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St. Joseph-Wonder Worker of the Church: St Joseph ‘saves’ Two Desperate Monks

Here’s the story of the devotion to St Joseph’s seven joys and a miracle prayer to St Joseph.

Many years ago, two Franciscan friars found themselves shipwrecked. By clinging to a plank of wood they kept their heads just above water as the storm continued.Both monks had a devotion to St Joseph, the spouse of Mary, and they sought his help from Heaven in their desperate plight calling out and praying to him.

After a little while the storm died down and the men saw a radiant shining figure just ahead of them standing on the water.

The figure greeted them and guided them  miraculously to the shore so that when they got to land the two monks threw themselves at the feet of the stranger to thank him for helping them.

The stranger said to them: ‘I am Joseph, if you wish to do something pleasing to me, never let a day pass without saying the Our Father and the Hail Mary seven times in honour of the seven joys that consoled me whilst I was on earth in the company of Jesus and Mary.’

He then vanished leaving the monks in awe and wonder.

Since St Joseph himself has declared how pleasing these prayers are too him it is an excellent way of honouring him and also of gaining his help and protection.

Jesus is our one true mediator but Jesus wills that we share in his Ministry and who better than his beloved foster father, St Joseph and his Holy Mother Mary to intercede for us.St Jose ph more than any other Saint in Heaven (apart from Mary) has a special bond with Jesus’ Heart and access to the Divine ear so to speak!

It really is very powerful when used to implore Joseph’s aid. Remember as on earth as Jesus’ foster father so too it is in Heaven. There is no limit to St Joseph’s generosity and intercession and he is a great Patron Saint to have!

You can use these prayers for: marriage difficulties, exams, illness, house sales etc.

The Devotion of the Seven Sorrows and Seven Joys of St. Joseph
1. O chaste Spouse of Mary most holy, glorious St. Joseph, great was the trouble and anguish of thy heart when thou wert minded to put away privately thine inviolate Spouse, yet thy joy was unspeakable when the surpassing mystery of the Incarnation was made known to thee by the Angel!

By this sorrow and this joy, we beseech thee to comfort our souls, both now and in the sorrows of our final hour, with the joy of a good life and a holy death after the pattern of thine own, in the arms of Jesus and Mary.

Our Father, Hail Mary

2. O most blessed Patriarch, glorious St. Joseph, who was chosen to be the foster father of the Word made flesh, thy sorrow at seeing the Child Jesus born in such poverty was suddenly changed into heavenly exultation when thou didst hear the angelic hymn and beheld the glories of that resplendent night.

By this sorrow and this joy, we implore thee to obtain for us the grace to pass over from life’s pathway to hear the angelic songs of praise, and to rejoice in the shining splendor of celestial glory.

Our Father, Hail Mary

3. O glorious St. Joseph, thou faithfully obeyed the law of God, and thy heart was pierced at the sight of the Precious Blood that was shed by the Infant Savior during His Circumcision, but the Name of Jesus gave thee new life and filled thee with quiet joy.

By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us the grace to be freed from all sin during life, and to die rejoicing, with the Holy Name of Jesus in our hearts and on our lips.

Our Father, Hail Mary
4. O most faithful Saint who shared the mysteries of our Redemption, glorious St. Joseph, the prophecy of Simeon regarding the sufferings of Jesus and Mary caused thee to shudder with mortal dread, but at the same time filled thee with a blessed joy for the salvation and glorious which, he foretold, would be attained by countless souls.

By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us that we may be among the number of those, who through merits of Jesus and the intercession of Mary the Virgin Mother, are predestined to a glorious resurrection.

Our Father, Hail Mary

5. O most watchful Guardian of the Incarnate Son of God, glorious St. Joseph, what toil was thine in supporting and waiting upon the Son of the most high God, especially in the flight into Egypt! Yet at the same time, how thou didst rejoice to have always near you God Himself, and to see the idols of the Egyptians fall prostrate to the ground before Him.

By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us the grace of keeping ourselves in safety from the infernal tyrant, especially by flight from dangerous occasions; may every idol of earthly affection fall from our hearts; may we be wholly employed in serving Jesus and Mary, and for them alone may we live and happily die.

