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Day Two
Virginal Husband of Mary
Saint Joseph, I honor you
as the true husband of Mary.
Scripture says: "Jacob begot Joseph,
the husband of Mary,
and of her was born Jesus
who is called Christ" (Matt. 1:16).
Your marriage to Mary
was a sacred contract by which
you and Mary gave yourselves to each other.
Mary really belonged to you
with all she was and had.
You had a right to her love and obedience;
and no other person so won
her esteem, obedience, and love.
You were also the protector
and witness of Mary's virginity.
By your marriage you gave
to each other your virginity,
and also the mutual right over it
a right to safeguard the other's virtue.
This mutual virginity
also belonged to the divine plan of the Incarnation,
for God sent His angel to assure you
that motherhood and virginity in Mary could be united.
This union of marriage
not only brought you into daily familiar association with Mary,
the loveliest of God's creatures,
but also enabled you to share with her
a mutual exchange of spiritual goods.
And Mary found her edification
in your calm, humble, and
deep virtue, purity, and sanctity.
What a great honor comes to you
from this close union with her
whom the Son of God calls Mother
and whom He declared the Queen of heaven and earth!
Whatever Mary had
belonged by right to you also,
and this included her Son,
even though He had been given
to her by God in a wonderful way.
Jesus belonged to you as His legal father.
Your marriage was the way
which God chose to have Jesus introduced into the world,
a great divine mystery from which all benefits have come to us.
God the Son confided the guardianship
and the support of His Immaculate Mother to your care.
Mary's life was that of the Mother of the Savior,
who did not come upon earth
to enjoy honors and pleasures,
but to redeem the world
by hard work, suffering, and the cross.
You were the faithful companion,
support, and comforter of the Mother of Sorrows.
How loyal you were to her
in poverty, journeying, work, and pain.
Your love for Mary was based
upon your esteem for her as Mother of God.
After God and the Divine Child,
you loved no one as much as her.
Mary responded to this love.
She submitted to your guidance
with naturalness and easy grace
and childlike confidence.
The Holy Spirit Himself was the bond
of the great love which united your hearts.
Saint Joseph, I thank God for your privilege
of being the virginal husband of Mary.
As a token of your own gratitude to God,
obtain for me the grace to love
Jesus with all my heart,
as you did, and love Mary
with some of the tenderness and loyalty
with which you loved her.
Novena Prayer
*(prayer to be said at the end of each day's devotion)
Saint Joseph, I, your unworthy child, greet you.
You are the faithful protector and intercessor
of all who love and venerate you.
You know that I have special confidence
in you and that, after Jesus and Mary,
I place all my hope of salvation in you,
for you are especially powerful with God
and will never abandon your faithful servants.
Therefore I humbly invoke you
and commend myself,
with all who are dear to me
and all that belong to me,
to your intercession.
I beg of you,
by your love for Jesus and Mary,
not to abandon me during life
and to assist me at the hour of my death.
Glorious Saint Joseph,
spouse of the Immaculate Virgin,
obtain for me a pure, humble,
charitable mind, and perfect resignation to the divine Will.
Be my guide, my father,
and my model through life that
I may merit to die as you did
in the arms of Jesus and Mary.
Loving Saint Joseph,
faithful follower of Jesus Christ,
I raise my heart to you
to implore your powerful intercession
in obtaining from the Divine Heart of Jesus
all the graces necessary
for my spiritual and temporal welfare,
particularly the grace of a happy death,
and the special grace I now implore:
(Mention your request)
Guardian of the Word Incarnate,
I feel confident that your prayers
on my behalf will be graciously heard
before the throne of God.
Amen.
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