The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames)

Day 109: The Gift of Wonder

April 19th, 2025  |  14 mins 45 secs

annunciation, ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, father mark mary, father mark-mary, forgiveness, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, freedom, incarnation, joyful, joyful mysteries, miracle worker, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, salvation, savior, st. gregory, wonder, wonder worker,  st. gregory thaumaturgus

 St. Gregory Thaumaturgus means St. Gregory the “wonder worker,” Fr. Mark-Mary tells us. Leading us through a reading from St. Gregory, Fr. Mark-Mary directs us to meditate on the true wonder of the Annunciation. God has come to save his people, wanting them to experience forgiveness and freedom. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Annunciation and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

Day 108: Heights of Holiness

April 18th, 2025  |  12 mins 10 secs

ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, coronation, coronation of mary, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fiat, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, glorious, glorious mysteries, holiness, mary, mother, queen, queen of earth, queen of heaven, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, st. john,  st. john damascene

A Queen is set apart, but Mary, as Queen of Heaven and Earth is set apart so that as our mother she can draw us up to her son. When we are too little to reach the heights of holiness, she lifts us up, says Fr. Mark-Mary, reading from St. John Damascene. We ask Our Lady to help us echo her fiat and do the Father’s will. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Coronation of Mary and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

Day 107: Beauty Which Never Fades

April 17th, 2025  |  14 mins 58 secs

aging, ascension, assumption, beauty, catholic church, catholic faith, earth, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, fulton sheen, glorious, glorious mysteries, heaven, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, venerable fulton sheen

The mystery of the Assumption reveals to us that true beauty lies not in earthly appearances, but heavenly things, in heaven, our true home. Fr. Mark-Mary reads from Venerable Fulton Sheen, meditating on the Assumption lifting us out of earthly despair to heavenly joy. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Assumption and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

Day 106: He Sends His Spirit

April 16th, 2025  |  11 mins 39 secs

ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, descent of the holy spirit, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, glorious, glorious mysteries, holy spirit, pentecost, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, st. ambrose, trinity, worship

Sometimes it feels like Jesus gets more attention than the Holy Spirit. Fr. Mark-Mary, with help from a reading by  St. Ambrose, dives into the role of the Holy Spirit in our prayer, and how we ought to worship the third person of the Blessed Trinity. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Descent of the Holy Spirit and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

Day 105: Love Draws Us Up

April 15th, 2025  |  11 mins 31 secs

ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, glorious, glorious mysteries, heaven, love, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, st. thomas aquinas, theological truth, theology

Heaven is more than just a theological reality. Heaven can be a personal truth we approach with profound love, longing to join Jesus in heaven. Fr. Mark-Mary reads from St. Thomas Aquinas, leading us in meditation on the mystery of the Ascension. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Ascension and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

Day 104: Where is Your Sting?

April 14th, 2025  |  13 mins 33 secs

ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, death, eternal, eternity, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, glorious, glorious mysteries, resurrection, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, temporary,  st. john chrysostom

Meditating on a reading from St. John Chrysostom, we recall that Jesus’ victory over death is eternal. Fr. Mark-Mary encourages us to take comfort in keeping eternal things eternal and temporary things temporary. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Resurrection and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

Day 103: Pilgrimage of Faith

April 13th, 2025  |  12 mins 10 secs

ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, crucifixion, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, immaculate conception, martyrdom, mary, pilgrimage, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, st.  alphonsus,  st.  alphonsus liguori

Mary was preserved by special grace from sin, but Mary was also human, requiring her to journey on the same spiritual pilgrimage we all undertake. Here, on Calvary, we see Mary reach the conclusion of her pilgrimage of faith, as we are led by a reading from St.  Alphonsus Liguori. Fr. Mark-Mary tells us that at this moment, Mary fully understands her son’s mission. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Crucifixion and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

Day 102: Carried with Love

April 12th, 2025  |  12 mins 4 secs

ascension, carrying, carrying of the cross, catholic church, catholic faith, cross, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, king, king of love, love, passion, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, throne,  st. josemaría escrivá

On the day of the crucifixion, three crosses were carried. Yet, there’s only one cross that we honor, only one cross that is featured as a mystery of the Rosary. Fr. Mark-Mary reads from St. Josemaría Escrivá, meditating on how Jesus’ cross was carried freely with love, making it the throne of the King of love. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Carrying of the Cross and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

