Page:Prayerbookforrel00lasa 0.djvu/592

 In virtue  of  a  concession  of  Pope  Gregory  XVI. we may gain an  indulgence  of  300  days  on  each  of  the  first  six  Sundays, and  a  plenary  indulgence  on  the  seventh  Sunday,  for saying the  prayers  of  the  Seven  Sorrows  and  Joys  of  St. Joseph  on  any  seven  consecutive  Sundays  of  the  year.

On February  1,  1S47,  Pope  Pius  IX.,  of  holy  memory, wishing to  extend  this  devotion,  added  to  the  indulgences already granted  a  plenary  indulgence  on  each  Sunday,  applicable to  the  souls  in  purgatory.

On March  2 2d  of  the  same  year  his  Holiness  extended this indulgence  to  those  who,  owing  to  some  good  cause, being unable  to  recite  the  prayers  of  the  Seven  Sorrows  and Joys of  St.  Joseph,  say  seven  Our  Fathers,  seven  Hail  Marys, and seven  Glorias,  fulfilling  the  usual  conditions  for  gaining a plenary  indulgence,  namely,  confession,  communion,  and prayers for  our  holy  mother  the  Church.

The Sovereign  Pontiff,  Pius  VII.,  Dec.  9,  1819,  granted  an indulgence  of  100  days,  once  a  day;  an  indulgence  of  300  days, every Wednesday  in  the  year,  and  on  even'  day  of  the  two  novenas preceding the  feasts  of  St.  Joseph,  viz.,  the  principal  feast,  March 19, and  the  feast  of  the  patronage,  the  third  Sunday  after  Easter. A plenary  indulgence,  on  these  two  feasts,  to  all  those  who,  moreover, being  truly  penitent,  shall  have  gone  to  confession  and  communion. A plenary  indulgence,  once  a  month,  to  all  those  who shall have  said  them  even'  day  for  a  month,  on  the  day  when, being truly  penitent,  they  shall  go  to  confession  and  communion.

URE husband  of  most  holy  Mary,  glorious  St. Joseph,  great  was  the  travail  and  anguish  of thy  heart  when,  in  sore  perplexity,  thou  didst  feel  inclined to put  away  thy  stainless  spouse;  but  unspeakable  was  thy joy when  the  angel  revealed  to  thee  the  high  mystery  of  the Incarnation.

By this,  thy  sorrow  and  thy  joy,  we  pray  thee,  comfort our souls  now  and  in  their  dying  agony  with  the  sweet  consolation of  a  well-spent  life,  and  a  death  like  unto  thine  own, in the  embrace  of  Jesus  and  of  Mary.

Our Father,  Hail  Mary,  Glory  be  to  the  Father.

2. Thrice  happy  patriarch,  glorious  St.  Joseph,  chosen to be  the  foster-father  of  the  Word  made  man,  keen  was  the pain thou  didst  feel  when  thou  didst  see  the  infant  Jesus  born in abject  poverty;  but  thy  pain  was  suddenly  changed  into