Day 33: December 8th
PROTECTOR OF THE HOLY CHURCH
On this final day of our Consecration, I encourage you to focus on this act of gratitude and of faith. Give thanks to our Beloved Joseph, who rescued the child Jesus from the hands of a cruel master who sought to end God’s plan of salvation by the slaughter of innocents; and led the Son of God, who would be King of Heaven, and the Mother of the Church out of the land of Egypt, the land of exile. He was chosen from among all men throughout the history of the world to be given such a task, not only because he was capable, but even more, because of the endless love that God knew this man possessed. If the Blessed Mother of God was from the beginning, standing at the foot of the Cross, the Mother of the Church, then this Beloved Spouse and her Guardian and Protector, has been the Protector of the Holy Church, of all the adopted brothers and sisters of his Foster Son, baptized into Christ since that very beginning.
With gratitude for what he has done, we can also be bolstered in faith, that he continues to be the Protector. Our Lord promised that the gates of hell would never prevail against His church. St. Joseph has stood loyally at the gates of her defense and continues in our own days and times. Perhaps this is why, as the Dominican mystic prophesied, and so many of God’s Saints have testified, that in the final days when the Church will be under its greatest tribulation (which is not to say that these are those days), St. Joseph will play a bigger role and be called forward again to see her through the desert.
It is best to end, not with my words, but with a final reminder from the testimony of St. Teresa of Jesus:
“I took for my patron and lord the glorious St. Joseph, and recommended myself earnestly to him. I saw clearly that both out of this my present trouble, and out of others great importance, relating to my honor and the loss of my soul, this my father and lord delivered me, and rendered me greater services than I knew how to ask for. I cannot call to mind that I have ever asked him at any time for anything which he has not granted; and I am filled with amazement when I consider the great favors which God has given me through this blessed Saint; the dangers from which he has delivered me, both of body and of soul.”
With gratitude for what he has done, we can also be bolstered in faith, that he continues to be the Protector. Our Lord promised that the gates of hell would never prevail against His church. St. Joseph has stood loyally at the gates of her defense and continues in our own days and times. Perhaps this is why, as the Dominican mystic prophesied, and so many of God’s Saints have testified, that in the final days when the Church will be under its greatest tribulation (which is not to say that these are those days), St. Joseph will play a bigger role and be called forward again to see her through the desert.
It is best to end, not with my words, but with a final reminder from the testimony of St. Teresa of Jesus:
“I took for my patron and lord the glorious St. Joseph, and recommended myself earnestly to him. I saw clearly that both out of this my present trouble, and out of others great importance, relating to my honor and the loss of my soul, this my father and lord delivered me, and rendered me greater services than I knew how to ask for. I cannot call to mind that I have ever asked him at any time for anything which he has not granted; and I am filled with amazement when I consider the great favors which God has given me through this blessed Saint; the dangers from which he has delivered me, both of body and of soul.”
LITANY OF ST. JOSEPH
Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy. Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.
Christ, hear us. Christ, hear us.
Christ graciously hear us. Christ graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world . . .
God the Holy Spirit . . .
Holy Trinity, One God . . .
Holy Mary. Pray for us.
St. Joseph . . .
Renowned offspring of David . . .
Light of Patriarchs . . .
Spouse of the Mother of God . . .
Chaste guardian of the Virgin . . .
Foster father of the Son of God . . .
Diligent protector of Christ . . .
Head of the Holy Family . . .
Joseph most just . . .
Joseph most chaste . . .
Joseph most prudent . . .
Joseph most strong . . .
Joseph most obedient . . .
Joseph most faithful . . .
Mirror of patience . . .
Lover of poverty . . .
Model of artisans . . .
Glory of home life . . .
Guardian of virgins . . .
Pillar of families . . .
Solace of the afflicted . . .
Hope of the sick . . .
Patron of the dying . . .
Terror of demons . . .
Protector of Holy Church . . .
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world. Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world. Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
℣. He made him the lord of his household.
℟. And prince over all his possessions.
Let us pray: O God, Who in Your ineffable providence deigned to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Your most holy Mother; grant, we beg You, that we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom we venerate on earth as our Protector; You who live and reign forever, unto the ages of ages.
--AMEN
PRAYER OF POPE LEO XIII
To you, O Blessed Joseph
do we come in our afflictions,
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
ACT OF CONSECRATION (Fr. Kendall Ketterlin)
My beloved Joseph, Guardian of the Blessed Virgin Mary, chosen Protector of the Son of God, I ask of thee, standing before the heavenly hosts, all of the angels and Saints, the Seraphim and Cherubim who stand before the throne of our God, hear my plea of devotion and the desire of my heart to be drawn ever closer to the Most Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus.