Day 101: Glory and Indignity

April 11th, 2025  |  13 mins 9 secs

ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, crowning, crowning with thorns, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, glory, indignity, justice, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, trust,  st. thomas aquinas

 Instead of a crown of glory, they imposed on him a crown of indignity, St. Thomas Aquinas writes of the Crowning with Thorns. Fr. Mark-Mary recalls a learning experience on a trip to Nebraska, explaining the true nature of indignity, and relating it to Jesus’ experience during his passion. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Crowning with Thorns and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

Day 100: Always Her Son

April 10th, 2025  |  13 mins 14 secs

ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, fulfillment, mary, prophecy, revelations, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, scourging, scourging at the pillar, sorrow, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries,  st. bridget

Drawing upon St. Bridget of Sweden’s work, Revelations, we meditate on the Scourging at the Pillar from Mary’s perspective. Fr. Mark-Mary reminds us that this is the fulfillment of Simeon’s prophecy to Mary, as she witnesses her son undergo his Passion. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Scourging at the Pillar and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

Day 99: Stay in Dialogue

April 9th, 2025  |  12 mins 54 secs

agony, agony in the garden, ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, climbing, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fear, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, heights, rappelling, relationship, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, suffering,  st. alphonsus,  st. alphonsus liguori

When we experience  real, deep, human fear and anguish, we can draw hope from the fact that Jesus has experienced these things before us. Fr. Mark-Mary shares a story of one of his fellow friars guiding new friars through their fear of heights, highlighting that by staying in dialogue with the Father, we find our hope beyond fear. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Agony in the Garden and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

Day 98: An Abyss of Love

April 8th, 2025  |  11 mins 49 secs

ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, christian mysticism, communion, eucharist, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, institution of the eucharist, last supper, love, luminous, luminous mysteries, mysticism, passover, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, st. catherine, st. catherine of siena

Aided by a meditation from St. Catherine of Siena’s Dialogue, we reflect on the profound gift of the Eucharist. Jesus tells each and every one of us how deeply he loves us as he says,  ”I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you,” a love we partake of each time we approach the Eucharist. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Institution of the Eucharist and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

Day 97: Climb the Mountain

April 7th, 2025  |  13 mins 56 secs

In the mystery of the Transfiguration, there’s an invitation to climb the mountain with Jesus. However, in our vocations and states of life, it can be hard to drop everything and go climb a mountain to witness God. Fr. Mark-Mary offers an answer, drawing from  St. Anastasius of Sinai, reminding us that we don’t have to climb the whole mountain today. We can just take the next step. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Transfiguration and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy

Day 96: A New Love

April 6th, 2025  |  12 mins 30 secs

ascension, augustine, call to conversion, call to repentance, catholic church, catholic faith, conversion, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, luminous, luminous mysteries, new kingdom, new law, new love, proclamation, proclamation of the kingdom, repentance, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, sermon on the mount, st. augustine

Jesus is raising the stakes during his ministry and proclamation of the kingdom. St. Augustine tells us that there’s a new kingdom, a new law, and a new love. Fr. Mark-Mary explains what these new teachings mean, how they impact us, and how we can respond with our new love. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Proclamation of the Kingdom and Call to Conversion and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

Day 95: Moms are Special

April 5th, 2025  |  11 mins 30 secs

ascension, cana, catholic church, catholic faith, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, luminous, luminous mysteries, mary, mom, moms, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, st. alphonsus, st. alphonsus liguori, wedding, wedding feast at cana

Would Jesus have turned the water into wine if someone other than Mary had asked him? Fr. Mark-Mary, reading from  St. Alphonsus Liguori, reflects on the point that Jesus’ initial words to Mary at the Wedding at Cana have special symbolism. This short conversation tells us that Mary is special to Jesus, and her requests are special too. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Wedding Feast at Cana and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

Day 94: No Doubt

April 4th, 2025  |  10 mins 51 secs

ascension, baptism, baptism in the jordan, belief, catholic church, catholic faith, doubt, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, luminous, luminous mysteries, revelation, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, st. ambrose, trust, truth

Is there any room left for doubt in the mystery of the Baptism? No, say Fr. Mark-Mary and St. Ambrose, as we meditate on the confidence with which we can believe in God’s revelation. We step into the waters of the Jordan with Jesus, resting in the truth of his divine sonship. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Baptism in the Jordan and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.