The Chaplet of St. Joseph

My devotion to St. Joseph has been a part of my faith journey for as long as I can remember. I have always felt a special closeness to this great and influential saint within the Catholic tradition. In prior work for this site I have shared that St. Joseph was my Confirmation Saint, and that anything I have asked for when I pray for his intercession, it comes to fruition.

The month of March is dedicated to St. Joseph and I was researching a topic to write about and I found information about The Chaplet of St. Joseph and the Rosary of St. Joseph in my search. I was intrigued because in all of my years of reading about and offering prayer devotionals for the intercession of St. Joseph I was unaware of these ritual prayers.

The intent of this piece is not to detail the actual prayers involved in the many versions of the Chaplet or to detail the Rosary of St. Joseph. The amount of outstanding resources available on those prayer devotions are numerous with just a simple internet search.

The focus is on what those prayers have done for me during Lent, and to encourage all who read this to consider adding a devotion to St. Joseph to your prayers. The season of Lent is an opportune time to start a new prayer routine because it will most likely carry over after Easter Sunday and into your normal prayer rhythm.

I know some men who have shared with me that they observe prayer of the St. Joseph Chaplet on the first Wednesday of each month along with some other prayers. That might be a good place to start as the first Wednesday is dedicated to St. Joseph if you remember from your Catholic school days, or maybe from your parents or grandparents who were “old school” Catholics.

However, it will not take long for you to find out that the Chaplet of St. Joseph has many versions. The one version that I prayed as an audio version is about five or six minutes long, which really makes me feel like there are no excuses for not taking that time out, even on a busy day. It is a beautiful and calming reflection on the many roles that St. Joseph can undertake if you allow him into your life.

Glorious St. Joseph is recognized as the Patron of Workers, Protector of Families, Terror of Demons, Guardian of the Virgin Mary, Patron of a Happy Death, and for his intercession for those who are sick. Those areas touch all of us at some point in our lives.

A prayer devotion to St. Joseph helps also with the darkness of our world today. It seems that every day there are more stories of horrific tragedies, natural disasters, and terrible crimes of hatred. This is all the work of the devil, and St. Joseph can guard and protect you from that darkness and from the problems you may have in your own life.

Many resources I found have two versions of the Chaplet, a shorter version with 5 mysteries, and a traditional version with fifteen mysteries. The shorter version is meant to be repeated four times to have a similar impact to the more traditional version. However, both versions commemorate the Seven Sorrows and Seven Joys of the life of St. Joseph which you can read about in one of the many excellent books or articles that have been published on that subject.

The Rosary to St. Joseph contains a prayer similar to the much more universally recognized Marian Rosary similar to the Hail Mary, it is known as the Hail Joseph. It calls upon all of the strengths of the foster father of Jesus to help us all here on Earth to find strength within the trials of daily life.

This message is so relevant today where the fast pace of life can easily leave us all feeling weary or overwhelmed. The time pressures and demands can be difficult to navigate. The role of St. Joseph as model and guide for us in both work and family matters can help provide clarity and peace amid the turmoil.

I know some people are not into formal prayer, or you may have trouble with adding that to your daily routine. During my years spent in my faith journey I have found it much easier to just reflect and talk with St. Joseph than with the other saints. It easy to share your difficulties and trials with the Head of the Holy Family.

In my view, in an era where men are under increased scrutiny for unacceptable behavior in the workplace; St. Joseph provides us with an excellent model for our lives. He listens, he cares, and he is there to help intercede for us before God. Please consider learning more about the many ways that St. Joseph can help you. He has helped me through some really difficult situations in my life, and is continuing to do so presently.

The Lenten season is a perfect time to invite St. Joseph into your heart, you will be glad that you did. May St. Joseph bless and guide you all. May the blessing of God The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit be with you and your families.