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Novena to St. Joseph
the Worker
Bishop James F. Checchio invites all the faithful in our local Church of Metuchen to join him in praying a Novena to St. Joseph the Worker, during this celebratory Year of St. Joseph.
Pray with us today for the intention of all workers, that they may find good work, be valued for their gifts, and fulfilled by their responsibilities.
St. Joseph the Worker, pray for us!
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Day 9 - For the universal church
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Jesus, we thank You for giving us Your foster father, St. Joseph, as an example of a holy worker. Help us to imitate all of his virtues, particularly his humble spirit of diligence in work. St. Joseph, you are invoked at the patron saint of the Universal Church. You were a holy man who did all you could to serve God as He asked of you. Even when God asked you to do difficult and unexpected things, you responded generously and strove to do God’s will. Please bring our prayers for the Universal Church before God, and pray today that we may each declare our fiat in our own lives. Help us to grow in openness to whatever God is asking of us in their lives! Pray for our leaders, for Pope Francis, for Bishop James F. Checchio and for all who serve in His name, that we may always be eager to serve God as He calls us to. Help us through your prayers to do the will of the Father and to encourage those we encounter to practice and grow in prayer, in our own small everyday ways. St. Joseph, patron saint of workers, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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day 8 - for youth and young adults
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Jesus, we thank You for giving us Your foster father, St. Joseph, as an example of a holy worker. Help us to imitate all of his virtues, particularly his humble spirit of diligence in work. St. Joseph, you are invoked as the patron saint of children and the patron saint of fathers. Help us to remember that we are children of the Father who loves us. As a father yourself, we ask you to look with compassion on all children, youth and young adults, especially those struggling through the isolation and uncertainty caused by this pandemic, and we ask you to do all you can to assist them. Please bring our prayers for our children, youth and young adults before God, and pray today that God may give them the strength, grace and assurance to persevere in their difficult days and the gifts of hope, joy and expectant faith to rejoice in their good days! Pray that they may know they are loved and exult in the love of our heavenly Father. Help us through your prayers to grow closer to your foster-Son. St. Joseph, patron saint of workers, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
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day 7 - for Candidates, Catechumens and Neophytes
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Jesus, we thank You for giving us Your foster father, St. Joseph, as an example of a holy worker. Help us to imitate all of his virtues, particularly his humble spirit of diligence in work. St. Joseph, even when faced with fear, doubt or challenges, you persevered with faith. You let the Father steer your course. For many, the pandemic has put on hold their entrance into the faith or the celebration of their recent entrance into the faith. Please bring our prayers for all candidates, catechumens and neophytes before God. Help them to be undeterred and inspired to use this time to grow closer to God each day, even in the midst of a pandemic or through any difficulties. Pray today especially that they continue to seek and understand God in their lives and continue to be led by the Holy Spirit! Help us through your prayers to persevere with faith and let the Father steer our course. St. Joseph, patron saint of workers, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Day 6 - for the dignity of the human person
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Jesus, we thank You for giving us Your foster father, St. Joseph, as an example of a holy worker. Help us to imitate all of his virtues, particularly his humble spirit of diligence in work. St. Joseph, you devoted your life to caring for Mary and Jesus. You faced many difficulties in your life with them, but you did not allow discouragement to overcome you. Many of us face the temptation to give in to discouragement, hatred, and indifference in our lives, especially during such difficult times. Please bring our prayers for all human life before God, and pray today especially for those who are struggling are struggling to see the gift of the human person! Pray that we may grow in all the virtues we need to recognize that we are each created in His image regardless of our stage in life, our economic, political, and societal status, or our race, ethnicity, or religious beliefs! Help us through your prayers to become more devoted servants of God and grow in charity as brothers and sisters in Christ. St. Joseph, patron saint of workers, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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day 5 - for fathers
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Jesus, we thank You for giving us Your foster father, St. Joseph, as an example of a holy worker. Help us to imitate all of his virtues, particularly his humble spirit of diligence in work. St. Joseph, you are the patron saint of fathers. Your patronage is often invoked by those striving to protect their families, to lead their families toward holiness and to give that same paternal love with which you embraced the Child Jesus. We ask you to help through your intercession that all fathers may be supported by your example and your aid. Please bring our prayers for all fathers – spiritual, paternal and father-figures – before God, and pray today especially for all men who have worked to become worthy and virtuous fathers! Pray that we may obtain the grace, mercy, and courage, you have shown to us. Help us through your prayers to grow to deeper holiness. St. Joseph, patron saint of workers, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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day 4 - for Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Jesus, we thank You for giving us Your foster father, St. Joseph, as an example of a holy worker. Help us to imitate all of his virtues, particularly his humble spirit of diligence in work. St. Joseph, we know little about the events of your life or your death. But as a holy and just man, you must have had great compassion for all who suffer pain. We ask you to look with for our clergy, that they, like you, may be humble spiritual fathers in the Church and that more men may hear your foster-Son’s call to the priesthood and join them in His vineyard, so that all may be served with the compassionate love of Jesus Christ! Please bring our prayers for all clergy, those in consecrated life and all living their religious vocations, before God, and pray today especially for those who are discerning His will! Pray that our need for good shepherds may be tended to and exemplified by your foster-Son, Jesus. Help us through your prayers to grow closer to Him each day. St. Joseph, patron saint of workers, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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day 3 - for families
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Jesus, we thank You for giving us Your foster father, St. Joseph, as an example of a holy worker. Help us to imitate all of his virtues, particularly his humble spirit of diligence in work. St. Joseph, you are an example of holiness and of a spirit of diligence in work. Many people in our world today wish to work as you did to provide for themselves and their families. But some jobs demand much or provide little, bringing stress to the family. Please bring our prayers for our families before God, and pray today especially for those who struggle to support their families, both emotionally and financially, and pray for all those working to balance their work and their home lives. Help them to be present for one another and to grow together in holiness! Pray that we may always be thankful for the gift of one another and the gift of holy work in our lives. Help us through your prayers to grow in holiness and virtue each day. St. Joseph, patron saint of workers, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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day 2 - for people in doubt
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Jesus, we thank You for giving us Your foster father, St. Joseph, as an example of a holy worker. Help us to imitate all of his virtues, particularly his humble spirit of diligence in work. St. Joseph, Scripture tells us that you were a just man. In our fallen world, many people today are not just like you were. Many people struggle with caring for others and the nurturing of their own faith lives. Please bring our prayers for people in doubt before God, and pray today especially for those struggling with their decisions and with their faith! Pray that we may strive to follow your example of holiness in our lives. Help us through your prayers to be steadfast in faith and grow closer to God each day. St. Joseph, patron saint of workers, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Day 1 - for workers
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Jesus, we thank You for giving us Your foster father, St. Joseph, as an example of a holy worker. Help us to imitate all of his virtues, particularly his humble spirit of diligence in work. St. Joseph, you worked as a carpenter for many years of your life. You know the importance of a good job through which we can support ourselves and our families in our world today. Many people suffer a lot as the result of losing their jobs, and they are in great need of assistance as they search for a new job. Please bring our prayers for all workers before God, and pray today especially for those who are unemployed! Pray that we may imitate your many virtues in our lives. Help us through your prayers to become holy servants of God. St. Joseph, patron saint of workers, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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