I turn to you as my Spiritual Father and place my life and my salvation into your most trustworthy and virtuous hands. Confident in your goodness, I place myself under the cloak of your paternal care and humbly ask that you protect me from the world, temptations of the flesh and assaults of the devil.
St. Joseph, virgin and most pure husband of the Mother of God, the beloved and most worthy spouse of Mary, help me to love her, my mother and Mother of the Church with perfect affection and unending devotion, that through her, in your generous care, I may remain also under her mantle of protection and drawn more perfectly to her son.
Never depart from me, St. Joseph. Nourish me with the Bread of Life, instruct me in the wisdom of the saints, help me to carry my cross, and keep me always in the Holy Catholic Church. When I die, take me to the Kingdom of Heaven to see Jesus and Mary.
From this day onward, I will never forget you. I will speak of you often, spend time with you in prayer and, with your help, earnestly strive to sin no more. Should I fall, help me to repent and go to Confession. Should I go astray, guide me back to the truth.
Before heaven and earth, my soul cries out: Praise to the Holy Trinity who has made you prince over all their possessions! Praise to the Virgin Mary who loves you and longs to see you loved! Praise to you, my spiritual father, the great St. Joseph.
Praise to the Holy Trinity who has blessed you and raised you to be the greatest saint after Mary. Praise to the Virgin who loves you and wants souls to love you. Praise to you, St. Joseph, my father, my guardian, and my all!
--AMEN
Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy. Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.
Christ, hear us. Christ, hear us.
Christ graciously hear us. Christ graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world . . .
God the Holy Spirit . . .
Holy Trinity, One God . . .
Holy Mary. Pray for us.
St. Joseph . . .
Renowned offspring of David . . .
Light of Patriarchs . . .
Spouse of the Mother of God . . .
Chaste guardian of the Virgin . . .
Foster father of the Son of God . . .
Diligent protector of Christ . . .
Head of the Holy Family . . .
Joseph most just . . .
Joseph most chaste . . .
Joseph most prudent . . .
Joseph most strong . . .
Joseph most obedient . . .
Joseph most faithful . . .
Mirror of patience . . .
Lover of poverty . . .
Model of artisans . . .
Glory of home life . . .
Guardian of virgins . . .
Pillar of families . . .
Solace of the afflicted . . .
Hope of the sick . . .
Patron of the dying . . .
Terror of demons . . .
Protector of Holy Church . . .
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world. Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world. Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
℣. He made him the lord of his household.
℟. And prince over all his possessions.
Let us pray: O God, Who in Your ineffable providence deigned to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Your most holy Mother; grant, we beg You, that we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom we venerate on earth as our Protector; You who live and reign forever, unto the ages of ages.
--AMEN
PRAYER OF POPE LEO XIII
To you, O Blessed Joseph
do we come in our afflictions,
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
ACT OF CONSECRATION (Fr. Kendall Ketterlin)
My beloved Joseph, Guardian of the Blessed Virgin Mary, chosen Protector of the Son of God, I ask of thee, standing before the heavenly hosts, all of the angels and Saints, the Seraphim and Cherubim who stand before the throne of our God, hear my plea of devotion and the desire of my heart to be drawn ever closer to the Most Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus.
I turn to you as my Spiritual Father and place my life and my salvation into your most trustworthy and virtuous hands. Confident in your goodness, I place myself under the cloak of your paternal care and humbly ask that you protect me from the world, temptations of the flesh and assaults of the devil.
St. Joseph, virgin and most pure husband of the Mother of God, the beloved and most worthy spouse of Mary, help me to love her, my mother and Mother of the Church with perfect affection and unending devotion, that through her, in your generous care, I may remain also under her mantle of protection and drawn more perfectly to her son.
Never depart from me, St. Joseph. Nourish me with the Bread of Life, instruct me in the wisdom of the saints, help me to carry my cross, and keep me always in the Holy Catholic Church. When I die, take me to the Kingdom of Heaven to see Jesus and Mary.
From this day onward, I will never forget you. I will speak of you often, spend time with you in prayer and, with your help, earnestly strive to sin no more. Should I fall, help me to repent and go to Confession. Should I go astray, guide me back to the truth.
Before heaven and earth, my soul cries out: Praise to the Holy Trinity who has made you prince over all their possessions! Praise to the Virgin Mary who loves you and longs to see you loved! Praise to you, my spiritual father, the great St. Joseph.
Praise to the Holy Trinity who has blessed you and raised you to be the greatest saint after Mary. Praise to the Virgin who loves you and wants souls to love you. Praise to you, St. Joseph, my father, my guardian, and my all!
--AMEN