Third Sunday

His sorrow when he saw Jesus’ blood shed in circumcision; His joy in giving him the name of Jesus. INTRODUCTORY PRAYER O glorious Saint Joseph, who faithfully obeyed the law of God, your heart was pierced at the sight of the most precious blood that was shed by the infant Savior during his circumcision, but the name of Jesus gave you new life and filled you with quiet joy. By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us the grace to be freed from all sin during life and to die rejoicing, with the holy name of Jesus in our hearts and on our lips. GOSPEL READING | LUKE 2:21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. REFLECTION “To be just is not simply a matter of obeying rules. Goodness should grow from the inside; it should be deep and vital – for ‘the just man lives by faith’ (Hab 2:4). These words, which later became a frequent subject of St Paul’s meditation, really did apply in the case of St Joseph. He didn’t fulfill the will of God in a routine or perfunctory way; he did it spontaneously and wholeheartedly. For him the law which every practicing Jew lived by was not a code or a cold list of precepts, but an expression of the will of the living God. So he knew how to recognize the Lord’s voice when it came to him so unexpectedly and so surprisingly. “St Joseph’s life was simple, but it was not easy. After considerable soul-searching, he learned that the son of Mary had been conceived through the Holy Spirit. And this child, the Son of God, the descendant of David according to the flesh, was born in a cave. Angels celebrated his birth, and distinguished people from distant countries came to adore him. But the King of Judea wanted to kill him, and they had to flee. The son of God was, it appeared, a defenseless child who would live in Egypt” (Christ is Passing By, no. 41). Conclude by praying the Litany of Saint Joseph

Lord, have mercy.Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.Lord, have mercy. 

 Christ, hear us.Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.Christ, graciously hear us.  

God the Father in heaven,have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit,have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God,have mercy on us. 

 Holy Mary,pray for us.

Saint Joseph,pray for us.

Illustrious son of David,pray for us.

Light of Patriarchs,pray for us.

Spouse of the Mother of God,pray for us.

Guardian of the Redeemer,pray for us.

Pure Guardian of the Virgin,pray for us.

Provider for the Son of God,pray for us.

Zealous defender of Christ,pray for us.

Servant of Christ,pray for us.

Minister of salvation,pray for us.

Head of the Holy Family,pray for us.

Joseph, most just,pray for us.

Joseph, most chaste,pray for us.

Joseph, most prudent,pray for us.

Joseph, most brave,pray for us.

Joseph, most obedient,pray for us.

Joseph, most loyal,pray for us.

Mirror of patience,pray for us.

Lover of poverty,pray for us.

Model for workers,pray for us.

Glory of family life,pray for us.

Guardian of virgins,pray for us.

Cornerstone of families,pray for us.

Support in difficulties,pray for us.

Comfort of the sorrowing,pray for us.

Hope of the sick,pray for us.

Patron of exiles,pray for us.

Patron of the afflicted,pray for us.

Patron of the poor,pray for us.

Patron of the dying,pray for us.

Terror of demons,pray for us.

Protector of the Holy Church,pray for us.  

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,have mercy on us.  He made him master of his house,and ruler of all his possessions.

Let us pray.

O God, who in your inexpressible providence
were pleased to choose Saint Joseph
as spouse of your most holy Mother,
grant, we pray,
that we, who revere him as our protector on earth,
may be worthy of his heavenly intercession.
Who live and reign for ever and ever.

R. Amen.