Novena to Saint Joseph

Day Wan—March 10
Day Tu—March 11
Day Tri—March 12
Day Fo—March 13
Day Faiv—March 14
Day Siks—March 15
Day Seven—March 16
Day Et—March 17
Day Nain—March 18

Saint Joseph, Husband of di Blessed Virgin Mary—Solemnity

More prayers and devotions to Saint Joseph

Day Wan: Baba Wey Raise Jesus

Saint Joseph, you get di special honour to share for di mystery of di Incarnation as di baba wey raise Jesus. Na only Mary get direct connection with how dis mystery take happen, because she agree make Christ dey conceived for her belle, and she allow di Holy Spirit to form di holy human nature of Jesus from her blood. You get your own part for dis mystery, but no be directly: you fulfil di condition wey di Incarnation need — to protect Mary’s virginity before you marry her and throughout your married life with her. Na you make dis marriage wey both of una remain virgins possible, and dis na part of God’s plan, wey E don foresee, will and decree from all eternity.

As di baba wey raise di Pikin wey be God, you share more directly for di work of supporting, bringing up and protecting Am. Na for dis purpose di Father for Heaven give you true papa heart — heart wey full of love and readiness to sacrifice yourself. Through di hard work of your hands, na your duty to protect di Pikin wey be God, and to provide food, clothes and home for Am. Truly, na you be di saint wey care for Jesus throughout Im holy childhood — di living creature wey God use to provide care and watch over di Christ-Child.

When Herod dey look for di Pikin to kill Am, di Father for Heaven send angel, but na only as messenger wey bring instruction say make una run away; E leave all di remaining things completely for your hands. Na dat your papa love be di only place of safety wey receive and protect di Pikin wey be God. Your papa love carry Am through di desert enter Egypt until all di enemies no dey again. Then na for your arms di Pikin return to Nazareth, where di work of your hands feed Am and provide for Am for many years. All di gratitude and duty wey any human son owe im human papa for all di good wey im papa do to bring am up and support am, na so Jesus owe you too, because you be di baba wey raise Am, teach Am and protect Am.

You serve di Pikin wey be God with love wey special. God give you heart wey full of heavenly, supernatural love — love wey deep well-well and strong pass any love wey natural papa fit get.

You serve di Pikin wey be God without thinking of yourself at all, and without looking for your own gain, but no be without sacrifice. No be for yourself you work hard; instead, you be like instrument wey dem prepare for di good of other people, wey dem go put aside once e don finish wetin e suppose do, because once Jesus’ childhood pass, people no see you for di story again.

You be di shadow of di Father for Heaven, no be only because you represent di Father’s authority for earth, but also because, through your fatherhood — wey only resemble natural fatherhood — you go hide di divinity of Jesus for some time. Di calling wey God give you really wonderful, high and holy — di loving Pikin wey you carry for your arms, wey you love and serve so faithfully, get God for Heaven as Im Father, and He Himself na God!

You get very special position among di saints for God’s Kingdom, because you share deeply for di very life of di Word of God wey become Man. Na for your house for Nazareth and under your care dem prepare for di redemption of all human beings. Wetin you accomplish, na for us you do am. No be only powerful and great saint you be for God’s Kingdom; you also be person wey do good for all Christians and all human beings. Your position for God’s Kingdom, wey far pass di position of all di angels for dignity and honour, deserve our very special veneration, love and gratitude.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for di special honour wey you get, as God choose you to be di baba wey raise Im Divine Son. As sign of your own gratitude to God for dis your greatest honour, obtain for me di grace to love Jesus Christ, my God and my Saviour, with deep devotion. Help me serve Am with some of di self-sacrificing love and devotion wey you get when you dey dis earth with Am. Through your intercession with Jesus, di Son wey you raise, make I reach di level of holiness wey God don plan for me, and make my soul receive salvation.

