Holy Joseph,
You lived the simple and predictable life of a carpenter,
Planning and building, dreaming and praying.
Yet, you saw God take the clean lines and sharp angles of an ordinary life
And bend them with his perfect hand.
Righteous Joseph,
God chose you, just as he chose Mary,
to help bring his Son into the world.
Through the mysterious beauty of a dream,
you said “Yes” to God’s will,
“Yes” to accepting a role unrivaled in human history,
“Yes” to being the guardian of God’s most precious treasure,
and the father of humanity’s hope.
Trusting Joseph,
when I receive news I never wanted to hear,
help me to open my arms to God’s will.
comfort me in my fear,
console me in my anxiety,
and remind me, in this fallen world, of God’s never-failing grace.
Patient Joseph, teach me to trust as you trusted,
to believe when I doubt,
to hope when I despair,
and to follow the voice of angels.
Help me every day to live as you lived,
with the trust in God that ultimately brings true joy.
I ask this through the source of your joy,
the one you loved as your own son,
Jesus Christ.
Amen.
— From Befriending St. Joseph by Deacon Greg Kandra (Ave Maria Press)