A Very Happy Feast of Saint Joseph!
Dear St Joseph, pure and gentle,
guardian of the Saviour child,
Treading, with the virgin mother,
Egypt’s deserts rough and wild.
Dear St Joseph, spouse of Mary,
blest above all saints on high,
When the death shades round us gather,
teach, O teach us how to die,
teach, O teach us how to die.
He who rested on thy bosom
is by countless saints adored,
Prostrate angels in his presence
sing hosannahs to their Lord.
Dear St Joseph, spouse of Mary,
blest above all saints on high,
When the death shades round us gather,
teach, O teach us how to die,
teach, O teach us how to die.
Now to thee, no gift refusing,
Jesus stoops to hear thy prayer;
Then, dear saint, from thy fair dwelling,
give to us a father’s care.
Dear St Joseph, spouse of Mary,
blest above all saints on high,
When the death shades round us gather,
teach, O teach us how to die,
teach, O teach us how to die.
Dear St Joseph, kind and loving,
stretch to us a helping hand;
guide us through life’s toils and sorrows
safely to the distant land.
Dear St Joseph, spouse of Mary,
blest above all saints on high,
When the death shades round us gather,
teach, O teach us how to die,
teach, O teach us how to die.
Comment:
Share your favourite prayers and stories about St Joseph.
He is a very powerful saint indeed,
but not a lot of people know that
so let’s spread the word…
Comments (34)
A very happy Feast of St. Joseph to all!
This is one of my favourite Feasts, maybe because St. Joseph is one of my patron saints. He is a much underestimated saint who is an extremely powerful intercessor in heaven for all who have recourse to him. I urge everyone to increase their devotion to Our Lord’s foster father, a powerful aid both in spiritual and material needs.
If anything stands to the credit of Pope John XXIII, it is that he had the name of this great saint of saints inserted into the Canon of the Mass (1962 Missal). And not before time!
Happy St. Joseph’s Day!
Happy Feast of St Joseph everyone!
I haven’t watched the video below myself, but it tells the story of the miraculous staircase in Santa Fe, and the mysterious carpenter who built it. Attracts lots of visitors – I checked out the beginning of the video and it looks to be accurately telling the story so if you can ignore the sentimental music, I’m sure you will find it very interesting indeed.
To thee O blessed Joseph, we have recourse in our tribulations, and while imploring the aid of thy most holy Spouse, we confidently invoke thy patronage also. By that love which united thee to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, and by the fatherly affection with which thou didst embrace the Infant Jesus, we humbly beseech thee graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ purchased by His Precious Blood, and to help us in our necessities by thy powerful intercession. Protect, O most provident guardian of the Holy Family, the chosen children of Jesus Christ. Ward off from us O most loving father, all taint of error and corruption. Graciously assist us from Heaven O most powerful protector, in our struggle with the powers of darkness, and as thou didst once rescue the Child Jesus from imminent peril to his life, so now defend the Holy Church of God from the snares of Her enemies and from all adversity. Shield each one of us with thy unceasing patronage, that imitating thy example and supported by thine aid, we may be enabled to lead a good life, die a holy death, and secure everlasting happiness in Heaven. Amen.
A Happy and blessed Feast day to everyone!
National Shrine of St Joseph in the UK is here:- http://www.farnboroughabbey.org/benedictine-life/our-work/national-shrine-of-st-joseph
Pray to St Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, to help us in these perilous times!
That’s my St. Joseph tune that I posted about a year ago (or was it two). Thanks for reposting it.
🙂
Happy St Joseph’s days everybody (and happy St. Benedict’s day on Saturday, that’s a plug for my patron saint).
CBucket,
It’s the only thing on YouTube that plays that particular, much loved, tune. I only wish you’d added another couple of stanzas. Listeners who want to sing along (like moi!) have to restart the video to complete the hymn. Why is life so complicated?
Still, many thanks for posting that tune on YouTube. Much appreciated.
