Prayer to St. Joseph for a Happy Death
Of all the ways St. Joseph can help us, perhaps none is more important than his intercession at the hour of death. St. Joseph is the patron saint of a happy death because tradition holds that he died the most blessed death possible—in the presence of Jesus and Mary.
Imagine passing from this life with the Son of God holding your hand and the Blessed Mother at your side. This was St. Joseph's privilege, and he now stands ready to help us receive the same grace: the gift of dying in the state of grace, at peace with God and man.
A "happy death" in Catholic understanding doesn't mean dying without suffering. It means dying well—with sins confessed, sacraments received, affairs in order, and the soul prepared to meet God. St. Joseph helps us prepare for this moment throughout our lives and assists us when that hour finally comes.
Prayer for a Happy Death
Begin with the Sign of the Cross
O Blessed Joseph, who died in the arms of Jesus and Mary, obtain for me, I beseech you, the grace of a happy death.
In that hour of dread and anguish, assist me by your presence and protect me by your power against the enemies of my salvation. Into your sacred hands, living and dying, Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I commend my soul.
Amen.
Extended Prayer for a Happy Death
O Glorious St. Joseph, behold I choose you today for my special patron in life and at the hour of my death.
Preserve and increase in me the spirit of prayer and fervor in the service of God. Remove far from me every kind of sin. Obtain for me that my death may not come upon me unawares, but that I may have time to confess my sins sacramentally and to bewail them with a most perfect understanding and a most sincere and perfect contrition, in order that I may breathe forth my soul into the hands of Jesus and Mary.
O holy patriarch St. Joseph, who merited the privilege of dying in the arms of Jesus and Mary, help me, I pray, in my last agony. Assist me, together with Jesus and Mary, in my passage from this life to the next. At the moment of my death, when the powers of darkness are about to claim me, obtain for me the grace to say with confidence:
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart and my 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."
Amen.
End with the Sign of the Cross
Daily Prayer for Final Perseverance
Pray this daily to prepare for a holy death:
St. Joseph, patron of the dying, I entrust to you the hour of my death.
I do not know when that hour will come—whether today, tomorrow, or many years hence. But whenever it arrives, please be with me. Obtain for me the grace of final perseverance. Help me to die in the state of grace, fortified by the sacraments of the Church, at peace with God and neighbor.
Help me to live each day as if it were my last, so that I am always prepared to meet my Creator. And when my time comes, may I die as you died—with Jesus and Mary at my side.
St. Joseph, pray for me now and at the hour of my death. Amen.
Prayer for Someone Who Is Dying
St. Joseph, patron of the dying, I commend to your care the soul of [Name], who is approaching death.
Be present at their bedside as you were present at the side of Jesus and Mary. Comfort them in their final hours. Shield them from fear and despair. Help them to place all their trust in God's infinite mercy.
Obtain for them perfect contrition for their sins. Help them to accept God's will with peace. If it be God's will, grant them the grace to receive the last sacraments. And when their soul departs from their body, present them before the throne of God, that they may enter into eternal rest.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, assist [Name] in their final agony.
Amen.
Why St. Joseph Is Patron of the Dying
The tradition of St. Joseph as patron of a happy death comes from the belief about how he died:
The Holiest Death
Scripture does not record St. Joseph's death, but he disappears from the Gospel narrative before Jesus's public ministry begins. Tradition holds that he died while Jesus was still at home—meaning he died in the presence of the Savior of the world and the Blessed Virgin Mary. No human being (except perhaps Mary herself) ever had such holy companions at the moment of death.
Prepared for Death
St. Joseph lived his entire life in preparation for death. His daily faithfulness, his reception of God's word through angels, his patient suffering and hard work—all prepared him for that final moment. He teaches us that a happy death is the fruit of a holy life.
He Understands Our Fear
Even saints experience the natural fear of death. St. Joseph faced death as we all must—but he faced it with faith. He can help us overcome our fear and approach death with confidence in God's mercy.
Powerful Intercessor
As the foster father of Jesus, St. Joseph has a special intimacy with the Lord. His prayers for us at the hour of death are particularly powerful. We can trust that Jesus will not refuse a request from the man who raised Him.
Preparing for a Happy Death
St. Joseph teaches us that preparation for death is a lifelong journey:
- Frequent Confession: Keep your soul in the state of grace through regular confession.
- Holy Communion: Receive the Eucharist as often as possible—it is the "medicine of immortality."
- Daily Prayer: Maintain a relationship with God throughout your life.
- Good Works: Store up treasure in heaven through acts of charity.
- Reconciliation: Make peace with those you have wronged or who have wronged you.
- Detachment: Practice letting go of material things so that death does not catch you clinging to the world.
- Devotion to St. Joseph: Ask for his help daily, not just at the end.