Saint Joseph
The Little Office of Saint Joseph
The full normal Divine Office as said daily by all priests and religious throughout the world has various parts. These are call "Hours". It consists of psalms, hymns, prayers and readings from the Bible and from the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. A special series of these are provided for each day of the ecclesiastical year. Various Saints have their own special Office. The Office is divided into eight parts, which are recited at the hours corresponding to the divisions of the day observed by the Early Christians. The Hours and the approximate time for their recitation are as follows::
Matins. -- early morning. Lauds. -- dawn.
Prime. -- 6 a.m. Terce. -- 9 a.m. Sext. -- noon. None. -- 3 p.m. Vespers. -- 4 to 6 p.m.
Compline. -- before retiring.
This following information is MINE and has no authority whatsoever from anyone other than myself. It may be completely wrong - or right for that matter, but please do not take me to task over it. It is what I think and do. I am a lay person and I do not Have to say any Office. I do it because I want to do it for God. Not for me or anyone else - just God.
If you want the exact times to say these prayers then you need to go and get that information from your Priest or other ecclesiastical authority.
The Matins and Lauds are more or less normally said together on the EVE of the assigned day - i.e. the evening before and NOT early morning & dawn - 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.!
Prime would be said on getting out of bed. Terce said sometime after breakfast. Sext and None said later - 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.(about). Vespers would be said roundabout 6 p.m., which only leaves Compline to be said as you go to bed.
The Little Office of Saint Joseph
Hail, glory of the Patriarchs, steward of God's holy Church, who didst preserve the Bread
of Life and the Wheat of the Elect.
Versicle: Thou, 0 Lord, wilt open my lips.
Responsory: And my tongue shall announce thy praise.
V: Incline unto mine aid, 0 God!
R: 0 Lord, make haste to help me.
V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
HYMN
Mighty Joseph, son of David!
High and glorious is thy state-
Of our Lord the Foster-father,
Mary's spouse Immaculate.
The Almighty's faithful servant,
Of the Holy Family
Head and father. Oh! I pray thee
Be a father unto me.
Antiphon: He made him master of his house, and ruler over all his possessions (Psalm civ.).
V: Pray for us, most blessed Joseph.
R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray
O Lord, we beseech Thee, may we be assisted by the merits of the Spouse
of thy most holy Mother, that what of ourselves we cannot possibly obtain,
may through his intercession be granted to us by Thee, who livest and
reignest God for ever and ever.
Amen.
V: Lord, hear my prayer,
R: And let my cry come unto Thee.
V: Let us bless the Lord.
R: Thanks be to God.
V: May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
R: Amen.
PRIME
Hail, glory of the Patriarchs, steward of God's holy Church, who didst preserve the Bread
of Life and the Wheat of the Elect.
V: Thou, 0 Lord, wilt open my lips.
R: And my tongue shall announce thy praise.
V: Incline unto mine aid, 0 God!
R: 0 Lord, make haste to help me.
V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
HYMN.
Sorely was thy bosom troubled
Till the mystery was revealed
Which the Lord had wrought in Mary,
Who in patience all concealed.
But an angel soon from heaven
Bids thy loving doubts to cease
So may every care and trial
Turn for me to joy and peace.
Antiphon: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy spouse, for what is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost (MATT. 1:20).
V: Pray for us, most blessed Joseph.
R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray
O Lord, we beseech Thee, may we be assisted by the merits of the Spouse
of thy most holy Mother, that what of ourselves we cannot possibly obtain,
may through his intercession be granted to us by Thee, who livest and
reignest God for ever and ever.
Amen.
V: Lord, hear my prayer,
R: And let my cry come unto Thee.
V: Let us bless the Lord.
R: Thanks be to God.
V: May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
R: Amen.
TERCE
Hail, glory of the Patriarchs, steward of God's holy Church, who didst preserve the Bread
of Life and the Wheat of the Elect.
V: Thou, 0 Lord, wilt open my lips.
R: And my tongue shall announce thy praise.
V: Incline unto mine aid, 0 God!
R: 0 Lord, make haste to help me.
V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
HYMN
With the Virgin, young and tender
In the winter-time forlorn,
Thou to Bethlehem didst journey
That our Lord might there be born.
As thy God thou didst adore Him,
While He in the manger lay,
Now is He in heaven exalted-
Turn to Him for us and pray!
Antiphon: Joseph went up out of Galilee from Nazareth into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, with Mary his espoused wife who was with child.
V: Pray for us, most blessed Joseph.
R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray
O Lord, we beseech Thee, may we be assisted by the merits of the Spouse
of thy most holy Mother, that what of ourselves we cannot possibly obtain,
may through his intercession be granted to us by Thee, who livest and
reignest God for ever and ever.
Amen.
V: Lord, hear my prayer,
R: And let my cry come unto Thee.
V: Let us bless the Lord.
R: Thanks be to God.
V: May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
R: Amen.
SEXT
Hail, glory of the Patriarchs, steward of God's holy Church, who didst preserve the Bread
of Life and the Wheat of the Elect.
