Be careful when you pray asking St Joseph’s intercession for a favour – from husbands to brides to children rediscovering the Church. Many are convinced their prayers are answered …
The Holy Cloak Novena to St Joseph was a little book given to me by a close friend many years ago. I had confided in her that I wished to entrust a special project to St Joseph, but I didn’t know which prayer he would like me to pray.
My friend assured me the novena was very powerful and tha no less a saint than Theresa of Avila herself recommended it. St Theresa reportedly said: “You pray to some saints for a particular need: St Anthony when you lose something, St Jude for lost causes, but you can pray to St Joseph for all your needs and whatever you pray for he will grant”.
Short, beautiful and uplifting novena
The Novena takes approximately 15 minutes to recite and is said for 30 days. The prayers and litany are very beautiful and uplifting.
After I had been praying the novena for a while, St Joseph let me know that my favour would be granted at some time in the future. I continued the novena for this project, but started asking for other favours as well. For some reason Wednesday seemed to be the day that most of my requests were granted and this is the day the Church devotes to St Joseph.
One of my friend’s daughters was deeply sad because her engagement had broken up and she thought she would never marry. I gave her the Holy Cloak Novena and told her that if she chose to pray the Novena, St Joseph would find her the ideal husband.
Patience helps
She phoned on the 30th day of the Novena to ask “Where is my Prince Charming?” “Give St Joseph a little time!” I replied. She soon met her Prince Charming, and they were married on the feast of St Joseph a year and a half later. They now have four beautiful children.
One of my daughters in law told me of a friend of hers who also had romance problems. This friend reluctantly accepted the offer of the novena. A couple of months later she stopped to thank me profusely, showing off a photo of her new boyfriend. They too were married the following year. She told me “Now all my friends want a copy of the novena!” This matchmaking service soon exploded with all and sundry requesting St Joseph’s Holy Cloak Novena.
Devotion to him can catch on …
Everyone started invoking St Joseph. One of my friends prayed for her son to go to Confession and come back to the faith. Sure enough on the 30th day he took himself off to Confession. Feeling her son’s vocation was marriage and family life, she then prayed for a good Catholic bride and two years later he was married to the girl of his dreams. Her other son also needed a good girl and St Joseph also obliged.
I have prayed to St Joseph for economic needs, a friend’s house to be sold, conversions to the faith, vocations, Cardinal Pell to be exonerated and for the needs of many of my family and friends. St Joseph will always help. When praying to him one feels his fatherly protection and his care for our spiritual welfare.
Patron of work and workers
The 1st of May is the feast of St Joseph the Worker. Sanctifying our everyday work by offering it to God is most fruitful. St Joseph has shown us that work becomes a prayer when this is offered for the honour and glory of God. This is our way to heaven.
St Isadore has said that the Victory Bell will ring when St Joseph is fully recognised. There has been no great saint that did not have a profound devotion to St Joseph.
The Holy Cloak in honour of St Joseph is available from Divine Mercy Sydney Distributors PO Box 3037 Dural NSW 2158 Phone (02) 9651 3028 or email: [email protected]
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