Nine Days to Joseph: Day Six MAR 15 2021 Day Six - St. Joseph, Who Suffered with Love Dear St. Joseph, As the day draws closer when I will fully consecrate myself to you, as I draw closer to you, I can't help but notice the scars on your heart, how you suffered with love. You suffered darkness and confusion when Mary was found with child. You suffered the sacrifice of your flesh as you lovingly offered up the absence of bodily intimacy in marriage. You suffered a sword in your heart, with Mary, when Simeon foretold the passion of your Son. You suffered stress and uncertainty when you had to escape with your family to Egypt and live as an immigrant. You suffered crushing anxiety when your 12-year-old Son was lost for three days. You daily suffered fatigue and bodily aches from your manual labor. Worst of all, your fatherly heart grieved at knowing that you could not be there for Jesus and Mary when their darkest hour would one day come. Saint Joseph, thank you for what you suffered in God's service, in union with your Son, for my salvation. I love you, St. Joseph. Thank you for your yes. Now, please help me to suffer with love as you did. When I suffer, help me not to complain. Help me not to forget love. Help me not to forget others. Dear St. Joseph, through my suffering, watch over my poor heart: May it not harden but rather become more merciful. Help me to remember all God's children who are suffering in the world, and help me to offer my suffering for them and for the good of the Church. I am counting on you, St. Joseph. I know you will be with me, helping me to suffer with love. Saint Joseph, who suffered with love, please help me also to suffer with a love like yours.
Nine Days to Joseph: Day Seven MAR 16 2021 Day Seven - St. Joseph, Pure of Heart Dear St. Joseph, I said I want to be a saint, and saints need to be pure not only of body but of soul. Regarding purity of body, St. Joseph, guard me, protect me, and defend me from temptations against purity. I rely on you, St. Joseph. Don't let me fall. Don't let my eyes or thoughts wander. If they do, please bring them back to Jesus. I trust in you, St. Joseph. You lived purely with Mary in the midst of her beauty. Help me to see the beauty of others with your own pure vision. If I fall, help me to find God's mercy and free me from any bondage to such sin. Regarding purity of intentions, help me do everything not to please myself or others but to please God alone. Give me this grace as my dear spiritual father. I trust in you, St. Joseph. Saint Joseph, Pure of Heart, please lend me your own purity of heart.
Nine Days to Joseph: Day Eight MAR 17 2021 Day Eight - St. Joseph, Man of Peace and Joy Dear St. Joseph, I know the Bible doesn't speak directly of your joy, but how could you not have been full of joy? I'm sure you were. You lived in the presence of Jesus and Mary. Well, St. Joseph, please pray for me that I will also find my joy by also living in their presence. And having yourself lived in their presence, you must have been a man of such peace. St. Joseph, please pray for me that I keep my joy and not give in to sadness, laziness, or discouragement. Also, pray that I keep my peace of soul and not hold on to anger and bitterness in my heart. Help me to be merciful to everyone by offering forgiveness that I might also, like you, be a man of true peace and joy. Saint Joseph, Man of Peace and Joy, please put me at peace and help me find joy.
Nine Days to Joseph: Day Nine MAR 18 2021 Day Nine - St. Joseph, Who Died So Beautifully Dear St. Joseph, I know I am going to die. When I do, I trust that you will be there to greet me with Jesus and Mary in a special way. Will you please promise me this? I trust you. I believe that you will be there for me. For my part, I will try not to be afraid of my death, and I will live my life in preparation for it. I will maybe even look forward to it as the time when I will get to meet you face to face. Prepare me for my death, whenever it may be. If it is sudden, please make sure that my soul is prepared and please make sure I will not be lost! Dear St. Joseph, obtain this grace for me as I consecrate myself to your fatherly care. Tomorrow, I am fully yours. Probably someday after that, I will die, and I give you permission to take me home to my Father's house when that day comes. Saint Joseph, who died so beautifully, please prepare my soul for death.
Nine Days to Joseph: Consecration Day MAR 19 2021 Day of Consecration to St. Joseph Dear St. Joseph, On this day, before God and your Immaculate Spouse, Mary, I ___________________ choose you as my spiritual father forever. I formally entrust myself to your fatherly care. I love you, and I trust in your prayers for my life. As your spiritual child, I give you full permission (and in fact, I'm begging you) to please act in my life, especially by... Praying for me constantly in a special way, Bringing me even deeper into the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Providing for me and all my loved ones, Guarding and protecting me from bodily and spiritual evil, Guiding me to always do God's most perfect will, Helping me to suffer with love and without complaint, Giving me purity of body and of soul, Forming me into a person of peace and joy, Preparing me for a beautiful and happy death. From this day forward, St. Joseph, you are my spiritual father, and I am your child. I trust you and love you, and I look forward to meeting you someday in heaven. I ask all of this in Jesus' name and for the glory of God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. There will be a Mass and live consecration today at at 6:30 p.m. EST via EWTN, Shalom World TV, or Catholic TV. Saint Joseph, Pray for Us!