Saint Joseph, I, your pikin wey no worthy, greet you. You be faithful protector and person wey dey intercede for all who love and honour you. You know say I get special trust for you and say, after Jesus and Mary, na for you I put all my hope for salvation, because your intercession get special power before God, and you no go ever abandon your faithful servants. So I dey humbly call on you, and I dey put myself, everybody wey dear to me, and everything wey belong to me under your intercession. Because of your love for Jesus and Mary, I beg you, no abandon me as I dey live, and help me when di hour of my death reach.

Glorious Saint Joseph, husband of di Immaculate Virgin, obtain for me mind wey pure, humble and full of love, and di grace to surrender completely to wetin God want. Be my guide, my papa and my example all through my life, so dat I fit merit to die as you die, inside di arms of Jesus and Mary.

Loving Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, I lift my heart to you to beg for your powerful intercession, make you obtain from di Divine Heart of Jesus all di graces wey I need for my spiritual well-being and my well-being for dis world, especially di grace of a happy death, and di special grace wey I dey beg for now:

(Mention wetin you dey ask for).

Guardian of di Word Wey Become Human, I get confidence say God go graciously hear di prayers wey you pray for me before Im throne. Amen.

REMEMBER
Remember, Saint Joseph, most pure husband of Mary wey be Virgin always, my loving protector, say nobody don ever run come under your protection or ask for your help without receiving relief. So, as I trust your goodness, I come before you and humbly beg you. No look down on my requests, foster-papa of di Redeemer, but receive dem with kindness. Amen.

Di Second Day: Mary Husband Wey Remain Virgin

Saint Joseph, I honour you as di true husband of Mary. Scripture talk say: ‘Jacob na papa of Joseph, wey be Mary husband, and na Mary born Jesus wey dem dey call Christ’ (Matt. 1:16). Your marriage to Mary na sacred agreement wey make you and Mary give unaselves to each other. Mary truly belong to you with everything wey she be and everything wey she get. You get right to her love and obedience; and no other person win her respect, obedience and love reach you.

You also be protector and witness of Mary virginity. Through una marriage, una give una virginity to each other, and una also give each other right over am — di right to protect di other person virtue. Dis virginity wey both of una keep also dey part of God’s plan for di Incarnation, because God send Im angel to assure you say Mary fit be Mother and still remain Virgin.

Dis marriage union no only bring you into close daily life with Mary, di most lovely of all di creatures wey God make; e also make am possible for you and her to share spiritual gifts with each other. And your calm, humble and deep virtue, purity and holiness help Mary grow spiritually. See di great honour wey you receive from dis close union with di woman wey di Son of God dey call Mother and wey E declare Queen of heaven and earth! Everything wey Mary get also belong to you by right, including her Son, even though na God give am to her in a wonderful way. Jesus belong to you as you be Im papa according to law. Your marriage na di way wey God choose to bring Jesus enter di world, one great divine mystery wey all di blessings we don receive come from.

God di Son put di protection and support of Im Immaculate Mother for your care. Mary life na di life of di Mother of di Saviour, wey no come dis earth to enjoy honour and pleasure, but to redeem di world through hard work, suffering and di cross. You be di faithful companion, support and comforter of di Mother of Sorrows. You truly stand by her for poverty, journeys, work and pain. Your love for Mary rest on di high regard wey you get for her as Mother of God. After God and di Divine Child, you no love anybody reach as you love her. Mary return dis love. She willingly follow your guidance with ease, gentleness and di trust wey pikin get. Na di Holy Spirit Imself be di bond of di great love wey join una hearts together.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for di privilege wey you get to be Mary husband wey remain virgin. As sign of your own gratitude to God, obtain for me di grace to love Jesus with all my heart, as you do, and to love Mary with some of di tenderness and faithfulness wey you take love her.

(Mention wetin you dey ask for).

Guardian of di Word Wey Become Human, I get confidence say God go graciously hear di prayers wey you pray for me before Im throne. Amen.

