SAINT JOSEPH NOVENA - DAY 7

On the seventh day of our Novena, let us ask Saint Joseph to protect our families.

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 Saint Joseph’s greatness, like Mary's, stands out even more because his mission was carried out in the humility and hiddenness of the house of Nazareth. Moreover, God himself, in the person of his Incarnate Son, chose this way and style of life—humility and hiddenness—in his earthly existence. From the example of Saint Joseph we all receive a strong invitation to carry out with fidelity, simplicity and modesty the task that Providence has entrusted to us. I think especially of fathers and mothers of families, and I pray that they will always be able to appreciate the beauty of a simple and industrious life, cultivating the conjugal relationship with care and fulfilling with enthusiasm the great and difficult educational mission. (Benedict XVI, Angelus, March 19, 2006)

Saint Joseph, head of the Holy Family, 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 "As the cult of Saint Joseph grows among the faithful, we can expect to see their devotion to the Holy Family of Nazareth, of which he was the august head, increase at the same time. Indeed, each of these two devotions comes out of the other quite naturally, like its flower. Joseph brings us directly to Mary and Mary brings us to the source of all holiness, Jesus." (Benedict XV)