PRO MILITIA

AD S. IOSEPH PRO CASTITATE

To St. Joseph for Chastity

This prayer to St. Joseph for chastity, from the Manual of Prayers (1888), invokes the most chaste spouse of Mary as guardian of purity. Joseph's virginal marriage to the Virgin Mother makes him a powerful patron for those seeking chastity. The prayer asks him to 'instruct in every doubt, comfort in every affliction, and especially assist in all temptations against holy purity.'

LATINE
O gloriose Sancte Ioseph,
custos puritatis Beatae Mariae Virginis
et fidelis protector Iesu Christi:
te hodie in peculiarem patronum et advocatum eligo.
Firmiter propono te omnibus diebus vitae meae honorare.
Humiliter te deprecor ut me in clientem recipias,
in omni dubio instruas, in omni afflictione consoleris,
et praesertim in omnibus tentationibus contra sanctam puritatem me adiuves.
O castissime sponse Beatae Virginis,
impetra mihi sensum profundum modestiae,
qui omnibus sensibus meis sit praesidio.
Concede mihi sincerissimam cordis humilitatem.
Memoria puritatis tuae animam et corpus meum immaculata custodiat. Amen.
Sancte Ioseph, exemplar puritatis,
ora pro nobis.
ENGLISH
O glorious St. Joseph,
guardian of the purity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
and faithful protector of Jesus Christ:
I choose thee this day as my special patron and advocate.
I firmly resolve to honor thee all the days of my life.
I humbly beseech thee to receive me as thy client,
to instruct me in every doubt, to comfort me in every affliction,
and especially to assist me in all temptations against holy purity.
O most chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin,
obtain for me a deep sense of modesty
which may serve as a safeguard to all my senses.
Grant me a most sincere humility of heart.
May the remembrance of the purity which was thine keep my soul and body unstained. Amen.
St. Joseph, model of purity,
pray for us.
NOTA
FONS
Manual of Prayers (1888), Novena ad S. Ioseph
USUS
Devotion to St. Joseph, protection of purity
CONTEXT
St. Joseph's virginal marriage to Mary makes him a powerful patron for those seeking purity. His feast on March 19 is a Class I feast in the 1962 calendar.