O holy Patriarch, St. Joseph, I rejoice with you at the exalted dignity by which you were deemed worthy to act as father to Jesus, to give Him orders, and to be obeyed by Him whom heaven and earth obey! O great Joseph, as you were served by God, I too wish to be taken into your service. I choose you after Mary to be my chief advocate and protector. I promise to honor you every day by some special act of devotion and by placing myself under your daily protection. By that sweet company which Jesus and Mary gave you in your lifetime, protect me all through life, so that I may never separate myself from God by losing His grace. My dear Joseph, pray to Jesus for me. Certainly He can never refuse you anything, since He obeyed all your orders while on earth. Ask Him to detach me from all creatures and from myself, to inflame me with His holy love, and then to do with me what He pleases. And by that assistance which Jesus and Mary gave you at death, I beg of you to protect me in a special way at the hour of my death, so that dying assisted by you, in the company of Jesus and Mary, I may go to thank you in heaven, and in your company to sing God's praises for all eternity. Amen.