|
Luke 12:34-35
"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your
loins be girt and lamps burning in your hands."
The cincture, like the one a priest wears at Mass, is a
sign
of chastity, and has been since the Church's beginning -- and before.
Old Testament priests wore cinctures, consecrated Virgins and religious
wear cinctures, and the wearing of cinctures in honor of a particular
Saint is ancient, first spoken of in the life of St. Monica, the mother
of St. Augustine, and carried on by St. Dominic, who wore a cincture in
honor of St. Francis. Certain Confraternities and Archconfraternities
(groups of faithful devoted to a religious cause) also wear cinctures
as signs of their affiliation and chastity.
The Cincture, or Cord, of St. Joseph dates back to 1657, when an
Augustinian nun in Antwerp, Belgium enjoyed a miraculous cure from a
long and serious illness after beginning to wear a cincture in honor of
St. Joseph. The devotion of wearing this cincture spread, and soon
became associated with the Archconfraternity of St. Joseph, whose
headquarters are at the Church of San
Rocco in Rome. The American
"branch" of this Archconfraternity, by decree of Pope Leo XIII in 1892,
is at St. Joseph's Church in De Pere, Wisconsin, which is now staffed
by the Norbertines. In order to gain the indulgences attached to the
wearing of St. Joseph's Cord, talk to your priest.
Otherwise, and as is more common, one may wear the Cord simply in honor
of St. Joseph and for the following graces:
- St. Joseph's
special protection
- The grace of
chastity
- Final
perseverance
- St. Joseph's
particular assistance at the hour of death
Young people,
especially, would benefit from St. Joseph's Cincture! We need to be
reminded of the importance of chastity, especially now, when sexual
decadence is all around us.
The Cord itself is simply a white cord of wool or cotton, knotted in
7 places -- one knot for each of the 7 Sorrows of St. Joseph and their
related Joys, they being:
- The doubt of
Saint Joseph (Matthew 1:19) and the Message of the Angel (Matthew 1:20)
- The poverty of
Jesus' birth (Luke 2:7) and the Birth itself (Luke 2:7)
- The Circumcision
(Luke 2:21) and the Holy Name of Jesus (Matthew 1:25)
- The prophecy of
Simeon that many would be lost (Luke 2:34) and his prophecy that many
would rise (Luke 2:34)
- The flight into
Egypt (Matthew 2:14) and the Overthrow of idols (Isaias 19:1
- The return from
Egypt (Matthew 2:22) and Life with Mary and Jesus (Luke 2:39)
- The loss of the
Child Jesus (Luke 2:45) and Finding Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:46)
If your St.
Joseph's Cord comes with only two knots, one at each end, then you
should tie the other 5 into it. When you get your Cord, it must be
blessed by a priest (see below), and then worn
around the waist. One who wears the St. Joseph's Cord is to daily say a
Gloria on each of the 7 knots, in honor of and while meditating on each
of the 7 Sorrows of St. Joseph, and a prayer to St. Joseph for purity.
These prayers are:
Gloria
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.
Latin Version:
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et
nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Prayer to St.
Joseph for Purity
Guardian of
virgins, and holy father Joseph, to whose faithful custody Christ
Jesus, Innocence itself, and Mary, Virgin of virgins, were committed; I
pray and beseech thee, by these dear pledges, Jesus and Mary, that,
being preserved from all uncleanness, I may with spotless mind, pure
heart, and chaste body, ever serve Jesus and Mary most chastely all the
days of my life. Amen.
Latin version:
Virginum custos et pater, sancte Ioseph, cuius fideli custodiae ipsa
Innocentia Christus Iesus et Virgo virginum Maria commissa fuit; te per
hoc utrumque carissimum pignus Iesum et Mariam obsecro et obtestor, ut
me, ab omni immunditia praeservatum, mente incontaminata, puro corde et
casto corpore Iesu et Mariae semper facias castissime famulari. Amen.
Optional:
Devotion to the 7 Sorrows and Joys of St. Joseph
Optionally, to
increase one's devotion to the Blessed Spouse, one may meditate on the
Seven Sorrows and Joys of St. Joseph with the following prayers:
O chaste Spouse of Mary most holy, glorious St. Joseph, great was the
trouble and anguish of thy heart when thou wert minded to put away
privately thine inviolate Spouse, yet thy joy was unspeakable when the
surpassing mystery of the Incarnation was made known to thee by the
Angel! By this sorrow and this joy, we beseech thee to comfort our
souls, both now and in the sorrows of our final hour, with the joy of a
good life and a holy death after the pattern of thine own, in the arms
of Jesus and Mary. (Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory
Be)
O most blessed Patriarch, glorious St. Joseph, who was chosen to be the
foster father of the Word made flesh, thy sorrow at seeing the Child
Jesus born in such poverty was suddenly changed into heavenly
exultation when thou didst hear the angelic hymn and beheld the glories
of that resplendent night. By this sorrow and this joy, we implore thee
to obtain for us the grace to pass over from life's pathway to hear the
angelic songs of praise, and to rejoice in the shining splendor of
celestial glory. (Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be)
O glorious St. Joseph, thou faithfully obeyed the law of God, and thy
heart was pierced at the sight of the Precious Blood that was shed by
the Infant Savior during His Circumcision, but the Name of Jesus gave
thee new life and filled thee with quiet joy. By this sorrow and this
joy, obtain for us the grace to be freed from all sin during life, and
to die rejoicing, with the Holy Name of Jesus in our hearts and on our
lips. (Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be)
O most faithful Saint who shared the mysteries of our Redemption,
glorious St. Joseph, the prophecy of Simeon regarding the sufferings of
Jesus and Mary caused thee to shudder with mortal dread, but at the
same time filled thee with a blessed joy for the salvation and glorious
which, he foretold, would be attained by countless souls. By this
sorrow and this joy, obtain for us that we may be among the number of
those, who through merits of Jesus and the intercession of Mary the
Virgin Mother, are predestined to a glorious resurrection. (Say one Our
Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be)
O most watchful Guardian of the Incarnate Son of God, glorious St.
