Pope Francis and the Vatican have offered two prayer resources to Catholics to encourage the faithful to persevere during this time of quarantine.
In his Letter to the Faithful for the Month of May, Pope Francis began,
The month of May is approaching, a time when the People of God express with particular intensity their love and devotion for the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is traditional in this month to pray the Rosary at home within the family. The restrictions of the pandemic have made us come to appreciate all the more this “family” aspect, also from a spiritual point of view.
The pope composed two prayers that can be prayed at the end of the Rosary and encouraged the faithful to pray these. Pope Francis will be praying them as well, in spiritual union with the whole Church.
Download and print the Rosary Prayers from Pope Francis and add them to your family Rosary.
Do you need a Rosary refresher course for your family?
Download these free resources for praying the Rosary with your family: Mysteries of the Rosary and Father Peyton coloring pages.
Last week, the Vatican released an online prayer book to offer spiritual help to the faithful who miss the Sacraments, who are ill, and who are praying for liberation from the coronavirus crisis.
The 192-page prayer book is titled “Strong in the Face of Tribulation: The Church in Communion — a Sure Support in Time of Trial.” It is available in PDF format in several languages, including Spanish. Bookmark the link, because the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication plans to update this prayer resource regularly.
“Strong in the Face of Tribulation” is divided into three parts:
- prayers, rituals, and supplications for the sick, for liberation from evil, and for the grace to surrender ourselves in trust to the action of the Holy Spirit;
- an explanation of how the Church can continue to live and receive God’s grace, even in a time when access to the Sacraments is limited; and
- the text of Pope Francis’ messages and reflections since March 9, 2020, to sustain the Church community in this time of trial.
From the Introduction, by the dicastery’s editorial director Andrea Tornelli:
This book is intended to be a little help offered to all, so as to know how to discern and experience God’s closeness and tenderness in pain, in suffering, in solitude and in fear. Of course, faith does not eliminate pain; ecclesial communion does not eliminate anguish. Rather, it does illuminate reality and reveal that it is pervaded by the love and hope based not on our abilities, but on the One Who is faithful and never abandons us.
Copyright 2020 Barb Szyszkiewicz, OFS
This article was originally published at CatholicMom.com and is shared here with permission.