To say every day for nine consecutive days

Remember, most pure spouse of Mary, ever Virgin, my loving protector, Saint Joseph, that no one ever had recourse to your protection or asked for your aid without obtaining relief. Confiding, therefore, in your goodness, I come before you and humbly implore you. Despise not my petitions, foster-father of the Redeemer, but graciously receive them. Amen

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be…

Day 1
O Saint Joseph, Pillar of Families! Foster Father of Jesus, protect our families from the sufferings of separation and divorce. Be a lighthouse for fathers and father-figures alike, so that they may lead virtuous lives and be good role models to our children. Amen.

DAY 2
O Saint Joseph, Guardian of Virgins! Loving, chaste spouse of our Blessed Mother, protect the chastity of marriages so that our children may grow up in strong united families. We also ask you to protect the virginity of the youth so that they may be spared from unnecessary sufferings, and to help those living the consecrated life to be ever more faithful to their vocations. Amen.

Day 3
O Saint Joseph, Patron of the Unborn! Your faith was necessary to bring about the glory of the incarnation. Teach us all to have unbending confidence in the promises of Christ. May we submit ourselves wholeheartedly to His will and trust that His providence will see us through in difficult moments. Amen.

Day 4
O Saint Joseph, Terror of Demons! Help us defeat our untamed passions, imaginations and memories. Teach us to listen to the voice of our Father in the silence of our hearts, and give us the strength to have dominion over our senses. In times of weakness, may we closely depend on our intellect and will, and most importantly the graces generously given to us through prayer by our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Day 5
O Saint Joseph, Hope of the sick and the dying. Heal us from our bodily ills, emotional troubles and worldly fears. Be with us in times of frailty, and comfort us with hope in eternal life. May our hearts be anchored in Jesus every day of our lives and may we never be separated from him. Amen.

Day 6
O Saint Joseph, Patron of the Church! Protect the intentions of our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, our Cardinals, Bishops, priests and all religious who work faithfully to shepherd the people. Keep them away from temptation, and deliver them from all unholy and corrupting influences. May our Church remain free from all contagion of error and be constantly reinvigorated by the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Day 7
O Saint Joseph, Patron of Workers! Comfort us during the desolation of unemployment, and bring compassion into our hearts during times of prosperity. Teach us the right paths and the right words, so that we may be able to meet our temporal needs. We also ask that you keep our hearts aflame with the Word of God, that we may always be conscious that our need for daily bread is not restricted to bread alone, but Jesus in the Eucharist. Amen.

Day 8
O Saint Joseph, Lover of Poverty! Solace of the wretched! Be our friend in time of suffering, and help us appreciate the virtues we can harvest through struggle and sacrifice. Keep us away from the snares of pride and self-importance. Let us remember the poverty of our Lord so that we can dutifully imitate his life in humility and obedience. Amen.

Day 9
O Saint Joseph, humble, poor, and obedient servant of the God the Father! We praise you participation in the glory of the incarnation, as faster father of Jesus Christ and most chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Keep us all close to your heart, and may the faithful works of Blessed Brother André continue to bring glory to God for years to come. May all those who seek your intercession and his be met with expedient relief or consolation. Amen.

I take it as a given that Mary, of course, was a virgin for life and never had any other children besides Jesus. I also assume that the same was true of Joseph, although this is not a matter of defined doctrine (the Eastern tradition holds that Joseph was a widower who had children by his first wife, who became the “brothers” of Jesus referred to in Scripture).

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean they PLANNED it that way from the start. Some older Catholic tomes assume that Mary and Joseph both took a vow of chastity before they married and intended all along to live as brother and sister. I’m not so sure about that, since there was no tradition of celibacy among ordinary Jews at the time (outside of, perhaps, small sects such as the Essenes) and most observant Jews regarded it as their duty to “be fruitful and multiply.”

I read the following scenario in one of Our Sunday Visitor’s Scripture commentaries about 20 years ago (sorry I can’t remember which one) and it seems to make sense to me. Mary and Joseph were both young (Joseph probably in his later teens and Mary a little younger), their families probably had known each other forever, and when they got betrothed or engaged, they had every intention of having a normal married life with lots of kids.

However, when God intervened and Mary concieved Jesus “by the Holy Spirit,” and Joseph realized what had happened, they realized that Mary in essence had become the “spouse” of Yahweh and therefore was off limits to anyone else. So they then agreed to live as brother and sister.

I wonder if they ever had doubts about whether they really made the right decision, or felt sad that they couldn’t have more children? People probably looked down on Mary if she “only” had one child and never had any more after that. How could she possibly explain their situation? Not to mention her baby being born suspiciously soon after their wedding. It can’t have been easy for them to deal with.

The husband is always wrong in arguments. That’s why it’s better to keep quiet. If necessary, look ferocious.

So basically nothing changes when you get married then right?

;~)

I have adopted the entire Holy Family as the standard that I want to strive for, especially St. Joseph himself. He is an excellent role model to follow, the strong and stable man that protected the Holy Family, nurtured his Son and wife, and led an exemplary life of chastity and obedience.