Di Third Day: Di Man Wey Di Blessed Trinity Choose

Saint Joseph, na you be di man wey God di Father choose. E choose you to be Im representative for earth, so E give you all di graces and blessings wey you need to be Im worthy representative.

Na you be the man wey God the Son choose. As E want worthy papa wey go raise Am, E add His own riches and gifts, and pass everything, His love. Na how you follow Jesus example go show the true measure of your holiness. You dedicate yourself completely to Jesus, dey always work near Am, dey offer Am your virtues, your work, your sufferings, and your very life. Jesus live inside you perfectly, so tey you change to be like Am. Na here your special glory dey, and na this be the main mark of your holiness. Na why, after Mary, na you holy pass among all the saints.

Na the Holy Spirit choose you. Na Him be the Love wey the Father and the Son get for each other — the heart of the Holy Trinity. For His wisdom, E bring all creatures out of nothing, E dey guide them reach their final purpose as E dey show them wetin E make them for and give them wetin dem need to reach am. Every calling and the fulfilment of every calling dey come from the Holy Spirit. As the papa wey raise Jesus and the head of the Holy Family, you get calling wey high well-well and carry great responsibility — to open the way for the redemption of the world and prepare for am by teaching and guiding the God-Man when E still young. For this work, you cooperate as instrument of the Holy Spirit. Na the Holy Spirit guide; you obey and carry out the work. See how perfectly you obey the guidance of the God of Love!

The words for the Old Testament wey Pharaoh talk about Joseph of Egypt fit you well: ‘We fit find another man like this, wey full with the spirit of God, or wise man like am?’ (Gen. 41:38). Your own share for God’s divine work no small pass the share of the one for Egypt. Now you dey reign with the Son wey you raise, and for the mirror of God’s Wisdom, you dey see the Divine Will and wetin go benefit our souls.

Saint Joseph, I thank God say E make you the man wey E specially choose. As sign of your own gratitude to God, obtain for me the grace to follow your virtues, so that I too go fit please the Heart of God. Help me to give myself completely to His service and to doing His Holy Will, so that one day I go fit reach heaven and remain united to God forever as you dey.

(Mention wetin you dey ask for).

Guardian of di Word Wey Become Human, I get confidence say God go graciously hear di prayers wey you pray for me before Im throne. Amen.

Day Four: Faithful Servant

Saint Joseph, na only one purpose you live for — to be the personal servant of Jesus Christ, the Word wey become flesh. Your noble birth and family line, the graces and gifts wey God pour on you with great generosity — all these na for you to serve our Lord better. Every thought, word and action of your own na honour you give to the love and glory of the Word wey become flesh. You carry out with full faithfulness the role of good and faithful servant wey care for the House of God.

See how perfect your obedience be! Your position for the Holy Family make am your duty to give orders, but apart from being the papa wey raise Jesus, you still be His disciple. For almost thirty years, you watch the God-Man show simple obedience wey no dey delay, and you come love and practise am very perfectly yourself. Without exception, you submit to God, to the rulers of the land, and to the voice of your conscience.

When God send angel to tell you to care for Mary, you obey, even with the mystery wey surround how she become mother. When dem tell you to run go Egypt under painful conditions, you obey without even one small word of complaint. When God advise you for dream to return to Nazareth, you obey. For every situation, your obedience simple like your faith, humble like your heart, and quick like your love. E no neglect anything; e follow every command.

You get the virtue of complete dedication, wey be mark of good servant. You dedicate every moment of your life to the service of our Lord: sleep, rest, work, pain. As you remain faithful to your duties, you sacrifice everything without seeking your own gain, and you even do am with joy. You for even sacrifice the happiness of being with Mary. You give up the rest and quiet of Nazareth when duty call. Your whole life na generous giving, even to the point say you ready to die to prove your love for Jesus and Mary. With true dedication wey no dey seek personal gain, you work without praise or reward.

