St. Joseph is the perfect intercessor for falling asleep, who was held in his last hours by Jesus himself.
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Sometimes the many cares of this world can make going to sleep a chore. Our anxiety is difficult to let go and we spend an hour trying to calm ourselves down.
One powerful intercessor is St. Joseph!
Many traditions hold that Joseph died in the arms or presence of Jesus and Mary. It’s a beautiful image, one that has led the Church to proclaim Joseph the patron saint of a “happy death.”
In a similar way, sleep is a kind of surrender, and so it makes perfect sense to invoke St. Joseph. Even just imagining the scene of ourselves sleeping in the arms of Jesus, Mary and Joseph can set our heart at ease!
Here is a short prayer from the book, St. Joseph, his life, his virtues (published in 1884) that we can pray over and over again as we fall asleep, letting God’s peace wash over us.
O dear St. Joseph, I resolve, every night before I close my eyes in sleep, to recite the following aspirations:
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I offer to you my heart and soul.”
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, assist me in my last agony.
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you.”
Read more:
“Te lucis ante terminum”: A prayer to help you fall asleep peacefully
Read more:
How the Consecration to St. Joseph can change your life