V: Thou, 0 Lord, wilt open my lips.
R: And my tongue shall announce thy praise.
V: Incline unto mine aid, 0 God!
R: 0 Lord, make haste to help me.
V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
HYMN
Fleeing at the angel's warning,
Far from Herod's fury wild,
Long in Egypt didst thou tarry
With the Virgin and the Child.
By thy toil, and pain, and sadness,
In that exile dark and drear,
Help me in the cares and sorrows
Which may be my portion here.
Antiphon: Rise and take the Child and his Mother, and fly into Egypt, and be there until I tell thee; for it will come to pass that Herod will seek the Child to destroy Him. (Matt. 2:13).
V: Pray for us, most blessed Joseph.
R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray
O Lord, we beseech Thee, may we be assisted by the merits of the Spouse
of thy most holy Mother, that what of ourselves we cannot possibly obtain,
may through his intercession be granted to us by Thee, who livest and
reignest God for ever and ever.
Amen.
V: Lord, hear my prayer,
R: And let my cry come unto Thee.
V: Let us bless the Lord.
R: Thanks be to God.
V: May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
R: Amen.
NONE
Hail, glory of the Patriarchs, steward of God's holy Church, who didst preserve the Bread
of Life and the Wheat of the Elect.
V: Thou, 0 Lord, wilt open my lips.
R: And my tongue shall announce thy praise.
V: Incline unto mine aid, 0 God!
R: 0 Lord, make haste to help me.
V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
HYMN
Home from Egypt's land returning
Thou wouldst rest in Galilee,
But to Nazareth art bidden,
That the Child secure may be.
Souls retiring, sweet, and humble,
Thou doest still for Jesus seek:
That my heart may be his garden,
Make it humble, pure and meek.
Antiphon: And rising up out of Egypt, he took the Child and his Mother and came into the land of Israel . . . and he dwelt in a city which is called Nazareth (Matt. 2:23).
V: Pray for us, most blessed Joseph.
R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray
O Lord, we beseech Thee, may we be assisted by the merits of the Spouse
of thy most holy Mother, that what of ourselves we cannot possibly obtain,
may through his intercession be granted to us by Thee, who livest and
reignest God for ever and ever.
Amen.
V: Lord, hear my prayer,
R: And let my cry come unto Thee.
V: Let us bless the Lord.
R: Thanks be to God.
V: May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
R: Amen.
VESPERS
Hail, glory of the Patriarchs, steward of God's holy Church, who didst preserve the Bread
of Life and the Wheat of the Elect.
V: Thou, 0 Lord, wilt open my lips.
R: And my tongue shall announce thy praise.
V: Incline unto mine aid, 0 God!
R: 0 Lord, make haste to help me.
V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
HYMN
Thou didst search with loving anguish
For the little Jesus lost,
But, in finding Him, what rapture
Purchased at that sorrow's cost!
Thee, my light, my life, my Jesus,
May I never lose by sin!
May my heart be pure and simple,
So that thou may'st rest therein.
Antiphon: Son, why hast Thou done this to us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing. (Luke 2:48).
V: Pray for us, most blessed Joseph.
R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray
O Lord, we beseech Thee, may we be assisted by the merits of the Spouse
of thy most holy Mother, that what of ourselves we cannot possibly obtain,
may through his intercession be granted to us by Thee, who livest and
reignest God for ever and ever.
Amen.
V: Lord, hear my prayer,
R: And let my cry come unto Thee.
V: Let us bless the Lord.
R: Thanks be to God.
V: May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
R: Amen.
.
COMPLIN
Hail, glory of the Patriarchs, steward of God's holy Church, who didst preserve the Bread
of Life and the Wheat of the Elect.
V: Thou, 0 Lord, wilt open my lips.
R: And my tongue shall announce thy praise.
V: Incline unto mine aid, 0 God!
R: 0 Lord, make haste to help me.
V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
HYMN
Jesus, Mary, hung above thee,
On that sad, but happy day
When, with their fond arms around thee,
Passed thy gentle soul away.
Oh! when death shall come to take me,
All its terrors I'll defy,
If, with Jesus and with Mary,
Thou, dear Joseph, wilt be nigh.
Antiphon: I will sleep in peace, and I will rest, for Thou, 0 Lord, singularly hast settled me in hope (Psalm 4:9).
V: Pray for us, most blessed Joseph.
R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray
O Lord, we beseech Thee, may we be assisted by the merits of the Spouse
of thy most holy Mother, that what of ourselves we cannot possibly obtain,
may through his intercession be granted to us by Thee, who livest and
reignest God for ever and ever.
Amen.
V: Lord, hear my prayer,
R: And let my cry come unto Thee.
V: Let us bless the Lord.
R: Thanks be to God.
V: May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
R: Amen.
Commendation
Thus, 0 glorious saint, my homage
I thy grateful client pay.
Hear my prayer and smile upon me,
Guide and guard me on my way,
May I 'neath thy kind protection
Safely reach my journey's close,
And with thee in heaven's bright palace
Through eternity repose. .
Amen