Glorious St. Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, to you do we raise our hearts and hands to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the Sacred Heart of Jesus all the helps and graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death and the special favor we now implore:______________.

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, we feel animated with confidence that your prayers in our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God.

R: Glorious St. Joseph, through the love you bear to Jesus Christ and for the glory of His name, hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.

1. Husband of The Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, you felt sorrow when you learned that your betrothed was pregnant and in danger of being stoned to death. However you felt joy when the angel of the Lord told you to have no fear, to take Mary as your wife because the child was the Word Incarnate, conceived in her by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18-24) R.

2. Foster Father of Jesus Christ, St. Joseph, your sorrow was keen when you saw the infant Jesus born in abject poverty, in a stable, because there was no room at the inn in Bethlehem.But your sorrow was changed to heavenly joy when you heard the harmony of angel choirs and beheld the glories of that night (Luke 2:6-15). R.

3. Obedient in following the law of God, St. Joseph, you felt sorrow when Jesus' first blood was shed at his circumcision, but you felt joy when he was given the name Yeshua bar Yosif (Luke 2:21). R.

4. Faithful St. Joseph, you felt a pang close to death when you and Mary took Jesus to the temple for purification and Holy Simeon prophesied that many would oppose Jesus and that a sword would pierce your beloved wife Mary's heart. But at the same time you were filled with great joy when Simeon and the prophetess Anna foretold that the little child in your care would save many souls (Luke 2:22-39). R.

5. Watchful Guardian St. Joseph, you felt sorrow at having to flee with Jesus and Mary into Egypt to escape King Herod's murder of The Holy Innocents, but you felt joy at having God with you (Matthew 2: 13-18). R.

6. Worker St. Joseph, among the sorrows you faced was fear of Herod's cruel son Archelaus and so you moved to Nazareth in Galilee. But there you experienced the joys of living with Jesus and Mary (Matthew 2:19-23). R.

7. Head of the Holy Family, St. Joseph, you felt horrible sorrow when Jesus was lost to you and Mary in Jerusalem. However your joy was unspeakable when you found him after three days, among the teachers in the temple (Luke 2:41-51), and when Jesus and Mary were at your side during your old age and at the hour of your death. R.

Spouse of the Immaculate Virgin, St. Joseph, obtain for me a pure, humble and charitable mind, and perfect resignation to the divine will. Be my guide, father and model through life, that I may merit to die as you did in the arms of Jesus and Mary. St. Joseph, friend of the Sacred Heart, pray for us. Amen.