But God want make you, for one sense, be person wey cooperate for the Redemption of the world. E put the care of feeding and defending the Divine Child for your hand. E want make you poor and suffer because E don appoint you to be the papa wey go raise His Son, wey come this world to save people through His sufferings and death, and you go share for His suffering. For all these important tasks, the Heavenly Father always find you to be faithful servant!

Saint Joseph, I thank God for the privilege wey you get to be God faithful servant. As sign of your own gratitude to God, beg God make E give me the grace to be Im faithful servant as you bin be. Help me make I share, as you bin do, for the perfect obedience of Jesus, wey no come to do Im own Will, but the Will of Im Father; make I trust the way God dey care for us and provide for us, as I know say if I do Im Will, E go provide everything wey my soul and body need; make I remain calm for my trials and leave am for our Lord to free me from them when E please Am to do so. And help me make I follow your example of generosity, because no reward for this earth fit pass the joy and honour of being God faithful servant.

(Mention wetin you dey ask for).

Guardian of di Word Wey Become Human, I get confidence say God go graciously hear di prayers wey you pray for me before Im throne. Amen.

Day Five: Patron of the Church

Saint Joseph, God don appoint you as patron of the Catholic Church because na you bin be the head of the Holy Family, where the Church start from. You bin be the father, protector, guide and support of the Holy Family. Na for this reason you belong to the Church for one special way, and na because of the Church the Holy Family come exist.

I believe say the Church na God family for earth. The authority of priests dey represent how dem dey govern the Church. Above every other thing, this authority dey for the power wey dem get over the true Body of Christ, wey really dey present for the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. Na so Christ life dey continue for the Church. From this power too, authority over the Mystical Body of Christ, wey be the members of the Church, dey come — the power to teach and guide souls, to reconcile them with God, to bless them, and to pray for them.

You get special relationship with the priesthood because you bin get wonderful power over our Saviour Imself. Your life and the position wey you hold bin serve priestly purpose, and dem connect especially with the Blessed Sacrament. To some extent, na through you the Redeemer reach us — just as na the priest duty to bring Am to us for Mass — because you raise Jesus, support Am, feed Am, protect Am and give Am shelter. The patriarch Joseph, wey store wheat for im people, bin be sign wey point to you before you come. But you great pass am by far! Joseph of old give the Egyptians ordinary bread for their body. You feed the One wey be the Bread of Heaven and wey dey give eternal life for Holy Communion, and with the most tender care, you preserve Am for the Church.

God don appoint you as patron of the Church because the glorious title of patriarch belong to you too by special right. The patriarchs bin be heads of families among the People wey God Choose, and dem get the honour to prepare for the Saviour to become man. You belong to this line of patriarchs, because you bin be one of the last descendants of David family and one of Christ nearest forefathers according to the flesh. As husband of Mary, the Mother of God, and as the foster-father of the Saviour, you connect directly with Christ. Your calling concern the Person of Jesus for special way; everything wey you do centre on Am. So, na you mark the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New, wey start with the Holy Family of Nazareth. Because the New Testament pass the Old for every way, you be the patriarch of patriarchs, the one wey deserve honour pass, wey high pass, and wey people fit love pass among all the patriarchs.

Na through Mary the Church receive Christ, and because of this, the Church owe her gratitude. But the Church owe you gratitude and honour too, because na you be the chosen one wey make am possible for Christ to enter this world according to the laws of proper order and wetin fitting. Na through you the patriarchs, the prophets and the faithful receive the fruit of God promise. Among all of them, na only you see with your own eyes and get with you the Redeemer wey God promise the rest of mankind.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for the privilege wey you get to be the Patron of the Church. As sign of your own gratitude to God, beg God make E give me the grace to always live as worthy member of this Church, so that through am I fit save my soul. Bless the priests, the religious, and the lay faithful of the Catholic Church, so that dem go always grow for love of God and faithfulness for Im service. Protect the Church from the evils of our time and from the persecution of her enemies. Through your powerful intercession, make the Church successfully fulfil her mission for this world — the glory of God and the salvation of souls!

