Wednesday is the middle of the week, when energy runs low and work piles up, and Catholic tradition gives it to St. Joseph, the quiet worker of Nazareth and protector of the Holy Family. A Wednesday morning prayer asks him to help us work well and care for those entrusted to us. Here is a Wednesday morning prayer, a short version, a verse for the morning and Wednesday’s traditional devotion.
A Wednesday morning prayer
Written for this page:
Lord, thank you for bringing me to the middle of this week.
When I am tired, give me new strength; when I am discouraged, give me hope.
Saint Joseph, you worked with your hands to feed Jesus and Mary:
help me to do my work today with patience and honesty,
to provide for my family, and to stay calm when plans change.
You obeyed God without delay: teach me to listen to him and to act.
Protect my home as you protected the Holy Family. Amen.
A short Wednesday morning prayer
For mornings when there is no time:
Saint Joseph, worker and guardian, help me to do my work well today and protect my family. Amen.
A verse for Wednesday morning
Matthew 1:24, Douay-Rheims Bible:
And Joseph rising up from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and took unto him his wife.
Joseph says no words in the Gospels; he simply rises and does what God asks. A good model for a Wednesday morning.
Wednesday’s devotion: St. Joseph
Wednesday is dedicated to St. Joseph, patron of workers, fathers and families, and of a happy death.
- Pray a prayer to St. Joseph for your work and family.
- Looking for work? Pray the prayer to St. Joseph for a job.
- For a longer devotion, pray the Litany of St. Joseph.
A five-minute Wednesday morning routine
- Wake up with God: before reaching for your phone, make the Sign of the Cross and say “Good morning, Lord.”
- Offer the day: pray the Morning Offering or the Wednesday prayer above.
- Read the verse for Wednesday slowly, twice, and keep one phrase for the day.
- Pray one decade of the Rosary with the first of the Glorious Mysteries.
- Name your intention: on Wednesdays many Catholics pray especially for fathers, workers, those looking for a job, and the dying.
Five minutes is enough; what matters is beginning the day with God every day.
The Rosary on Wednesday
On Wednesdays the Rosary is prayed with the Glorious Mysteries: see the Rosary for Wednesday.
A morning prayer for every day of the week
Monday · Tuesday · Thursday · Friday · Saturday · Sunday
Frequently asked questions
Why is Wednesday dedicated to St. Joseph?
It is a popular custom of the Church: many prayer books dedicate Wednesday to St. Joseph, and his feast of March 19 and his feast as St. Joseph the Worker (May 1) are often prepared by praying to him on Wednesdays.
What is a short prayer for Wednesday morning?
“Saint Joseph, worker and guardian, help me to do my work well today and protect my family. Amen.”
More daily prayers
- In French: Prière du mercredi
- In Italian: Preghiera del mercoledì
- In Portuguese: Oração de quarta-feira
- In Spanish: Oración del día miércoles
- Catholic morning prayers
- Catholic prayer of the day
- Morning Offering
- Catholic night prayers
- Seven Sundays of St. Joseph
Sources
- Matthew 1:24: Douay-Rheims Bible, Challoner revision, public domain (drbo.org).
- Weekly devotions: traditional Catholic custom found in many prayer books.
- Prayers written for biddingprayers.com by the seminarian Giuseppe.