I’ll add some stanzas tonight. It should be good for next year then. 🙂
Brilliant, CBucket. I think we only need two more to allow moi to sing the hymn right through.
Can’t wait! Roll on next year! 😀
CBucket, I should have said we need two more plus two more of the chorus. Let’s get it right!
I’m fortunate to be blessed by this Saint’s name for my Confirmation.
Quick theological question that I was considering tonight after reading in my St Andrew Missal which said, “Joseph died and went to Heaven.”
Was this possible before Our Lord’s sacrifice?
Summa,
While there has been speculation in regard to St. Joseph’s death, the teaching of the Church generally is that his soul went to the Limbo of the Just where it remained until Our Lord opened the gates of heaven by His Passion and death. No one entered heaven before Our Lord in His triumph over death and sin, not even in anticipation of same.
The only one who was assumed body and soul into heaven after Our Lord’s Resurrection was Our Lady by reason of her Immaculate Conception and completely sinless life.
It’s worth noting that St. Joseph would not have been long detained in Limbo, which is a place of very great natural happiness anyway. Think of how long the Patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament had to reside there awaiting the Redemption!
“Although not defined by the Magisterium, St. Francis de Sales (d. 1622) believed that St. Joseph was assumed body and soul into heaven: “What is there left for us to say now if not that, in no way must we doubt that this glorious saint enjoys much credit in Heaven in the company of the One who favoured him so much as to raise him there, body and soul; something which is all the more likely since we have no relic of him here below on earth. It seems to me no one can doubt this truth; for how could He have refused this grace to St. Joseph, he who had been obedient at all times in his entire life? (Complete Works)”.
This is an interesting piece, on the Assumption of St Joseph, body and soul into Heaven.
http://www.remnantnewspaper.com/Archives/2011-0315-st-joseph.htm
Here`s a question for today`s feast of St Joseph.
If the Holy Family had to leave as soon as Jesus was born to flee to Egypt, when did the presentation in the temple take place?
Frankier,
The Presentation in the Temple took place before the flight into Egypt. It took a while for Herod to realise that he had been duped by the Wise Kings, that’s why he ordered the death of all male infants from in the womb to 2 years old.
Athanasius
Thanks for that.
I take your point that it would have taken time for Herod to find he was, as David Murray would say, duped, considering their mode of transport.
I suppose that the Bible saying that they had to flee immediately doesn`t necessarily mean the present day immediately, if that makes sense.
Frankier,
Exactly so! In those days immediately meant when many moons had passed over rippling waters, so to speak. One couldn’t just catch the next train south!
Ath
What? Are you trying to tell me there were no helicopters in those days? 🙂
Frankier,
Given his age, Athanasius should know!
Ed
If that’s the case I should know better than him.
Well, Frankier, you said it. One didn’t like to make the point!
Thank you Methuselanna!
Frankier,
I think your problem has been in interpreting “the flight into Egypt” too literally!!
Ath
That’s why I thought they could have went with Ryanair. Even the words flee and Pilate gets mentioned in the bible so it ‘s no wonder my head’s in the clouds.
Happy Feast of St Joseph to all CT bloggers!
And the same to you, Maggie May.
Happy Feast of St. Joseph to all! May he, the Faithful Guardian of the Church of God, continue to protect and sustain the True Church.
DOTF
And so say all of us!
A very happy Feast of St. Joseph, everyone!
Happy Feast to you, Jobstears!
Happy Feast of St. Joseph! 🙂
I was tempted to ask “who the heck is Hektor” but decided against. You might start to hector moi… 😯
Happy Feast Day to you!
Happy Feast of St. Joseph!
St.Joseph, Patron of departing souls pray for us.
Happy St Joseph’s Day to everyone! He is one of my very favourite saints – so powerful, so humble.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this devotional thread today. I’ll close it down now – until next March 19!
St Joseph, Patron Saint of a happy death, and Protector of Christ’s Church, pray for us!
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