The Seven Sundays Of St. Joseph

Seven weeks with the sorrows and joys of the man who lived closest to Jesus and Mary.

TLDR

A traditional devotion on the seven Sundays before March 19. Each Sunday meditates on one of Joseph's seven greatest sorrows paired with the joy that followed, mirroring the pattern of the Christian life: every cross carries within it the seed of a resurrection. Enriched with a plenary indulgence by Pope Pius IX.

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When To Pray

On each of the seven Sundays before March 19, the Feast of St. Joseph. Attend Mass, receive Communion, and meditate on the sorrow and joy for that week.

Let's Pray

First Sunday — The Doubt and the Dream 

Sorrow: Joseph discovered that Mary was with child and did not understand. His heart was torn between love and duty. He resolved to divorce her quietly.

Joy: The angel appeared in a dream: "Joseph, do not be afraid to take Mary into your home. It is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her." He awoke, and he obeyed.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.

Closing Prayer:

O God, who in Your ineffable providence were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Your most Holy Mother, grant, we beseech You, that he whom we venerate as our protector on earth may be our intercessor in heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Second Sunday — The Poverty of Bethlehem 

Sorrow: Joseph led Mary from door to door in Bethlehem and was turned away at every one. No room for the Son of God.

Joy: The Savior was born. Angels sang. Shepherds came. And Joseph held the child whose face was the face of God.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.

Closing Prayer:

O God, who in Your ineffable providence were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Your most Holy Mother, grant, we beseech You, that he whom we venerate as our protector on earth may be our intercessor in heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Third Sunday — The Circumcision 

Sorrow: The Blood of Jesus was shed for the first time, and the child was given the name Jesus, a name that foreshadowed the cross.

Joy: The name of Jesus was the source of salvation for the whole world, and Joseph was the first man on earth to speak it aloud.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.

Closing Prayer:

O God, who in Your ineffable providence were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Your most Holy Mother, grant, we beseech You, that he whom we venerate as our protector on earth may be our intercessor in heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Fourth Sunday — The Prophecy of Simeon 

Sorrow: Simeon prophesied that a sword would pierce Mary's soul and that this child was destined for the fall and rise of many. Joseph heard the prophecy and knew what was coming.

Joy: Simeon declared Jesus "a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory for your people Israel." Joseph held the Light of the World in his arms.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.

Closing Prayer:

O God, who in Your ineffable providence were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Your most Holy Mother, grant, we beseech You, that he whom we venerate as our protector on earth may be our intercessor in heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Fifth Sunday — The Flight into Egypt 

Sorrow: In the middle of the night, an angel told Joseph to take the Child and His Mother and flee. Herod was coming to kill the baby. Joseph became a refugee, a father on the run, carrying God through the desert.

Joy: He saved the life of the Son of God. The Holy Family was preserved through his obedience.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.

Closing Prayer:

O God, who in Your ineffable providence were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Your most Holy Mother, grant, we beseech You, that he whom we venerate as our protector on earth may be our intercessor in heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sixth Sunday — The Return from Egypt 

Sorrow: Joseph feared returning because Herod's son now ruled in Judea. Even after the danger passed, the shadow remained.

Joy: Warned in a dream, Joseph settled the family in Nazareth. There began thirty years of quiet, ordinary, sacred family life.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.

Closing Prayer:

O God, who in Your ineffable providence were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Your most Holy Mother, grant, we beseech You, that he whom we venerate as our protector on earth may be our intercessor in heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Seventh Sunday — The Loss and Finding of Jesus 

Sorrow: For three days, Joseph and Mary searched for the twelve-year-old Jesus. Three days of a father not knowing where his child was.

Joy: They found Him in the Temple, teaching the elders, radiant with wisdom. He returned home with them and was obedient to them.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.

Closing Prayer:

O God, who in Your ineffable providence were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Your most Holy Mother, grant, we beseech You, that he whom we venerate as our protector on earth may be our intercessor in heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.