The Seven Joys and Sorrows
of St. Joseph is a devotion that belongs to every Wednesday, because every
Wednesday belongs to St. Joseph, just as every Saturday belongs to the Blessed
Virgin Mary.
In like manner, the entire month of March belongs to St. Joseph,
just as the month of May belongs to Mary. The Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is celebrated on March 19th. The Seven Joys and
Sorrows is traditionally broken up into seven individual parts and prayed on
the seven consecutive Sundays before March 19th. This Sunday, February 3rd, is
therefore the first of the seven Sundays.
For those who would like to join me
in preparing for the Solemnity of St. Joseph, we will pray this devotion after
the Masses this weekend and each weekend until March 19th. Or you can use this
as a guide to pray this devotion at home with your family at dinnertime.
Let us offer our prayers to
St. Joseph that he may intercede for our new Archbishop-elect, His Excellency,
the Most Reverend Alexander K. Sample who will be installed as the 11th
Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Portland on April 2nd. As St. Joseph was
chosen to be the father of our Lord in Nazareth, may he be a model and guide
for the man who has been chosen to be our spiritual father here in Western
Oregon.
The First Sunday: The
Annunciation to St. Joseph
• His sorrow: over the
prospect of divorcing Our Lady.
• His joy: the revelation
by the angel of the mystery of the Incarnation.
Introductory Prayer:
O chaste spouse of Mary,
great was the trouble and
anguish of your heart
when you were considering
quietly sending away your inviolate spouse;
yet your joy was
unspeakable,
when the surpassing mystery
of the Incarnation
was made known to you by
the angel.
By this sorrow and this
joy, we beseech you 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 your
own life and death in the arms of Jesus and Mary.
Gospel Reading: Matthew
1:18-25
Our FATHER, Hail Mary,
Glory be. . .
or -
The Litany of St. Joseph
Concluding Prayer:
V. Pray for us, blessed
Joseph
R. That we may be made
worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Almighty God,
in your infinite wisdom and
love
you chose Joseph to be the
husband of Mary,
the mother of your Son. As
we enjoy his protection on earth,
may we have the help of his
prayers in heaven.
We ask this through Christ
our Lord. Amen.
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