ALL SAINTS: Traditional Prayers to Saint Joseph for March

Saint Joseph’s prominence in Catholic spirituality has inspired a treasury of prayers, many of which have been indulgenced by popes or composed by saints. These traditional prayers emphasize his role as protector, intercessor, and model of virtue, making them ideal for March devotions leading up to and including his feast day on March 19th.

1. The Ancient Prayer to Saint Joseph (Over 1,500 Years Old)

This prayer, believed to date back to around 50 A.D. and discovered in early Christian writings, is one of the oldest known invocations to Saint Joseph. It’s traditionally prayed for urgent needs, with a promise of efficacy when said with faith:
“O Saint Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires. O Saint Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession, and obtain for me from your divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord, so that, having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of fathers. O Saint Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me, and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. Saint Joseph, Patron of departing souls, pray for me. Amen.”

Context: Found in a 6th-century manuscript, this prayer gained widespread use in the 19th century when paired with a promise that Saint Joseph would answer any request if prayed fervently. It’s ideal for daily recitation in March or for special intentions.

2. Prayer of Pope Leo XIII (1889)

Pope Leo XIII, who fostered devotion to Saint Joseph, composed this prayer and encouraged its use after the Rosary, especially in March. It was later included in the Raccolta, a collection of indulgenced prayers:
“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 graciously to 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, ward off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence; O our most mighty protector, be kind to us and from heaven assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness. As once you 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.”

Context: Written during a time of social upheaval, this prayer reflects Joseph’s role as protector of the Church and families. It’s often prayed in March to seek his safeguarding.

3. Prayer for Purity (Traditional)

Saint Joseph, venerated as the “Lily of Purity,” is invoked in this traditional prayer for chastity and holiness, a focus for many during Lent in March:
“O Saint Joseph, guardian of virgins and father most chaste, to whose faithful care Christ Jesus, Innocence itself, and Mary, Virgin of virgins, were entrusted, I beseech you by these precious treasures, Jesus and Mary, to keep me pure in thought, word, and deed. Through your intercession, may I be preserved from all impurity and granted the grace to live a holy life. Amen.”

Context: This prayer echoes medieval devotion to Joseph’s purity, a virtue celebrated in art (e.g., lilies) and theology. It’s a staple for personal sanctification in March.

4. Prayer for a Happy Death

As Patron of a Happy Death—due to his presumed passing in the presence of Jesus and Mary—Saint Joseph is traditionally invoked for this grace:
“O Blessed Joseph, who yielded your last breath in the fond embrace of Jesus and Mary, when the hour of my death shall come, obtain for me from your divine Son the grace of dying with His love in my heart and His peace in my soul. Deliver me from the fear of death, and let me depart this life under your holy protection, that I may rejoice with you in the glory of heaven forever. Amen.”

Context: This prayer, popular since the Middle Ages, aligns with March’s Lenten themes of mortality and preparation for eternity. It’s often prayed daily or on Wednesdays, Joseph’s day.

5. Prayer to Saint Joseph the Worker

For laborers and providers, this traditional prayer honors Joseph’s carpentry and is especially fitting for March:
“O Glorious Saint Joseph, model of all those who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in a spirit of penance for the expiation of my many sins; to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my natural inclinations; to work with gratitude and joy, considering it an honor to employ and develop by means of labor the gifts received from God; to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience, never shrinking from weariness and trials; to work above all with purity of intention and detachment from self, keeping unceasingly before my eyes death and the account I must give of time lost, talents unused, good omitted, and vain complacency in success, so fatal to the work of God. All for Jesus, all through Mary, all after your example, O Patriarch Joseph; such shall be my watchword in life and in death. Amen.”

Context: Promulgated by Pope Pius XII in 1955 for the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker (May 1st), this prayer is also used in March to sanctify work, reflecting his trade.

6. The Seven Sundays Devotion

This traditional practice, though not a single prayer, involves meditating on seven sorrows and joys of Saint Joseph over seven Sundays (often starting in late January or February but adaptable to March):

First Sorrow and Joy: Doubt about Mary’s pregnancy (Matt. 1:19) / Reassurance by the angel (Matt. 1:20).
Second: Poverty at Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:7) / Joy of the Savior’s arrival.
Third: Circumcision of Jesus (Luke 2:21) / Giving Him the name Jesus.
Fourth: Simeon’s prophecy of sorrow (Luke 2:34) / Promise of salvation.
Fifth: Flight into Egypt (Matt. 2:14) / Safety from Herod.
Sixth: Fear of returning to Judea (Matt. 2:22) / Peace in Nazareth.
Seventh: Loss of Jesus in Jerusalem (Luke 2:45) / Finding Him in the Temple (Luke 2:46).

Prayer for Each Sunday: “O Blessed Saint Joseph, I consecrate myself to your honor and give myself to you, that you may always be my father, my protector, and my guide in the way of salvation. Obtain for me a greater purity of heart and fervent love of the interior life. After your example, may I do all my actions for the greater glory of God, in union with the Divine Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. And you, O Blessed Saint Joseph, pray for me, that I may share in the peace and joy of your holy death. Amen.”*

Context: Originating in the 17th century, this devotion prepares the heart for March 19th and often includes a partial indulgence.

7. Act of Consecration to Saint Joseph

This traditional consecration, inspired by writings like those of Saint Louis de Montfort, entrusts oneself to Joseph’s care:
“O dearest Saint Joseph, I consecrate myself to your honor and give myself to you, that you may always be my father, my protector, and my guide in the way of salvation. Obtain for me a greater purity of heart and fervent love of the interior life. After your example, may I do all my actions for the greater glory of God, in union with the Divine Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. O Blessed Saint Joseph, pray for me, that I may share in the peace and joy of your holy death. Amen.”

Context: Popularized in the 19th century, this prayer is often renewed on March 19th or used daily in March.

8. Prayer from the Roman Missal (Feast of Saint Joseph)

From the liturgy for March 19th:
“O God, who in Your wonderful providence chose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Your most holy Mother, grant, we beseech You, that we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom we venerate as our protector on earth. Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.”

Context: This collect from the Mass of Saint Joseph ties March devotions to the Church’s official worship.

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Mar 18, 2025

Traditional Prayers to Saint Joseph for March