The Seven Weeks of Prayer for the Feast of St. Joseph

by Henry Go

The seven weeks of prayer with which the Church traditionally prepares us for the feast of Saint Joseph on March 19 may have quietly slipped away. Yet Saint Joseph's heart remains wide open. Let us not dwell on what is past; instead, let us make good use of the days still left before his feast. In God's merciful plan, no sincere prayer is ever offered too late. Come, let us offer these final moments to him, and he will present them — and us — to his Son.

The devotion of the Seven Sorrows and Seven Joys invites us to walk with this humble and just man, learning from him what it means to trust completely in God. In every mystery of his life, we see the same truth: true joy is born when we embrace sorrow with faith.

First Sorrow and Joy: His anguish when he discovered Mary's pregnancy (Matthew 1:19) turned to joy when the angel revealed that the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20).

Second Sorrow and Joy: His sorrow at finding no room at the inn (Luke 2:7) turned to joy as he witnessed the shepherds and the Magi coming to worship the newborn King (Matthew 2:11).

Third Sorrow and Joy: His heart was pierced at the circumcision (Luke 2:21), yet he was filled with joy when he spoke the name given from heaven—Jesus, the Savior of all people (Matthew 1:21).

Fourth Sorrow and Joy: Simeon's prophecy cut through his soul like a sword (Luke 2:34-35), yet he rejoiced hearing this child called "a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel" (Luke 2:32).

Fifth Sorrow and Joy: The sudden command to flee to Egypt was a heavy sorrow (Matthew 2:13), yet he saw with his own eyes how the living God came into Egypt and brought down its idols (Isaiah 19:1).

Sixth Sorrow and Joy: Fear of Archelaus troubled him on the journey home (Matthew 2:22), but his joy returned when he settled in Nazareth, living quietly with Jesus and Mary in the peace of the Holy Family (Luke 2:39).

Seventh Sorrow and Joy: His greatest sorrow was losing Jesus for three long days (Luke 2:44-45), but his sorrow turned to overwhelming joy when he found him in the Temple—a moment that gave him a foretaste of the glory of the Lord's Resurrection (Luke 2:46).

Let us pray:

O God, who chose Saint Joseph as the spouse of the Virgin Mary and guardian of your Son, grant that we may have him as our intercessor in heaven. Through all his sorrows and joys, good Saint Joseph, teach us to trust in God's plan. Pray for us now, and especially at the hour of our death, so that we may pass from this life to the joy of heaven, where with you and all the saints we will praise God forever and ever.

Saint Joseph, Guardian of the Redeemer, pray for us. Amen.