During His pontificate Pope Francis has been giving us fresh insights into the Gospel, right, left and centre.

These meditations on the Mysteries of the Rosary have been gleaned from his writings and speeches, and then edited down so that each set of meditations (Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious) fits onto 2 x A4 pages of text.

That makes them about the right length for meditating on these Mysteries on First Saturdays of the month, while praying the rosary, as requested by Our Lady to Sr Lucia of Fatima in late 1925.

But they are also a very good summary of what God has been teaching us through Pope Francis as well.

Today is the feast day of St Joseph, to whom God chose to entrust the earthly welfare of Jesus and Mary. It is only right that we honour him, for all he did to serve these holy ones and for his faithful response to whatever God asked of him.

So here are some rosary meditations you might like to use in prayer to ponder the life and ministry of St Joseph with:

We thank You today Lord God for all of the prayers you have answered through the intercession of St Joseph, and for all the Saints who have attained sanctity with his special help.

St Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.
St Joseph, protector of the holy Church, pray for us.
​St Joseph, chaste spouse of Mary, pray for us.

In honour of this year's feast day of the Immaculate Heart of Mary here are some meditations on the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary:

The Annunciation

What does the Annunciation teach us about Mary's heart?

It teaches us that her heart was lowly, because she was disturbed by the lofty greeting of the angel. It teaches us that her heart was used to listening because she didn't interrupt the angel's long message. It teaches us that Mary's heart was full of faith because she did not doubt that God could make her a mother. Her only question related to what God required of her to make it happen. This indicates that her heart was willing to follow God's will even if it meant setting aside her virginity. Her answer tells us that she considered herself completely at God's disposal, showing a depth of trust, and her heart's desire that God's plan be fulfilled in her fully according to His wishes and without any desire that she be consulted about the details.

The Visitation

What does the Visitation teach us about Mary's heart?

It teaches us that God only had to make her aware of a situation for her to act upon it. She must have pondered why God told her that her cousin was pregnant, beyond giving her an example of His power to do the seemingly impossible. God left her free to act, and her generous heart decided to do whatever it took to go and assist her cousin. Mary didn't go to Elizabeth with a high and mighty heart, but with a servant's heart willing to all she could to help her cousin in the most awkward months of her pregnancy. When Mary finally arrived she didn't grumble and complain about the journey, but she expressed her praise and thanks to God for His mercy.

The Birth of Jesus

What does the Birth of Jesus teach us about Mary's heart?

In this mystery we have no words of Mary, only her actions. In the face of the rejection and abject poverty which caused her to give birth in a rough stable, Mary does not complain, nor does she make a scene. Her heart accepts whatever God gives her. How happy her heart must have been to see the face of Jesus for the first time! When she gets unexpected guests in the form of smelly shepherds she does not turn them away, but invites them to gaze with her upon the promise of the Father, now made visible. From this we learn how welcoming and hospitable her heart is. Her heart listens carefully to the story they tell and she carefully ponders over it seeking to comprehend all the messages from God it contains.

The Presentation in the Temple

What does the Presentation in the Temple teach us about Mary's heart?

Travelling with a new born baby is inconvenient at the best of times, but Mary goes to the Temple to offer her thanks to God as well as her heart in obedience to His law. At the same time that she offers her Son to God through the Jewish ritual of redeeming first born sons from sacrifice, Mary dedicates her whole heart and her whole life to the mission of Jesus. To indicate that her offering is acceptable to God, He sends her Simeon as a messenger, who confirms that the road ahead is full of unimaginable suffering. Yet from her compassionate heart comes no complaint because to not be united with the sufferings of her Son is unthinkable.

The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

What does the Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple teach us about Mary's heart?

To search for a lost child for even an hour is a most horrible experience. To go through that worry for three days would put any mother's sanity to the test. Here the patient heart of Mary is seen, going from person to person, asking the same questions over and over again, describing the appearance of her Son. We see her heart trusting in God's plan despite the darkness of not knowing why and the searing pain of loss. When she sees Him at last in the Temple, she has control of her heart, she doesn't make a scene, but she does ask 'Why?'. Her heart accepts the answer Jesus gives, even though she does not understand it. But she takes this too as a message from God and ponders it in her heart, trusting that with time and prayer some understanding will come. Despite the sorrows she went through and her inability to understand the reason for it, Mary's heart forgives and doesn't retain any bitterness.

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Holy Thursday night is the night above all nights when we recall with love and devotion the agony of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. This was where the battle of obedience was won. This is where Jesus looked squarely at each one of us, and at all of our sins and said 'Yes, Father, I will undergo suffering to obtain forgiveness for this soul'.