Joseph, what toil was thine in supporting and waiting upon the Son of
the most high God, especially in the flight into Egypt! Yet at the same
time, how thou didst rejoice to have always near you God Himself, and
to see the idols of the Egyptians fall prostrate to the ground before
Him. By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us the grace of keeping
ourselves in safety from the infernal tyrant, especially by flight from
dangerous occasions; may every idol of earthly affection fall from our
hearts; may we be wholly employed in serving Jesus and Mary, and for
them alone may we live and happily die. (Say one Our Father, one Hail
Mary, and one Glory Be)
O glorious St. Joseph, an angel on earth, thou didst marvel to see the
King of Heaven obedient to thy commands, but thy consolation in
bringing Jesus out of the land of Egypt was troubled by the fear of
Archelaus; nevertheless, being assured by the Angel, thou dwelt in
gladness at Nazareth with Jesus and Mary. By this sorrow and this joy,
obtain for us that our hearts may be delivered from harmful fears, so
that we may rejoice in peace of conscience and may live in safety with
Jesus and Mary and may, like thee, die in their company. (Say one Our
Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be)
O glorious St. Joseph, pattern of all holiness, when thou didst lose,
through no fault of thine own, the Child Jesus, thou sought Him
sorrowing for the space of three days, until with great joy, thou didst
find Him again in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors. By
this sorrow and this joy, we supplicate thee, with our hearts upon our
lips, to keep us from ever having the misfortune to lose Jesus through
mortal sin; but if this supreme misfortune should befall us, grant that
we may seek Him with unceasing sorrow until we find Him again, ready to
show us His great mercy, especially at the hour of death; so that we
may pass over to enjoy His presence in Heaven; and there in company
with thee, may we sing the praises of His Divine mercy forever. (Say
one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be)
Antiphon: And Jesus Himself was beginning about the age of thirty,
being (as it was supposed) the Son of Joseph.
V: Pray for us, O holy Joseph,
R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let Us Pray.
O God, Who in Thine ineffable Providence didst vouchsafe to choose
Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Thy most holy Mother, grant we
beseech Thee, that he whom we venerate as our protector on earth may be
our intercessor in Heaven. Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Priest's
Blessing of a Cincture
|
The priest,
vested in surplice and white stole, says:
|
| V: |
Our help is in
the name of the Lord. |
| R: |
Who made heaven
and earth. |
| V: |
The Lord be with
you. |
| R: |
May He also be
with you. |
| V: |
Let us pray. |
|
Lord Jesus
Christ, who inculcated the counsel and love of virginity, and gave the
precept of chastity, we appeal to Thy kindness, asking that Thou bless
and hallow this cincture as a token of purity. Let all who gird
themselves with it as a safeguard of chastity be enabled, by the
prayers of Saint Joseph, spouse of Thy holy Mother, to practice that
continence which is so pleasing to Thee, and to live in obedience to
Thy commandments. May they also obtain pardon of their sins, health in
mind and body, and flnally attain everlasting life. We ask this of Thee
who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy
Ghost, God, forever and ever. |
| R: |
Amen. |
| V: |
Let us pray. |
|
Almighty and
everlasting God, grant, we pray, that those who revere the inviolate
virginity of the most pure Virgin Mary and of Saint Joseph, her spouse,
may by their prayers be pure in mind and body; through Christ our Lord.
|
| R: |
Amen |
|
Let us pray. |
|
Almighty and
everlasting God, who committed the boy Jesus and the most pure Mary,
ever a Virgin, to the care of the chaste man Saint Joseph, we humbly
entreat Thee that those who are girded with this cincture in honour of
Saint Joseph and under his patronage may, by Thy help and his prayers,
persevere in holy chastity for all time; through Christ our Lord. |
| R: |
Amen. |
|
Let us pray. |
|
God, the lover
and restorer of innocence, we pray that Thy faithful who are to wear
this cincture may, by the prayers of Saint Joseph, spouse of Thy holy
Mother, have their loins girded and hold burning lamps in their hands,
and thus be likened to men who wait for their Lord when He shall return
for a wedding, that when He comes and knocks they may open to Him, and
be found worthy of being taken into everlasting joys; through Thee who
lives and reigns forever and ever. |
| R: |
Amen |
|
Then the priest
puts incense into the censer, sprinkles the cincture with holy water,
and says:
|
|
Sprinkle me with
hyssop, Lord, and I shall be clean of sin. Wash me, and I shall be
whiter than snow. |
|
After this he
incenses the cincture, and continues:
|
| V: |
Save Thy
servants. |
| R: |
Who trust in
Thee, my God. |
| V: |
Lord, send them
aid from Thy holy place. |
| R: |
And watch over
them from Sion. |
| V: |
Lord, heed my
prayer. |
| R: |
And let my cry
be heard by Thee. |
| V: |
The Lord be with
you. |
| R: |
May He also be
with you. |
|
Let us pray. |
|
O God of mercy,
God of goodness, Thou art pleased with all good things, and without
whom no good work is begun, no good work is finished; kindly hear our
prayers, and defend Thy faithful, who are to wear this blessed cincture
in honour of Saint Joseph and under his protection, from the snares of
this world and all its lusts. Help them to persist in their holy
resolution and to obtain pardon of their sins, and thus merit to be
numbered amongst Thy elect; through Christ our Lord. |
| R: |
Amen. |
|
|
