Establish the Work of Our Hands

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O God, in your providence you chose St. Joseph to be the husband of Mary and the guardian of your Son. As I begin this novena, let me learn from his quiet faith and ready obedience. Through his intercession, watch over all that you have entrusted to me, and teach me to serve you in the ordinary work of my days. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us pause in silence, and bring to mind the intention you are praying for.

In the app, your own saved intention rests here during the silence. The narration stays the same for everyone.

Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us. Establish the work of our hands for us. Yes, establish the work of our hands.

It is a deep human longing that our work should mean something, that it should last. Joseph's labor seemed ordinary, yet it sheltered the Savior of the world. We may ask the same of God: that he take our small, perishable efforts and establish them, giving them a worth we cannot see.

Lord our God, let your favor rest upon me, and establish the work of my hands. So much of what I do feels small and quickly forgotten - take it, and make it count for your kingdom. Through the intercession of St. Joseph, give lasting fruit to my labors, and let my work serve a purpose larger than myself. Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

St. Joseph, faithful guardian of Jesus and Mary, you provided for the Holy Family by the work of your hands and protected them in every danger. Take my needs into your fatherly care, and present them to your foster Son. Obtain for me a working heart, a watchful love for those in my charge, and at the last, a peaceful death in the friendship of God. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.