We also recall the agony of Jesus in the first decade of the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary, and on the eve of each first Friday of the month.

When we recall what Jesus endured on this night before His sorrowful Passion it is natural for us to want to do something in return for such great love. An easy way to do this is to remain in prayer at the Altar of Repose at the conclusion of the Holy Thursday night Mass. Staying for at least an hour in prayer can be our personal way of responding to the sad words of Jesus to Peter in Matt 26:40, 'So you had not the strength to keep awake with Me one hour?'.

St Padre Pio had a particular devotion to the Agony of Jesus in the Garden, as had St Gemma Galgani and Blessed Elena Guerra. There are some spiritual gifts and graces that only come from meditating upon this part of the passion of Jesus. 

You might find this little booklet (downloadable below) useful in your prayers and meditations on the Agony of Jesus. It will take 3 sheets of double-sided A4 paper in booklet fold to print.

It contains scripture passages alternating with passages from the Saints and mystics of the Church, and then a few prayers at the end. 

One way of using it is to read one line at a time, and then talk to Jesus in your heart about it. Another way is to read a full passage or paragraph, and then to slowly pray a few Glory Bes or Hail Marys between them.

But the main thing is to pray.

St Peter, St John and St James, Apostles, please pray for us, that our love for Jesus in His Agony may grow.

St Padre Pio, St Gemma Galgani, Bl Elena Guerra, pray for us that we may develop a true devotion to the Agony of Jesus in our lives.

  

In Rome, and in many diocesan cathedrals around the world - and hopefully some parish churches as well - preparations are being made for 24 Hours For The Lord at the end of this week (13/14 Mar 2015). It is a wonderful initiative of Pope Francis, to keep the lights on and the doors open for a full 24 hours, and to invite people to come and pray and to return to the Sacrament of Penance. Many generous priests will be giving up sleep over those 24 hours to be used by Jesus to bring His Mercy to all those who seek it. May they be richly rewarded for such service.

In many other churches there will be opportunities to attend the sacrament of Penance under the 2nd Rite of Reconciliation in these final weeks before Good Friday. At those times the community gathers, prays, listens to Scripture and has an opportunity to think about those areas of their lives that are not in harmony with God's love before going up individually to one of the several priests available to confess their sins, followed by a time of prayer and communal thanksgiving.

The big question is: How can we make it easier for people who haven't experienced God's personal Mercy in a long time to take that daunting step into the confessional?

For starters you need a team of well-prepared parishioners outside the doors of the church building. People need a friendly face on the outside of a church as they do the 'Will I or won't I go in?' battle. The courage it takes to get over a church threshold is formidable, and the battle happens outside not inside. They become a visual reminder of the Father waiting for the prodigal child to return home.

You need people outside, so that someone can come up and ask, 'What's going on inside?' 'Why are there lights on at 2am?' and so an answer can be given, 'Pope Francis has asked us to have open house for 24 hours so that people can pray and so they can experience God's Mercy in the sacrament of Penance. If you wanted to go inside, you would be most welcome.'

Then if someone says, 'But I don't know how to pray' or 'I have forgotten how to go to confession' or 'Can you tell me what sin is, so that I know what I need to confess?' your team can help them.

If you can have a similar team on the inside of the church as well, that's even better. You need people on the alert for those who have become emotional before and especially after the sacrament of penance. Do you have a ready supply of tissues? Do you have people on alert for those going through the 'Will I or won't I risk going through the confessional door?' battle who can pray silently, and can encourage when appropriate. Do you have people ready to listen to those who have just experienced God's Mercy? Do you have people who can get up to a microphone every hour or so and give testimony to how prayer and the sacrament of Penance have changed their lives?

In the confessionals themselves, have the priests been supplied with printed material to hand out to penitents? Things like Parish Welcome kits (with information on parish groups, how to contact the parish office, Mass times, Reconciliation times, RCIA and how to enroll a child in a Catholic school etc), How to Pray pamphlets, small booklets of the Compendium of the Catechism and Gospels. Anything that will assist a penitent to keep going forward in the grace they have received help from God's Mercy.

Person to person interaction is best, but even that needs paperwork support, so here are some resources to download:

Sin is when we do not love God and others as Jesus taught us to. That's the answer our children going through sacramental initiation receive. Pondering our lives in the light of the Ten Commandments is valuable when preparing for the Sacrament of Penance. These documents are A4 size, one for adults and one for children.