(Mention wetin you dey ask for).

Guardian of di Word Wey Become Human, I get confidence say God go graciously hear di prayers wey you pray for me before Im throne. Amen.

Day Six: Patron of Families

Saint Joseph, I dey honour you as the gentle head of the Holy Family. Na inside the Holy Family you do the work of your whole life: from how the family start, to how you guide am, protect am, work for Jesus and Mary, and even how you die for their arms. You live, move about and do everything together with Jesus and Mary, wey surround you with love. The writer wey God inspire describe your life for Nazareth with only few words: ‘And (Jesus) follow them go down, come reach Nazareth, and dey obey them’ (Luke, 2:51). Still, these words show the great calling wey you get here for earth, and the plenty graces wey fill your soul for those years wey you spend for Nazareth.

Your family life for Nazareth shine well-well with the light of love wey come from God. The members of your Holy Family dey deeply united for heart and mind. No bond fit close pass the one wey join you to Jesus, the Son wey you raise as papa, and to Mary, your wife wey love you so much. Jesus choose to do all the duties of a faithful son towards you, His papa wey raise Him, and He show you every honour and affection wey parent suppose receive. And Mary show you all the respect and love of a devoted wife. As Jesus and Mary show you this love and honour, you too respond with the deepest love and respect. You get true fatherly love for Jesus, wey the Holy Spirit kindle and keep burning for your heart. And you no fit stop to admire how grace dey work for Mary’s soul. This admiration make the holy love wey you dedicate to her on your wedding day grow stronger every day.

God don make you heavenly patron of family life because you make yourself holy as head of the Holy Family, and through your fine example, you make family life holy too. See the kind peace and happiness wey the Holy Family enjoy under your fatherly care and leadership, even when trials dey. Na you be the protector, adviser and comfort of the Holy Family for every need. And just as you be example of devotion to God, na so, through your zeal, your seriousness, your devoted trust in how God dey provide and care for us, and especially through your love, you give us example of how to work according to God’s Will. You treasure all the experiences wey dey common for family life, and the holy memories of the life, sufferings and joys wey you share with Jesus and Mary. So family dear to you as work wey God make, and for your eyes, family dey very important for promoting God’s honour and the good of human beings. With your loving fatherly care and your intercession wey no dey fail, you be patron of families and the one wey dey plead for them, and you deserve place for every home.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for the privilege wey you get to live inside the Holy Family and to be the head. As sign of your own gratitude to God, beg God make He bless my own family. Make our home become the kingdom of Jesus and Mary — kingdom of peace, joy and love.

I dey pray too for all Christian families. We need your help for this our time when God’s enemy don direct im attack against family, so that e go spoil the holiness of family and destroy am. As these evils dey face us, as patron of families, please help us; and just as you rise that time to save the Child and His Mother, rise today too to protect the holiness of the home. Make our homes become holy places of prayer, love, sacrifice wey we dey make with patience, and work. Make them follow the example of your own home for Nazareth. Stay with us together with Jesus and Mary, so that with your help, we go fit obey the commandments of God and of the Church; receive the holy sacraments of God and of the Church; live life of prayer; and encourage teaching about our faith inside our homes. Grant us make we fit come together again for God’s Kingdom and live forever together with the Holy Family for heaven.

(Mention wetin you dey ask for).

Guardian of di Word Wey Become Human, I get confidence say God go graciously hear di prayers wey you pray for me before Im throne. Amen.

Day Seven: Patron of Workers

Saint Joseph, you dedicate your time for Nazareth to carpenter work. Na God’s Will say you and the Son wey you raise as papa go spend una days together dey do handwork. The fine example wey you set for workers really great!