Our Father, Hail Mary

6. O glorious St. Joseph, an angel on earth, thou didst marvel to see the King of Heaven obedient to thy commands, but thy consolation in bringing Jesus out of the land of Egypt was troubled by the fear of Archelaus; nevertheless, being assured by the Angel, thou dwelt in gladness at Nazareth with Jesus and Mary.

By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us that our hearts may be delivered from harmful fears, so that we may rejoice in peace of conscience and may live in safety with Jesus and Mary and may, like thee, die in their company.

Our Father, Hail Mary

7. O glorious St. Joseph, pattern of all holiness, when thou didst lose, through no fault of thine own, the Child Jesus, thou sought Him sorrowing for the space of three days, until with great joy, thou didst find Him again in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors.

By this sorrow and this joy, we supplicate thee, with our hearts upon our lips, to keep us from ever having the misfortune to lose Jesus through mortal sin; but if this supreme misfortune should befall us, grant that we may seek Him with unceasing sorrow until we find Him again, ready to show us His great mercy, especially at the hour of death; so that we may pass over to enjoy His presence in Heaven; and there in company with thee, may we sing the praises of His Divine mercy forever.

Our Father, Hail Mary

Saint Joseph-Foster Father of Jesus

nativitySt Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and foster father of Jesus, worked as a humble carpenter by trade. He was a very devout and ‘righteous’ man. His primary feast day in the Church is celebrated on March 19th. On May 1st each year there is also the great Feast of St Joseph the worker as he was a highly skilled carpenter by trade teaching Jesus himself and is patron of workers everywhere.

St Teresa of Avila was a great advocate of praying to St Joseph and she said that he frequently obtained for her from His Divine Son, Jesus, far greater favours than she had originally asked for. She urged everyone to pray to St Joseph in their necessities saying that she could not remember asking St Joseph for anything that he refused to her.

Here is a short prayer composed by St Clement Hofbauer to ask for St. Joseph’s intercession;

“St Joseph, my loving father, I place myself and (…) under your protection. Look on me as your child and keep me from all sin. I take refuge in your arms, so that you may lead me in the path of virtue and assist me in the following (problem) and at the hour of my death. Amen”

St Joseph the Wonder Worker of the Church

With St Joseph the Wonder Worker, his influence with his Son in Heaven is not limited to a few things, St Joseph is the Patron Saint of many things, in fact St Joseph has many roles in the Church and is the Protector of Holy Mother Church on earth, just as he protected the Christ child whilst on earth.
 
Among St Joseph’s many ‘roles’ in Heaven, to intercede for us and help us here on earth, St Joseph is patron saint of carpenters, workers, builders, fathers, foster fathers, marriages, families, social justice, of buying and selling houses, finding good marriage partners and also he is patron of the whole universal Church on earth, all churches, convents and monasteries. 
It is quite a task but he is well equipped with all the graces of God at his disposal. He has friends in high places and particuarly with one no higher than our one mediator with the Father, Jesus Christ.
From Mary’s hands come all the graces we need as God uses Mary as the channel to bring his grace to earth just as God used Mary to bring to earth His Word made flesh.  St Joseph was married to Mary as her most chaste spouse. St Joseph has the ‘ear’ of God, let us pray to him for all our needs-spritual and temporal.
St Joseph please pray for us-protect us now and always. Amen!
Further, many commentators on the life of perfection have remarked that to have a solid devotion to the great St Joseph is a ‘good’ sign that one is on the way to Heaven. The two devotions to both St Joseph and Mary are a powerhouse of devotion for good and grace in our lives. 
I strongly advise praying the St Joseph miracle prayer (as a novena for nine days if you have a special intention) and try for yourself his powerful intercession and help. 
I am sure St Joseph loves to hear God’s children pray to him for help as we are all God’s ‘adopted sons’ in Christ, his foster son. St Joseph’s great obedience to God’s will whilst on earth has made him such a great saint in Heaven. For more information on St Joseph’s obedience of faith to the Divine will go to the following article.