SAINT JOSEPH NOVENA - DAY 3

On the third day of our Novena, let us ask Saint Joseph to teach us to listen to God's word.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Prayer of Pope Leo XIII to Saint Joseph - spouse of the Virgin Mary, foster father of Jesus, and patron saint of the universal Church   To you, O blessed Joseph, do we come in our tribulation, and having implored the help of your most holy Spouse, we confidently invoke your patronage also. Through that charity which bound you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the paternal love with which you embraced the Child Jesus, we humbly beg you to graciously regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ has purchased by his Blood, and with your power and strength to aid us in our necessities. O most watchful guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ; O most loving father, keep away every contagion of error and corrupting influence from us; O our most mighty protector, be kind to us and from heaven assist us in our struggle against the power of darkness. As you once rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril, so now protect God's Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; shield, too, each one of us by your constant protection, so that, supported by your example and your aid, we may be able to live piously, to die in holiness, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven. Amen.

MEDITATION   Sacred Scriptures say little about Saint Joseph. They do not record even one word spoken by Joseph, the carpenter of Nazareth. And yet, even without words, he shows the depth of his faith, his greatness. Saint Joseph is a man of great spirit. He is great in faith, not because he speaks his own words, but above all because he listens to the word of the Living God. He listens in silence. And his heart ceaselessly perseveres in readiness to accept the Truth contained in the word of the Living God, in order to receive it and fulfill it with love. Therefore Joseph of Nazareth is truly a marvelous witness of the Divine Mystery. He is a provider for the Tabernacle that God has chosen for himself on earth to carry out the work of salvation. Looking today with veneration and love at the figure of Saint Joseph, we must with this glance renew our own faith. We see how the word of the Living God penetrates deeply into the soul of that man—that just man. But do we know how to listen to the word of God? Do we know how to absorb it into the depths of our human "I"? Do we open our conscience in the presence of this word? Or do we instead stop at the surface of God's word? Do we block it from entering a deeper side of our soul? Do we welcome this word in the silence of interior readiness, as Joseph of Nazareth? Do we create conditions for it to act within us and bear fruit? Do we listen to the word of God? How do we listen to it? Do we read the Bible? (Homily of Pope Saint John Paul II, March 19, 1982)

Saint Joseph, most just, pray for us. Saint Joseph, protector of the Holy Church, pray for us. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be ...

Prayer of Pope Francis Protect, O Holy Guardian, this our nation. Enlighten those responsible for the common good, so that they might know - as you do - how to care for those entrusted to their responsibility. Grant intelligence of knowledge to those seeking adequate means for the health and physical well-being of their brothers and sisters. Sustain those who are dedicating their efforts to serve those in need, even at the cost of their own safety: the volunteers, nurses, and doctors working on the front lines in tending to the sick. O Saint Joseph, bless the Church: beginning with her ministers, make her the sign and instrument of your light and your goodness. O Saint Joseph, protect our families: with your prayerful silence, create harmony between parents and their children, especially with the youngest. Preserve the elderly from loneliness: grant that no one might be left in desperation from abandonment and discouragement. Comfort those who are the most frail, encourage those who falter, intercede for the poor. With the Virgin Mother, beg the Lord to liberate the world from every form of pandemic. Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY "Saint Joseph, having been chosen by God to be his image to his only Son, was not established for any public office in the Church of God, but only to express his incomparable purity and holiness that separates him from every visible creature. Hence he is the Patron of hidden and unknown souls." (Jean-Jacques Olier)