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March 11 – March 19
Based on the Apostolic Letter
Patris Corde (A Father’s Heart)
of Pope Francis
Novena Prayer
Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you God entrusted his only Son;
in you Mary placed her trust;
with you Christ became man.
Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage,
and defend us from every evil. Amen
March 11/Day 1
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
With a father’s heart: that is how Joseph loved Jesus, whom all four Gospels refer to as the son of Joseph. Each of us can discover in Joseph—the man who goes unnoticed, a discreet and hidden presence—an intercessor and a guide in times of trouble. Saint Jospeh reminds us that even those who live ordinary and hidden lives can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation.
Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be. Novena Prayer
March 12/Day 2
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saint Joseph has always been venerated as a father by the Christian people. Innumerable holy men and women were passionately devoted to him, chose him as their advocate, had frequent recourse to him and received what- ever graces were asked of him. Popular trust in Saint Joseph is seen in the expression, Go to Joseph.
Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be. Novena Prayer
March 13/Day 3
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Even through Joseph’s fears, God’s will and His plan were at work. Joseph, then, teaches us that faith in God includes believing that He can work through our fears, our frailties, our weaknesses. Amid the tempests of life, we must never be afraid to let the Lord steer our course. At times, we want to be in complete control, yet God always sees the bigger picture.
Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be. Novena Prayer
March 14/Day 4
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saint Joseph was called by God to serve the person and mission of Jesus. During the hidden years in Nazareth, Jesus learned at the school of Joseph to do the will of the Father. That will was to be his daily food. Even at the most difficult moment in his life, in Gethsemane, Jesus chose to do the Father’s will rather than his own, becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross.
Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be. Novena Prayer
March 15/Day 5
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Joseph set aside his own expectations in order to accept another course of events. Joseph is certainly not passively resigned, but courageously and firmly proactive. Acceptance and welcome can be an expression of the Holy Spirit’s gift of fortitude. Only the Lord can give us the strength needed to accept life as it is, with all its contradictions, frustrations and disappointments.
Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be. Novena Prayer
March 16/Day 6
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Just as God told Joseph, Do not be afraid, so He tells us: Do not be afraid. Our lives can be
miraculously reborn if we find the courage to live them in accordance with the Gospel. It does not matter if everything seems to have gone wrong or some things can no longer be fixed. God can make flowers spring up from the stony ground.
Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be. Novena Prayer
March 17/Day 7
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Joseph encourages us to accept and welcome others as they are, without exception, and to show special concern for the weak. God is the Father of orphans and protector of widows, who commands us to love the stranger in our midst. I like to think that it was from Saint Joseph that Jesus drew inspiration for the parable of the prodigal son and the merciful father.
Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be. Novena Prayer
March 18/Day 8
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
At the end of every account in which Joseph appears, he gets up, takes the child and his mother and does what God asks. Joseph could not be other than the Guardian of the Church, for the Church is the continuation of the Body of Christ in history, even as Mary’s motherhood is reflected in the motherhood of the Church. In his protection of the Church, Joseph continues to protect the child and his mother, and we too, by our love for the Church, continue to love the child and his mother.
Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be. Novena Prayer
March 19/Day 9 Solemnity of Saint Joseph
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The saints help all the faithful to strive for the holiness and the perfection of their particular state of life. Their lives are concrete proof that it is possible to put the Gospel into practice. Saint Augustine asked himself, what they could do, can you not also do? And so he drew closer to his definitive conversion. We need only ask Saint Joseph for the grace of graces: our conversion.
Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be. Novena Prayer
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