Prayer to St. Joseph for work: for a job, steady hours and the people who depend on you
St. Joseph worked with his hands. That's the whole reason people bring him their job problems: he knows what it is to support a family on uncertain work.
This page has the prayers to St. Joseph for work in English and in Spanish, and how to pray them properly — including what to do when you've just been let go, and what to pray before an interview.
Why St. Joseph for work
The Gospels call him a tekton — a carpenter, or more broadly a builder and craftsman. Jesus was known in his own town as "the carpenter's son," which tells you the trade was the family's identity.
What makes him the right saint for this isn't only the trade, though. It's that he spent his life responsible for people who depended on him, making decisions without any guarantee they'd work out. Anyone who has lain awake over rent and hours understands that without needing it explained.
In 1955 the Church added a second feast for him on May 1, St. Joseph the Worker, placed deliberately on International Workers' Day.
The prayers you'll need
Most devotions are built out of four short prayers. If you grew up hearing them in Spanish and never learned them in English, here are both. Either language works — pray in the one that feels like yours.
The Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
En el nombre del Padre, y del Hijo, y del Espíritu Santo. Amén.
The Our Father
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Padre nuestro, que estás en el cielo…
The Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Dios te salve, María, llena eres de gracia…
The Glory Be
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Gloria al Padre, y al Hijo, y al Espíritu Santo…
How to pray to St. Joseph for work
Praying to St. Joseph, step by step
- Light a candle if you have one, and if you can, do this at the same time each day.
- Make the Sign of the Cross.
- Say plainly what you're asking for: the job, the hours, the papers, the raise — and who depends on it.
- Pray the main prayer to St. Joseph, below.
- Pray one Our Father, seven Hail Marys and one Glory Be. The seven recall the seven sorrows and seven joys of St. Joseph.
- Close: St. Joseph, patron of workers, pray for us.
- Make the Sign of the Cross again.
If seven Hail Marys is more than your morning allows, one of each is a complete prayer. Showing up daily matters more than the count.
Prayer to St. Joseph for work
Glorious St. Joseph, model of all who labor, obtain for me the grace to work with gratitude and gladness, in a spirit of penance for my sins; to work with order, peace, moderation and patience, without ever shrinking from weariness and trials; to work above all with purity of intention, and with detachment from self, keeping always before my eyes the account I must one day give. Help me find work that lets me care for the people entrusted to me, and keep me faithful in it. Amen.
Glorioso San José, modelo de todos los que trabajan, alcánzame la gracia de trabajar con agradecimiento y alegría, con orden, paz, moderación y paciencia, sin retroceder nunca ante el cansancio ni las pruebas. Ayúdame a encontrar un trabajo que me permita cuidar de los míos, y consérvame fiel en él. Amén.
Prayer when you've just lost your job
St. Joseph, today the work is gone and I don't yet know what comes next. You know this fear — you had a family to feed and no certainty either. Keep me from despair and from shame. Keep my hands and my mind busy while I look. Open a door I can't see from here, and let me recognize it when it opens. And until then, give me enough for today. Amen.
A short ritual before an interview or a first day
- Make the Sign of the Cross.
- Ask for one thing only: a clear head and honest words.
- One Our Father.
- St. Joseph, patron of workers, pray for us.
Pray it in the car before you go in. Nobody needs to see you do it.
Prayer for the family that depends on this work
St. Joseph, you provided for Mary and for Jesus with what your hands could earn. Watch over the people who depend on mine. If the money is short this month, stretch it. If I have to be away from them to earn it, keep them close to me anyway. And teach me to come home as a father and a husband, not only as someone tired from working. Amen.
The novena and the Seven Sundays
For his main feast on March 19, the novena runs from March 10 to March 18. For May 1, start on April 22.
There's also an older custom called the Seven Sundays of St. Joseph: the seven Sundays leading up to March 19, each one remembering one of his seven sorrows and the joy that answered it. It suits people who can't manage a daily prayer but can keep something weekly.
March 19 and May 1
March 19 is the Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of Mary — the big one, and in many Latin American countries it's also Father's Day. May 1 is St. Joseph the Worker, which is when parishes bless tools, work boots and uniforms. If your parish does that blessing, bringing the actual things you work with is the point of it.
Frequently asked questions
What is St. Joseph the patron saint of?
Workers, fathers, families, the universal Church, and a happy death.
How many Hail Marys do you pray to St. Joseph?
The traditional pattern is one Our Father, seven Hail Marys and one Glory Be, for his seven sorrows and seven joys.
Can I ask him for a specific job?
Yes. Being specific is better than being vague. Ask for the job, and also for the sense to know whether it's the right one.
What about the statue buried in the yard?
That's a folk custom around selling a house, not a Church teaching. Nothing wrong with it, but it isn't what the devotion is.
When is the novena?
March 10 to 18 for the March 19 feast; April 22 to 30 for May 1.
The Spanish version of this page, with the same prayers and the novena, is here.