Novena to Saint Joseph

Novena | Day 1 | St. Joseph, Humble and Hidden

“…unite yourself to our dear and amiable Child Jesus, who, in St. Joseph’s workshop, did not consider Himself the master, but merely as an assistant.”
-Ven. Margaret of the Most Holy Sacrament

Humble and hidden. It is often those who are able to see themselves both as they are and as God sees them, those who place others before themselves, are the humble souls who have the ability to impact the lives of others most deeply.  St. Joseph’s life was entirely directed to Jesus and Mary.  In the hiddenness of Nazareth, he taught the Savior of the world and raised Him from childhood into adulthood.  Aware of his nothingness and of God’s greatness, Joseph lived life peacefully knowing who he was in Jesus’ eyes—His beloved foster father.  Only Joseph could hold this all within himself.  The purity of his soul is reflected outwardly in his humility.

Dear St. Joseph, as we strive to live each day in union with Jesus, help us to have humble hearts, ready to receive Him as He comes to be with us in our blessings and sorrows.  Help us to see that our hidden acts of love for others are what brings life to the world. St. Joseph, pray for us!

Novena | Day 2 | St. Joseph, Father and Protector

“The Lord wants us to understand that just as he was subject to St. Joseph on earth — for since bearing the title of father, being the Lord’s tutor, Joseph could give the child commands — so in heaven God does whatever he commands.”
– St. Teresa of Ávila

“St. Joseph did very well to protect me.”
– St. Thérèse of Lisieux

St. Joseph received a unique vocation, different from any other man in history, as the foster father of Jesus. He was called by God to a unique place and perspective – to experience Jesus from the perspective of a father. From Joseph, God the Son learned how to walk, how to talk, how to work. Joseph experienced Our Lady in a unique way as well – in the purity of his heart, he loved her as her husband. God allowed St. Joseph to mirror His Divine love for Jesus and Mary in their humanity, the tangible face of God the Father. He provided, protected, guarded and guided the Holy Family. From this unique perspective, perhaps St. Joseph understands more than all other men the fatherly heart of God. 

For all of us, as disciples and followers of Jesus, St. Joseph also becomes a father to us. We can go to Joseph in prayer for guidance. For men, too, St. Joseph is a powerful intercessor to step into the identity as husband and father. St. Joseph, pray for us!

Novena | Day 3 | St. Joseph’s Gentle Strength

“I have never known a person to have been truly devoted to St. Joseph and to have rendered him special honor without seeing him advance rapidly in virtue; because the holy patriarch assists with special care those who recommend themselves to him … should the reader not believe my words, I only ask him for the love of God to make a trial and he will experience for himself what a grace it is to recommend oneself to this glorious patriarch.”
– St. Teresa of Ávila

No one has met St. Joseph personally.  Yes, we know of him through Scripture and can only imagine what kind of foster-father he must have been.  But for not “knowing” him, so many of us “know” St. Joseph to be a gentle man, one of strength and steadfastness.  We are convinced of it. To be gentle and strong at the same time is reflective of someone who is grounded in God and in his own soul.

He knows who he is. He is Joseph, son, brother to us all, husband of Mary and foster-father of the Son of God.

We imagine him to be physically strong, yet even more importantly, his strength came from within.  And when one’s strength comes from within and is grounded in the goodness of God, it flows outward in great gentleness, reflective of the loving providence of our Heavenly Father.

St. Joseph, be our strength in times of struggle and suffering.  Let your gentle presence help us to be steadfast in loving God through our neighbors.  St. Joseph, pray for us

Novena | Day 4 | St. Joseph’s Courageous Faith

“I am amazed at the great favors God has given me through this blessed saint [St. Joseph], and at the perils from which he has freed me, both of body and soul.”
– St. Teresa of Ávila

St. Joseph was silent, but his was not a weak or passive silence. Joseph was a man of great courage and deep faith. We can know this of him by his response to the circumstances of his life which were out of his control. When he discovered his betrothed future bride Mary was with child, he took her as his wife at the word of an angelic dream. This took great courage! When Herod sought to kill his wife and young child in Bethlehem, St. Joseph fled with them to a foreign land, following another dream. What courage! His courage was guided by a deep faith in God, and was demonstrated in obedience. When we go to Joseph in prayer, we ask him to intercede for us for the virtue of fortitude. Fortitude is the virtue that builds strength in the face of suffering, and deep faith in God when we don’t understand the circumstances of our life. St. Joseph, pray for us!

Novena | Day 5 | St. Joseph’s Patience

“I know not how anyone can ponder on the sufferings, trials, and tribulations the Queen of Angels endured whilst caring for Jesus in his childhood, without at the same time thanking St. Joseph for the services he rendered the Divine Child and his Blessed Mother. ”
– St. Teresa of Ávila

Patience is a virtue many of us wish we had.  In fact, when we pray for it, we are presented with many opportunities that show us our great need to grow in the virtue!

To be patient means to pause.  To wait.  To let things unfold.  To allow people the freedom to move according to their own pace.  When you think of someone who is patient, you think of someone who moves in a gentle manner, responds kindly, and reverences the other person — someone who has a welcoming, non-judgmental spirit.  All of this can be said of St. Joseph.  

