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Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Chaplet of St. Joseph, Man of Silence

History:
Composed by Roberta Eicher
This chaplet is made up of 33 beads including the centerpiece, the years of Jesus's life and ministry on earth which were formed in part because of the work and life of Saint Joseph... because Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, and after all, it all comes down to Him.

Medals/Beads:
..........0 0 0  X  0 0 0  X  0 0 0  X  0
M X X 0 0 0 X ..................................  0
..........0 0 0  X  0 0 0  X 0 0 0  X  0

Method:
On the medal, pray:
O holy Saint Joseph, man of silence, Scripture gives us not a word from your mouth.  Praise be to God the Father, who chose you, Joseph, a just and upright man, to listen and to act according always to His will.  May each of us strive to emulate you in contemplation and faith.  Good Saint Joseph, earthly mirror of the Father in Heaven, your guardianship of the young Jesus gave you authority with the Son of God.  Even now in heaven, He honors you and gives you what you ask of Him.  Pray to Him now for me, and if it be in His will, ask Him to grant my prayer: (Here mention your needs and desires.)
On the first large bead of the pendant, pray:
Our Father
On the second large bead of the pendant, pray:
O my Jesus, who honored and obeyed your foster-father on earth, heed and answer his prayers in heaven!
On the three small beads of the pendant, pray on each one:
Hail Mary.
The First Silence of Joseph (large bead)
The Marriage of Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary:
The angel of the Lord comes to Joseph in a dream, and says, "Be not afraid to take Mary into your house, for what she has conceived is of the Holy Spirit." Joseph listens and acts according to God's will, taking the pregnant Mary into his house as his wife.
Our Father... 
Small Beads (3):
Holy Joseph, most excellent model of the kind and just spouse, listen to our plea! Pray for us now, and at the hour of our death.
The Second Silence of Joseph
Journey to Bethlehem and the Birth of the Savior:
Under the care of Joseph, Mary and the unborn infant Jesus are journeyed to Bethlehem, where Jesus is born in an ignominious stable. Joseph is silent in his pain and embarrassment, in poverty and helplessness. His are the first human hands to touch the newborn Prince of Peace, as he wraps Him gently and clumsily in the swaddling clothes and lays Him down with His exhausted mother. He is silent as the shepherds come and proclaim what the Angel of the Lord has said to them. He registers Jesus in the census, listing Him officially as a Son of Man, fully human.
Our Father...
Small beads:
Holy Joseph, protector of the unborn, listen to our plea! Pray for us now, and at the hour of our death.
The Third Silence of Joseph
The Circumcision:
Fulfilling the solemn duty of a father, Joseph has the infant Jesus circumcised, at which time he gives the child the name of Jesus, meaning "God Saves." This he does according to the will of God as given to him in the dream. He is silent as the Son of God undergoes the first shedding of His Precious Blood.
Our Father...
Small Beads:
Holy Joseph, fulfilling the duties of father, listen to our plea! Pray for us now, and at the hour of our death.
The Fourth Silence of Joseph
The Presentation at the Temple:
Joseph is silent, staring at Simeon, partly awestruck, partly angry as he hears the prophecy of the ancient priest. He fears for his son, he fears for his beloved wife, who must also undergo great pain according to the words of prophecy.
Our Father...
Small beads:
Holy Joseph, full of awe and fear, listen to our plea! Pray for us now, and at the hour of our death.
The Fifth Silence of Joseph
The Flight into Egypt:
Being warned of the danger to Jesus, again in a dream given by God, Joseph leaves everything and everyone he knows, traveling in poverty to a land unfamiliar and hostile. Here he must live and provide for his family, until he is told it is safe to go home. Even then he cannot return to Bethlehem, but goes back to Nazareth, to begin life again as a family. The uncertainty, the physical and emotional exhaustion is secondary to the safety of those he is responsible for.
Our Father...
Small beads:
Holy Joseph, protector of families, listen to our plea! Pray for us now, and at the hour of our death.
The Sixth Silence of Joseph
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple:
Joseph is silent as Mary chides the young Jesus for staying behind in Jerusalem, and frightening them so. He hears Jesus ask them "Did they not know that He would be in His Father's House?" He is silent.
Our Father...
Small beads:
Holy Joseph, help of fathers and foster-fathers, listen to our plea! Pray for us now, and at the hour of our death.
The Seventh Silence of Joseph
Jesus submits to Joseph's earthly authority as father.
Joseph is silent throughout the years that Jesus grows to manhood, teaching Him the craftsmanship he was taught by his own father. He dies a silent and happy death, in the arms of his wife and son.
Our Father...
Small beads:
Holy Joseph, with the authority and honor of father, listen to our plea! Pray for us now, and at the hour of our death.
Conclude with the Memorarae of Saint Joseph:
Remember, most pure spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, my protector, Saint Joseph, that no one has ever had recourse to your protection or implored your assistance without obtaining relief.  Confiding in your goodness, I come to you and humbly ask you to hear my petitions, gentle foster father of the Redeemer. In your love, hear and answer me. Amen.

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