The Catholic Defender: St. Joseph Novena - Day 9

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

Amen.

Saint Joseph, you are the faithful protector and intercessor of all who love and venerate you. You know that I have confidence in you and that, after Jesus and Mary, I come to you as an example for holiness, for you are especially close with God.

Therefore, I humbly commend myself, with all who are dear to me and all that belong to me, to your intercession. I beg of you, by your love for Jesus and Mary, not to abandon me during life and to assist me at the hour of my death.

Glorious Saint Joseph, spouse of the Immaculate Virgin, pray for me to have a pure, humble, charitable mind, and perfect resignation to the divine Will. Be my guide, my father, and my model through life that I may die as you did in the arms of Jesus and Mary.

Loving Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, I raise my heart to you to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the Divine Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death, and the special grace I now implore:

(Mention your request)

The Catholic Church prays for those contemplating or who have taken their own lives, recognizing the importance of hope and the possibility of salvation, while also acknowledging the seriousness of suicide as an act against God's will. 

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, I feel confident that your prayers on my behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God.

St. Joseph Terror of Demons, Pray for us!

Amen.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.

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

Amen.

More About St. Joseph

Most of everything we know about Saint Joseph comes from Scripture. There is some disagreement about his genealogy, but both Mark and Matthew say his descent is from David, the greatest king of Israel — and yet, he was a very humble, working man. He was a carpenter.

It is said that it was probably in Nazareth that St. Joseph was betrothed to and married Mary. After discovering that Mary was pregnant, also after their betrothal, he knew that the child was not his – and as such, he had planned on divorcing her quietly.

However, an angel came to him in a dream and told him that the child Mary was carrying was the son of God. Immediately upon hearing this, Joseph took Mary as his wife.

The angel came a second time to tell him his family was in danger, and he also reacted immediately by leaving everything behind him — his family, friends, and all that he owned — to go to Egypt with Mary and their newborn baby, Jesus.

There is a lot we don’t know about St. Joseph, but we do know that he loved Jesus as his own son, he respected God and he was a righteous man. (Matthew 1:18)