St. Joseph in Scripture is quiet and unassuming, a beloved foster father to Jesus and an attentive, protective husband to Mary.  He responds and moves according to the Holy Spirit and has the lived example of Jesus and Mary guiding him. You can imagine him gently teaching Jesus how to walk, holding Mary’s hand as she walks across a stream, gently greeting others, lovingly working for his family.  Patient in his manner to others, and patient in waiting upon the Lord every day.  

St. Joseph, help us to be patient when we want to rush God and each other.  Help us to live life gently, waiting for God to reveal to us His will in every day, granting us the patience that will open our hearts to receive and hear Him.  Thank you, St. Joseph, for hearing our prayer.  Amen.  

Novena | Day 6 | St. Joseph’s Devotion

“Knowing by experience St. Joseph’s astonishing influence with God, I would wish to persuade everyone to honor him with particular devotion. I have always seen those who honored him in a special manner make progress in virtue, for this heavenly protector favors in a striking manner the spiritual advancement of souls who commend themselves to him.”
– St. Teresa of Ávila

St. Teresa of Avila was among the great promoters of devotion to St. Joseph. She found in him a powerful intercessor, a saint who helps souls make great progress in virtue. St. Joseph’s heavenly influence with God must have been born from deep faith during his life. God entrusted to Joseph the safety and protection of Mary and the child Jesus, drawing Joseph through his vocation into an intimacy with the mysteries of our redemption that no one else has ever known in the same way. At first, it must have taken great faith for Joseph to welcome Mary as his spouse when it was revealed that she carried a child conceived by the Holy Spirit. Joseph surrendered the ordinary expectations of marriage to safeguard the purity and mission of the mother of God. In their hidden home of Nazareth, Joseph taught the Son of God how to talk, how to pray, how to honor His mother, how to work with His hands as a carpenter. What a grace it must have been to witness with his own eyes, day in and day out, in close proximity to Jesus, the word made flesh. And as the closest partner in life of our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Joseph contemplated God’s goodness as it unfolded in the ordinary moments of daily life. What an amazing grace! 

Novena | Day 7 | St. Joseph’s Obedience

“Go to Joseph; do whatever he tells you.”
– St. Teresa of Ávila

Obedience is a word that is not appreciated and often misunderstood in today’s times.  It often feels constricting for people and can be perceived as a restriction on our personal freedom.  However, the freedom that we’re all searching for is found within our own souls, rather than in the absence of outside boundaries.

By embracing obedience to our Heavenly Father, St. Joseph experienced the fullness of his vocation, his calling in life.  In his obedience, he took Mary as his wife; he became the foster father of Jesus; he went to Bethlehem for the census which then fulfilled the prophesies of old; he fled into Egypt to protect the Holy Family and then raised Jesus in Nazareth. Joseph’s obedience was a key part of God’s divine plan.  Like Joseph, we are called to a loving, attentive obedience.  When we mirror his “yes,” we find the true fulfillment of our own calling, which leads to true freedom.  

St. Joseph, pray for us to be able to say “yes” as you did, to allow God to use us as He sees best in His divine plan.  Amen

Novena | Day 8 | St. Joseph, Just and Righteous

“As he himself [Jesus] was subject to St. Joseph while on earth, recognizing in him the authority of foster father and guardian, so now in heaven he is pleased to grant all his requests.”
 – St. Teresa of Ávila

We know from the Gospel of Matthew that Joseph was a just and faithful man. When he discovered that Mary was pregnant, he decided to divorce her quietly, without bringing shame upon her. His righteousness desired God’s will and goodness above all things, and once he believed that Mary was carrying God’s Son, he received her as his spouse. This must have brought him censure from others who couldn’t comprehend God’s hand at work. If Joseph had been primarily concerned with his own comfort and reputation, he would not have taken Mary as his wife. But above all, he desired to be faithful to God. The angel revealed to  him in a dream the truth of  the Child Mary carried. Joseph believed, and surrendered his life for this mystery. He was a man of great interior surrender to God, truly righteous and just. St. Joseph, pray for us!

Novena | Day 9 | St. Joseph’s Silent Sacrifice

“Whoever fails to find a Master to teach him how to pray, should choose this glorious Saint, and he will not go astray.”
 – St. Teresa of Ávila

People who have sacrificial spirits are inspiring to us because there is something about how they think and move that reflects to us something beyond ourselves, something Divine. It is also not uncommon that those who do have sacrificial spirits are also quiet about their sacrifice. For them, it’s a part of who they are, how they love, how they feel called to move; it’s natural and supernatural. They are not people who toot their own horn or desire everyone to notice them. Even those of us who might seem humble still have a desire within to be noticed and lauded by others. Those who are truly sacrificial in spirit are quiet. It’s simple to them. It’s not about them and it’s a part of who they are.

St. Joseph is the epitome of a sacrificial spirit who never tooted his own horn. In fact, it is significant that there are no recorded words from him. For him, it was all about Jesus and Mary. It was all about being in God’s will and fully living his vocation as spouse and foster-father of Jesus.

Let us follow his example and ask St. Joseph for the grace to be like him, a man for others, a man who loved so deeply that his love for Jesus and Mary became the guiding star of his life. St. Joseph, pray for us.