Na especially for poor people, wey be the greater part of all human beings, Jesus come this world, because for the synagogue for Nazareth, He read Isaiah words and talk say na about Himself the words be: ‘The Spirit of the Lord dey upon Me, because He don anoint Me to bring good news to poor people…’ (Luke 4:18). Na God Will make you dey do the kind work wey poor people dey do, so that Jesus Himself fit give the work dignity as He learn am from you, His foster-father, and freely choose to do am. This way, our Lord dey teach us say He keep His richest graces for workers wey their work lowly, provided say dem dey content with the place wey God plan and care don put dem, and dem remain poor for spirit, because He talk say, ‘Blessed na those wey poor for spirit, because the kingdom of heaven na their own’ (Matt. 5:3).

The kind work wey you give your time to for the workshop for Nazareth give you plenty chances to practise humility. You get the privilege to see every day the example of humility wey Jesus show — virtue wey dey please Him well-well. For the place wey He go live for this earth, He no choose princes their palaces or halls of learned people, but one small workshop for Nazareth. Na here you join for many years for the humble toil wey God-wey-become-Man do away from public eye. Wetin a touching example for workers of today!

As your hands dey busy with handwork, your mind turn to God for prayer. From the Divine Master, wey dey work with you, you learn to work for God presence with prayerful spirit, because as He dey work, He dey adore His Father and entrust the welfare of the world to Him. Jesus still teach you the wonderful truths about grace and virtue, because you dey close to Him wey talk about Himself say, ‘Na Me be the Way and the Truth and the Life.’

As you dey do your handwork, e dey remind you of God greatness and majesty. God, like Architect wey get the greatest wisdom, form this vast universe with wonderful skill and power wey no get limit.

The light of divine faith wey fill your mind no dim when you see Jesus dey work as carpenter. You believe firmly say the holy Young Man wey dey work beside you na truly God own Son.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for the privilege wey you get to work side by side with Jesus for the carpenter workshop for Nazareth. As sign of your own gratitude to God, obtain for me the grace to respect the dignity of work and to always dey content with the position for life, no matter how lowly, wey God for His plan and care may choose to put me. Teach me to work for God and with God with spirit of humility and prayer, as you do, so that I fit offer my toil in union with Jesus sacrifice for the Mass as reparation for my sins, and gain plenty merit for heaven.

(Mention wetin you dey ask for).

Guardian of di Word Wey Become Human, I get confidence say God go graciously hear di prayers wey you pray for me before Im throne. Amen.

Day Eight: Friend for Time of Suffering

Saint Joseph, your own share of suffering plenty well-well because of your close union with the Divine Saviour. All the mysteries of His life, to one degree or another, na mysteries of suffering. Poverty press you, and the cross of work follow you everywhere. Even crosses for family life no spare you, because of misunderstandings about Jesus and Mary, wey holy pass all and dear to you pass all, and wey mean everything to you. The uncertainty about Mary virginity must don cause you sharp suffering; the giving of the name Jesus, wey point to trouble wey go come for future, must don cause you suffering too. Simeon prophecy, the escape go Egypt, and Jesus disappearance for the Passover feast must don pain you deeply. On top all this suffering, sorrow must surely don dey your heart as you see the sins of your own people.

You bear all this suffering in a way wey truly resemble Christ own way, and for this, you be our example. No sound of complaint or impatience come from you — truly, you be the silent saint! You submit to everything with spirit of faith, humility, confidence, and love. You bear everything cheerfully, in union with the Saviour and His Mother and for their sake, as you know well say true love na love wey dem crucify. But God never abandon you for your trials. The trials too pass, and at last dem turn to comfort and joy.

