Fathers of Saint Joseph – Meeting Notes [14th Feb 26]

Date: Saturday, 14th February 2026

Location: St. Mary’s Pope’s Quay, Cork, T23 P8ER

Context

We began our meeting with Adoration. Before speaking or reflecting, we placed ourselves in silence before the Lord. This helped us to slow down and become attentive to His presence.

Reflection Reading

Book: LEAD: The Four Marks of Fatherly Greatness – Devin Schadt

Pillar: Listen to Discern Your Mission (Embracing Silence)

Chapter: The Real Infusion (Page 119)

El Greco (c.1590) The Agony in the Garden [online image], National Gallery, London. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agony_in_the_Garden_(El_Greco,_London)#/media/File:El_Greco_019.jpg (Accessed: 26 February 2026).

Chapter Summary

This chapter teaches that prayer is not mainly about speaking or understanding, but about being present. The author compares prayer to a blood transfusion. A person receiving a transfusion does not need to understand how it works. He only needs to show up and allow the doctor to act.

In the same way, prayer requires presence and stillness. God works within us, even when we do not see or understand what He is doing. Over time, this quiet faithfulness shapes our inner life, and our inner life shapes who we become. Silence allows God to strengthen and steady us.

Notes

• Prayer is described as a “real infusion” — God fills and transforms the soul.

• We are not required to understand how God is working.

• What is required is presence, stillness, and trust.

• Silence allows God to act deeply within us.

• The soul gives form to the life we live.

• Perseverance in prayer builds firm confidence in God.

Shared Thoughts from the Group

• We pray to receive God’s counsel. In the end, things unfold according to His will. We pray so that our hearts may conform to His will.

• We reflected on the mystery of prayer and how we participate in God’s creation through it.

• We discussed how we may pray fervently for a just outcome and yet not understand why it does not come to pass. This calls us to trust and humility.

• We also spoke about the souls in purgatory and recognised the need to better understand the Church’s teaching.

Personal Reflections & Final Thought

Prayer is a battle (it feels some times). This chapter speaks clearly during Lent. I often fill my prayer time with many words. I am learning to leave more room for silence. I have noticed that guidance does not always come during prayer itself. Sometimes clarity comes later in the day, or even days after.

Even the words we use in prayer are given by God. While we pray, He is quietly working on our hearts, purifying them.

“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”(Psalm 19:14, King James Bible, n.d.)

On Purgatory

During our discussion, we noted the importance of understanding the Church’s teaching on purgatory more clearly.

The Council of Trent affirms that there is a purification after death for those who die in God’s grace but are not yet fully purified (Council of Trent, 1563). The faithful on earth are encouraged to pray for the souls in purgatory.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this purification as the final preparation for entering heaven (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1992, §§1030–1032). The Church encourages prayer, almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance offered on behalf of the dead.

It is also important to note that souls in purgatory do not intercede for us. Intercession belongs to the saints in heaven. Our role is to pray for the souls undergoing purification, trusting in God’s mercy.

References

Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992) The Final Purification, or Purgatory, §§1030–1032. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana.

Council of Trent (1563) Twenty-Fifth Session: Decree Concerning Purgatory. Available at: https://www.papalencyclicals.net/councils/trent/twenty-fifth-session.htm

King James Bible (n.d.) Psalm 19:14. Available at: https://kingjames.bible/Psalms-19