To Thee, O Blessed Joseph (Prayer of Pope Leo XIII)
Pope Leo XIII composed this prayer in 1889, in his encyclical Quamquam pluries on devotion to St. Joseph, at a time when the Church faced great hostility. He asked that it be added to the Rosary during October, and it has been a favorite ever since. It calls on St. Joseph as guardian of the Holy Family to protect the Church, which is the family of Christ, from error and every danger.
Pray it after the Rosary, especially in October; on Wednesdays, the day traditionally dedicated to St. Joseph; during March, his month; and on his feasts of March 19 and May 1. It is also a strong prayer for fathers and for the protection of families.
The Prayer
To thee, O blessed Joseph, do we have recourse in our tribulation, and having implored the help of thy thrice-holy Spouse, we confidently invoke thy patronage also. Through that charity which bound thee to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, and through the paternal love with which thou didst embrace the Child Jesus, we humbly beg thee graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ hath purchased by His Blood, and with thy 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 propitious to us, and from heaven assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness; and, as once thou didst rescue 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 thy constant protection, so that, supported by thy example and thy aid, we may be able to live piously, to die holily, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven. Amen.
Sources: Prayer to St. Joseph from Pope Leo XIII's encyclical Quamquam pluries (1889), traditional English form, public domain.
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