Thought this was a very wonderful reflection on St Joseph as the novena begins. https://praymoreretreat.org/st-joseph-protector-and-father-lent-2020/
Day One — St. Joseph, Powerful Intercessor Dear St. Joseph, After Mary, you're the most powerful intercessor before God. In a sense, Jesus remains obedient to you and will listen to you as you bring my intentions to Him. Because of this, I especially want to entrust myself to your fatherly care, just as Jesus Himself did. And while in the past, I may have brought to you one of my intentions here or there, this time I want to do something new. This time, I want to give you all. In other words, St. Joseph, I'm not here to offer you a regular "novena" for just one of my intentions. Rather, I want to forever entrust to you all of my needs and cares, trusting that you will bring them, with Mary, to your Son, Jesus. Dear St. Joseph, as the best of fathers, as the one God chose to be the virginal father of Jesus, I believe that you know what I need better than I do myself. So go ahead, St. Joseph. I give you permission to care for me as your child. In doing so, I trust that you will do everything in your power to make my life into something beautiful for God. I trust that you will watch over me and that your prayers will guide me, bless me, and protect me. I trust that you will now care for me with the same love and tenderness with which you cared for Jesus. I'll confirm this special relationship with you in nine days, when I make my prayer of consecration. Saint Joseph, Powerful Intercessor, please pray for me and all my intentions.
Day Two — St. Joseph, Loving Spouse of Mary Dear St. Joseph, I'm thinking about the angel's words to you, "Do not be afraid to take Mary for your wife" (Mt 1:20). Saint Joseph, you weren't afraid. You trusted God. And now you truly are the husband of Mary. After Jesus, you are the dearest person to her heart! Well, St. Joseph, as my spiritual father, I now ask you to speak to Mary about me, about my life. If you kindly adopt me as your spiritual child, then I know all the more that Mary will take me to her heart as well. Both of you truly are my spiritual parents. And just as any good father wants to see his children love their mother, I know that you will help me to know and love my spiritual mother more. By your powerful prayers, I ask you to help me realize what a gift I have in Mary. Pray for me that I will better appreciate her motherly role in my life. Saint Joseph, I know that you love her. I know it makes you happy to see her children love her with all their hearts. Therefore, as I prepare to consecrate myself totally to your fatherly care, I give you permission — in fact, I'm pleading with you: Help me to appreciate my Mother Mary even more. Saint Joseph, Loving Spouse of Mary, please help me to love my spiritual mother even more.
Sending as an fyi … with Feast of St. Joseph falling on Sunday this year, the celebration is moved to Monday. https://aleteia.org/2023/03/13/what...m=email&utm_source=sendgrid&utm_term=20230314
I just finished reading through all the prayers and have reconsecrated myself to St. Joseph! St. Joseph pray for us! Day of Consecration to St. Joseph Dear St. Joseph, On this day, before God and your Immaculate Spouse, Mary, I ___________________ choose you as my spiritual father forever. I formally entrust myself to your fatherly care. I love you, and I trust in your prayers for my life. As your spiritual child, I give you full permission (and in fact, I'm begging you) to please act in my life, especially by... Praying for me constantly in a special way, Bringing me even deeper into the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Providing for me and all my loved ones, Guarding and protecting me from bodily and spiritual evil, Guiding me to always do God's most perfect will, Helping me to suffer with love and without complaint, Giving me purity of body and of soul, Forming me into a person of peace and joy, Preparing me for a beautiful and happy death. From this day forward, St. Joseph, you are my spiritual father, and I am your child. I trust you and love you, and I look forward to meeting you someday in heaven. I ask all of this in Jesus' name and for the glory of God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
A little story from Sr. Emmanuel For the solemnity of Saint Joseph, I can imagine that this great saint has manifested wonderful gifts and graces to all those who have prayed to him in this Novena! Here are two testimonies that will encourage us to welcome him in to our life, just as his beloved Bride did! Appeared, then disappeared! Mary Ann, a sister in my community, had been sent on a mission to the Congo. One day when she was going to a nearby town, she took the road, one of those rather narrow roads in this region that she still knew almost nothing about. At one point, in the open countryside, she wanted to stop, so she parked by the side of the road. But she could not leave because the car had become stuck in the dirt. On these roads, the shoulders are not protected. She had to find a solution before nightfall! The place was almost deserted, and she had no idea how to make it out of there on her own. Time went by... A few Africans started wandering around to watch the scene, but they just laughed! Look! A white woman, a foreigner, who doesn't know the country... They found the situation very funny and they wouldn’t move. In her distress, Mary Ann began to pray, and especially invoked Saint Joseph, because she had already experienced his talents as a protector, and she knew his capacity for powerful intervention in cases of great difficulty. Suddenly, out of this group of gently mocking Africans, a man unexpectedly came forward, walking decisively, and carrying a large shovel on his shoulder. A big shovel in this deserted place? That was totally unexpected! Without saying a word, he made his way to Mary Ann's car, and silently began to dig around the wheels that were stuck, until he managed to free the car. Mary Ann started the engine, happy to see herself saved, and turned around to give thanks. But the man had disappeared... Vanished! In the evening, while listening to this story, a small group of believers asked her, intrigued: "Did he ask you for money?" “No!” "So, it really was St. Joseph!"
