To Saint Joseph the Worker

to ask for his assistance at work

and in caring for the family

Glorious Saint Joseph, model of all those who are dedicated to work, obtain for me the grace to work in a spirit of penitence for the expiation of my many sins; to work in conscience, putting the respect of duty above my inclinations; to work with gratitude and joy, considering it an honor to use and develop through work the gifts received from God; to work with order, peace, moderation and patience, without ever backing down in the face of weariness and difficulties; to work above all with purity of intention and with detachment from myself, having constantly before my eyes death and the account I will have to render of the time lost, of the talents unused, of the good omitted and of the vain complacency in success, so disastrous to the work of God. All for Jesus, all for Mary, all in imitation of you, Patriarch Saint Joseph! This will be my motto in life and in death. Amen.

Consecration of a Child to Saint Joseph

Great Saint Joseph, who served as Father to our divine Saviour, we offer and consecrate this child to you. Deign to be his Protector and Father, preserve for him the precious treasure of innocence, preserve him from all danger to soul and body, and inspire in him, from his earliest years, a tender love for you, for Mary your Immaculate Bride, and for Jesus His adorable Son. May your holy protection accompany him throughout his life. Watch over his every step, guide him in all his undertakings, lead him always in the way of the Lord’s precepts, and deign to bring him, at the moment of his death, into the heavenly Jerusalem, to sing there eternally the divine mercies and your paternal goodness. Amen.

To Saint Joseph, Protector of Families

Noble head of the Holy Family, protector and model of Christian families, I implore you to be the father and protector of mine. Let the spirit of faith and religion reign in it, holy fidelity to the commandments of the Lord and His Church, peace and union of the children of God, detachment from the deceitful goods of the world and love of the only true goods. Watch over all our interests; may the Lord deign, through you, to bless our home. Above all, obtain for each member of our family the grace to live and die in the love of Jesus and Mary. Amen.

To live as the Holy Family

My Saviour Jesus, who have indissolubly united us by a great Sacrament, maintain among us the spirit of union and concord, so that we may love one another as You love Your Church; give us the spirit of patience and gentleness, so that we may peacefully bear our faults; arm us with the spirit of prudence and holiness, so that we may always remain within the bounds of our duties, and so that we may do nothing that offends Your eyes, nothing that is contrary to the profound respect due to Your Sacrament. Send us the spirit of wise solicitude and foresight, to provide, according to the rules of justice and charity, for the needs of our family. Preserve us from the spirit of the world and the love of our vanities, so that we may seek only to please You, our God, our love, the true bond of our hearts. Inspire us especially with that true spirit of faith which makes our dwelling place a school of piety and a sanctuary of all virtues. Far be it from us, O my God, far be it from us that our tolerance or our unedifying life should be a cause of ruin for our children. Far from our home, far, far away from it all that would be a stone of scandal, an occasion for sin. O Mary, I commend my poor children to Your maternal heart: be their Mother, form their hearts to virtue. Tender Mother, may they be pious, charitable, always Christian; may their life, full of good works, be crowned by a holy death. May we, O Mary, gather together in Heaven to contemplate Your glory, to celebrate Your blessings and Your love, and to bless You eternally with Your dear Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

To Jesus, Mary, Joseph

for our Family O most loving Jesus, who, by the ineffable virtues and examples of Your hidden life, sanctified the Family You had chosen for Yourself on earth, look favorably upon our family who, prostrate before You, implores Your clemency. Remember that this family is Yours, because it is especially dedicated and consecrated to You. Protect it with kindness; deliver it from every danger, help it in its necessities, and give it the grace to always imitate Your Holy Family, so that, serving and loving You faithfully here below, it may bless You eternally in Heaven. Mary, O tender Mother, we implore Your protection, confident that Your divine Son will answer Your prayers. And you too, O glorious Patriarch Saint Joseph, come to our aid through Your powerful mediation, and, through the hands of Mary, offer our prayers to Jesus. Amen.