(The Blessing of the Altar frequently takes place the
evening before the feast, March 18th. If there is a procession to the Altar, a
hymn may be sung on the way.)
Celebrant
O, glorious Saint Joseph, we stand
before this Altar with joyful and grateful hearts. We lovingly present to you
the labor of our hands and the dedication of our hearts that have fashioned
this Altar in your honor. We again place ourselves under your powerful
protection. Help us follow your example of complete trust and faith in Divine
Providence. Open our minds and hearts to love and serve the poor, the suffering
and those rejected or ignored by society. As a family, teach us to love and
honor each member of our families with the love and reverence you had for Jesus
and Mary. As a nation, inspire in us the will and the way to live in peace with
all nations of the world that in our day we can experience the fulfillment of
Jesus’ prayer–“Peace be to you.” Grant this through Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
V. O, Glorious Saint Joseph,
through the love you bear to Jesus Christ and the glory of His name,
R. Hear
our prayers and obtain our petitions.
Celebrant
Lord Jesus, bless this Altar,
all this food, the candles and all those who visit it. We ask this in the name of
the Father, + and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
(As the Altar is being
blessed and incensed, the Litany of St. Joseph is said or a hymn is sung.)
All
Remember, O most pure spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, my sweet protector,
Saint Joseph, that no one ever had recourse to your protection or implored your
aid without obtaining relief. Confiding therefore in your goodness, I come
before you and humbly supplicate you. O, despise not my petitions, foster
father of our Redeemer, but graciously receive them. Amen.
(Now that the Altar
is blessed, guests are invited to visit the Altar and offer their own prayers
to Saint Joseph.)