PAPA NOVENA TO SAINT JOSEPH
DAY 06
OPENING PRAYER
O Saint Joseph dear,
Protector be near.
I devote myself
To your loving care.
Nothing do I have
As worthy a gift
But only myself:
I give you my life,
My eyes and my heart,
My ears and my lips,
My soul and my mind,
All I am and own.
From now on till death,
Take it for yourself.
O Holy Joseph,
You took the Virgin,
Mary and her Son,
the Unborn Jesus,
the Eternal Word,
Savior of the World,
Into your own home.
Take me in as well.
Let me stay and dwell
In your family
As your child and serf
To the Eucharist.
O Most Chaste Joseph,
You did guard, protect
The Sacred pur'ty
For our Blest Lady;
The Holy Silence
For Her Son, Jesus.
Do protect and guard
My soul in silence
My heart in stillness
My mind in meekness
My body in cleanness.
Make me so zealous
Loving inner life
Living pure and chaste
That I only gaze
His Most Holy Face
Your own Son, Jesus.
Dear Father Joseph,
Terror of Demons,
On hearing your name,
They tremble in shame,
Running to escape!
Save me from their traps
All their temptations,
All their wiles and tricks.
Let me not upset
Jesus, your own Son,
Mary, ever bless'd.
Help me to fulfill
The will of the Lord
In humble service.
In meekness, you did.
O Saint Joseph dear,
Protector be near
My hour of death,
Help me breathe my last
Calling out the Name
Jesus Christ, my Lord
My Savior, My God. Amen.
Guardian of Dream: Knowledge
"Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” ~ (Matthew 1:20-21)
Case in point: whose dream was it that Joseph was dreaming? Was it not the dream of God? Was it not the dream of Adam and Eve from the very beginning for their descendant to crush the head of the serpent? Was it not also the dream of the Israelites for the long-awaited Messiah, the Anointed One, the Christ? Was it not the dream of all humanity as well? And was it not your dream?
What is the difference between our dream and that of Joseph?
The difference is that Joseph dreams in his sleep but he was completely alert; our dream occurs when we are awake, but we are half-asleep or rather unconscious. That his dream requires a personal sacrifice; ours, no need. That his dream demands a decision; ours, no. That his dream entails taking action; ours, not now! And that the decision he must make was urgent and the action he must take was immediate.
His dream entails taking risks and confronting unknown dangers. It also entails unexpected joy.
His dream places a tremendous responsibility on his shoulders. The task was not only to protect the Mother of the longexpected Messiah Who was growing out from her, but also the dream of humankind which has become incarnate and a reality. His task was to guard that God-incarnate reality with his own life for the sake of humanity.
In reality, he was asked to guard your dream of heaven and that of mine. He was guarding not just heaven, but the King of Heaven and Regina Caeli - the Queen!
Does that makes sense to you? If no, where? If yes, how?
What does that mean to you?
Your reflection.
Stop! Stay still for six seconds. Take a deep breath... say slowly:
JE-SUS....
The Saints on St. Joseph
"If Joseph was so engaged, heart and soul, in protecting and providing for that little family at Nazareth, don’t you think that now in heaven he is the same loving father and guardian of the whole Church, of all its members, as he was of its Head on earth?” ~ Ven. Pope Pius XII
“Saint Joseph, our father and lord, is a teacher of the interior life. Place yourself under his patronage and you’ll feel the effectiveness of his power.” ~ St. Josemaria Escriva
“I have a great love for St. Joseph, because he is a man of silence and strength. On my table, I have an image of St. Joseph sleeping. Even when he is asleep, he is taking care of the Church! Yes! We know that he can do that. So when I have a problem, a difficulty, I write a little note and I put it underneath St. Joseph, so that he can dream about it! In other words, I tell him: ‘Pray for this problem!” ~ Pope Francis
Our Father...
St. Joseph: Guardian of Dream.
Guard our heart and teach us to love your Son, Jesus. (3x).
