Hymn to Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church

 

Reason

Last year, in 2020, I was working toward my consecration to Saint Joseph. I was to make the consecration on May 1st, the feastday of Saint Joseph the Worker. The day before my consecration, I could not find any suitable traditional English hymn to this wonderful man, this protector of the Holy Family and patron of the Universal Church. So I did what anyone would do: I wrote my own. It is meant to be sung to the tune Regent Square by Henry T. Smart (1867). The text is now under copyright through the Library of Congress.

Hymn Text

1. Holy Joseph, great defender
Of God’s holy Mysteries,
Who didst guard the Bread of Heaven
From the evil enemy,
Holy Joseph, holy Joseph,
Do thou guard our family. 

2. Silent Joseph, humble servant
Of the greatest plan Divine,
When the angel brought the message
Thou didst do the task assigned.
Silent Joseph, silent Joseph,
Help us all God’s will to find.

3. Noble Joseph, kingly leader
Of the Holy Family,
Thou didst rule the Virgin-Mother
And God's Son, the Prince of Peace.
Noble Joseph, noble Joseph,
Help our virtue to increase.

4. Purest Joseph, faithful husband
Of the Blesséd Virgin Queen,
Thou whose heart rejoiced to greet her
In thy fam’ly life unseen,
Purest Joseph, purest Joseph,
Help us treasure purity.

5. Skillful Joseph, clever tradesman,
Carpenter at Nazareth,
Model of all those who labor,
Teaching Christ, thy work was blest!
Skillful Joseph, skillful Joseph,
Help us always give our best.

6. Peaceful Joseph, little Jesus
Calmly sleeps upon thy breast,
Showing us that after labor,
In thine arms we’re not distressed.
Peaceful Joseph, peaceful Joseph,
Help us live the Sabbath rest.

7. Hardy Joseph, strong and valiant,
Terror to the fiends of hell,
Grasp the demons by the tail and
Cast them under Mary’s heel!
Hardy Joseph, hardy Joseph,
Help us fight temptation well.

8. Blesséd Joseph, thou didst speak with
Christ and Mary ev’ry day,
And as thou wast wont to love them,
Show us thine exalted way:
Blesséd Joseph, blesséd Joseph,
Teach us how like thee to pray.

 9. Dear Saint Joseph, to thy keeping
We entrust our family: 
Guard, protect, and lead us onward
To the final victory!
Dear Saint Joseph, dear Saint Joseph,
Bring us to eternity!

© 2021 David Varella