E be like say God purposely plan make your life full of suffering and comfort, so that I go always remember say my life for this earth na joy and sorrow wey dey follow each other, and say I must accept anything wey God send me with thanksgiving, and prepare for suffering when I dey enjoy comfort. Teach me to carry my cross with faith, strong trust, and thanksgiving to God. For eternity wey full of happiness, I go thank God with all my heart for di suffering wey He see fit to send me as I dey on pilgrimage for this earth, and wey I endure, as I follow your example, with patience and love from my heart for Jesus and Mary.

Truly, you be martyr of di hidden life. Na wetin God want be this, because di more person dey holy, na so di more e dey face trials for di love and glory of God. If suffering na how God’s grace dey blossom inside soul and how di soul’s love for God dey win victory, then, as you be di greatest saint after Mary, you suffer pass any of di martyrs.

Because you don experience di suffering of this valley of tears, you dey very kind and you dey feel for people wey dey in need. Through all di ages, souls don turn to you when trouble dey, and dem don always find you as faithful friend for suffering. With kindness, you don hear their prayers for their needs, even when e require miracle. As you and Jesus and Mary dey so closely united for life, di way you dey beg Them for us get great power.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for di special privilege wey you get to suffer for Jesus and Mary. As sign of your own thanksgiving to God, obtain for me di grace to bear my suffering with patience because of my love for Jesus and Mary. Make I fit join di suffering, work and disappointment of life with di sacrifice of Jesus for Mass, and share, as you do, in Mary’s spirit of sacrifice.

(Mention wetin you dey ask for).

Guardian of di Word Wey Become Human, I get confidence say God go graciously hear di prayers wey you pray for me before Im throne. Amen.

De Nine: Patron of Happy Death

Saint Joseph, e really fitting say, for di hour of your death, Jesus stand beside your bed with Mary, wey be di sweetness and hope of all human beings. You give your whole life to serve Jesus and Mary; when death come, you enjoy di comfort of dying inside Their loving arms. You accept death with loving submission to di Will of God, and this acceptance crown your hidden life of virtue. Di judgment wey you receive full of mercy, because your foster-Son, wey you care for with so much love, na Him be your Judge, and Mary na di one wey plead your case. Di Judge’s verdict na word of encouragement make you wait for His coming to Limbo, where He go pour di best fruits of di Redemption on you, and na embrace of thankful love before your soul leave your body enter eternity.

You look towards eternity and your reward wey no go ever end with strong trust. If our Saviour bless di shepherds, di Magi, Simeon, John the Baptist, and others, because dem welcome His presence with devoted hearts for just one short time wey pass, how much more He go bless you, wey don make yourself holy for so many years as you stay with Him and His Mother? If Jesus count every corporal and spiritual work of mercy wey person do for other human beings because of love for Him as something wey dem do for Him, and He promise heaven as reward, how great His gratitude to you must be! Because, for di fullest meaning of di word, you receive Him, give Him shelter, clothe Him, feed Him, and comfort Him, as you sacrifice your strength and rest, and even your life, with love wey pass di love of all fathers.

God truly, by Himself, make Himself your debtor. Our Divine Saviour pay that debt of gratitude as He grant you plenty graces during your life, especially di grace to grow in love, wey be di best and most perfect of all gifts. So, for di end of your life, your heart come full of love, and your weak body no fit withstand di fire and longing of that love. Your soul follow di victorious force of your love and fly comot from earth to carry di good news of di Redeemer’s coming go meet di prophets and patriarchs for Limbo.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for di special privilege wey you get to die inside di arms of Jesus and Mary. As sign of your own thanksgiving to God, obtain for me di grace of happy death. Help me to use each day prepare for death. Make I too accept death with submission to God’s Holy Will, and die, as you die, inside di arms of Jesus, with strength from Holy Viaticum, and inside di arms of Mary, with her rosary for my hand and her name for my mouth!

(Mention wetin you dey ask for).

Guardian of di Word Wey Become Human, I get confidence say God go graciously hear di prayers wey you pray for me before Im throne. Amen.

Where di Novena come from: EWTN, and Catholic News Agency

Pictures from: Wikipedia

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