove from my heart all that could be an obstacle to the love of God. 

THIRTIETH DAY
"Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His faithful ones" (Ps. 115:6). After having faithfully served Jesus and Mary, St. Joseph reached the end of his life in the house at Nazareth. There, surrounded by Angels, assisted by Jesus Christ the King of Angels, and by Mary, his spouse, who placed themselves at each side of his poor bed, filled with the peace of Paradise, he departed from this miserable life. Who shall ever be able to understand the sweetness, the consolation, the blessed hope, the acts of resignation, the flames of charity which the words of eternal life coming alternately from the lips of Jesus and Mary, breathed into the soul of Joseph at the end of his life?

St. Joseph, grant me peace and resignation to God's will at the hour of my death. 

THIRTY-FIRST DAY
Great, indeed, will be the comfort of those, who, at the hour of death shall be protected by St. Joseph. For this great Saint has received from God power to command the devils and to drive them away, less they tempt his servants in their dying moments. Happy is the soul that shall be assisted by this great advocate, who, on account of having died with the assistance of Jesus and Mary, and because of having preserved the infant Jesus from the danger of death by his flight into Egypt, has received the privilege of being the patron of a good death, and of delivering his clients from the danger of eternal death. 

St. Joseph, defend me from the attacks of the devils at the last moment of my life.

The Litany  of Saint Joseph

Prayer to Saint Joseph

O Saint Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interest and desires. O Saint 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. O Saint 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. Saint Joseph, Patron of departing souls, Pray for me. Amen.

(This prayer, it is claimed, was found in the fiftieth year of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.)  

Saint Joseph, patron of the universal Church, protect us. Protect our Holy Father, the Pope, and our Mother, Holy Church.

By Saint Alphonsus Liguori, adapted by Hugh J. O’Connell, C.SS.R.

Thanks to: the Redemptorist Fathers Saint Louis
Image Credit Waiting for the Word