Prayer to St. Joseph before Mass
Happy and blessed art thou, O Joseph, to whom it was given not only to see and to hear that God whom many kings desired to see, and saw not, to hear, and heard not; but also to bear Him in thine arms, to embrace Him, to clothe Him, and to guard and defend Him.
O felícem virum, beátum Ioseph, cui datum est Deum, quem multi reges voluérunt vidére et non vidérunt, audíre et non audiérunt, non solum vidére et audíre, sed portáre, deosculári, vestíre et custodíre!
Pray for us, O blessed Joseph.
Ora pro nobis, beáte Ioseph.
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Ut digni efficiámur promissiónibus Christi.
Let us pray
O God, who hast given unto us a royal priesthood, vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, that as Blessed Joseph was found worthy to handle with his hands, and bear within his arms, thine only-begotten Son, born of the Virgin Mary, so may we be made fit, by cleanness of heart and innocence of works, worthily to receive the most sacred Body and Blood of thy Son, now in this present, and deserve to attain an everlasting reward in the world to come. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Deus, qui dedísti nobis regále sacerdótium, præsta, quǽsumus, ut, sicut beátus Ioseph unigénitum Fílium tuum, natum ex Maria Vírgine, suis mánibus reverénter tractáre méruit et portáre, ita nos facias cum cordis mundítia et óperis innocéntia tuis sanctis altáribus deservíre, ut sacrosánctum Fílii tui Corpus et Sánguinem hódie digne sumámus, et in futúro sǽculo prǽmium habére mereámur ætérnum. Per Christum Dóminum nostrum. Amen.