The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames)
Pray the Rosary Like Never Before
About the show
In Ascension’s Rosary in a Year podcast, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR, guides listeners in a step-by-step journey that will change the way you pray – no matter where you are in your spiritual life.
By starting small and adding on over time, listeners will find themselves falling more in love with this powerful Marian devotion, becoming a source of grace for the whole world.
Listen to discover….
How to build a daily habit of prayer
How to form a relationship with Jesus and Mary
The Biblical foundations of the Rosary
How to meditate with sacred art (visio divina), saint writings, and scripture (lectio divina)
The power of Mary’s influence in your life
…and more.
For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
Episodes
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Day 165: Following in His Footsteps
June 14th, 2025 | 14 mins 7 secs
art, art meditations, ascension, bernardino gandino, catholic church, catholic faith, father mark mary, father mark-mary, father’s house, follow, footprints, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, glorious, glorious mysteries, heaven, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacraments, sacred art, st. francis of assisi, the ascension, visio divina
Exploring the mystery of the Ascension, Fr. Mark-Mary meditates on Jesus’ enduring presence through the symbol of His footprints, as depicted in Bernardino Gandino’s Baroque painting. This image becomes a powerful reminder of Christ’s continued presence and an invitation to follow Him not just in spirit, but step by step, through Scripture, the sacraments, and the life of the Church. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Ascension and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.
All of the Sacred Art we’ll be meditating with can be found in the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, for free linked in the complete prayer plan, or in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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Day 164: Guided by His Hand
June 13th, 2025 | 13 mins 37 secs
art, art meditations, ascension, belief, caravaggio, catholic church, catholic faith, doubt, doubting thomas, faith, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, glorious, glorious mysteries, good shepherd, jesus appearing to the disciples, lost sheep, resurrection, risen, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, thomas, trust, visio divina, wounds
Fr. Mark-Mary reflects on St. Thomas not as doubting and resistant, but as someone honestly expressing his need to see and believe because he is aware that if the Resurrection is true, everything must change. Caravaggio’s The Incredulity of St. Thomas captures this moment of intimate encounter, as the risen Jesus gently leads Thomas to touch His side, revealing a love that welcomes doubt and transforms it into belief. We are encouraged to acknowledge our own need for grace and trust that Christ will meet us there. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Resurrection and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.
All of the Sacred Art we’ll be meditating with can be found in the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, for free linked in the complete prayer plan, or in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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Day 163: Through His Eyes
June 12th, 2025 | 14 mins 17 secs
art, art meditations, ascension, calvary, catholic church, catholic faith, cross, crucifixion, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, james tissot, mary, mother, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, sacrifice, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, visio divina, what our lord saw from the cross
What did Jesus see when He looked down from the cross? And what does He see in us now? Fr. Mark-Mary contemplates James Tissot’s painting, What Our Lord Saw from the Cross, which invites reflection on what Jesus might have seen and felt as He gave His life. Fr. Mark-Mary contrasts the indifference and mockery of some in the crowd with the sorrowful devotion of Mary, St. John, and Mary Magdalene. We are invited to place ourselves at Calvary and examine how we respond to Christ's sacrifice. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Crucifixion and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.
All of the Sacred Art we’ll be meditating with can be found in the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, for free linked in the complete prayer plan, or in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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Day 162: Carrying the Cross Together
June 11th, 2025 | 15 mins 57 secs
art, art meditations, ascension, burden, carrying of the cross, catholic church, catholic faith, cross, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, gentileschi, heavy, light, rest, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, surrender, visio divina
Orazio Gentileschi’s painting, Christ Carrying the Cross, captures the profound strength and inner peace of Jesus’ suffering—His body straining beneath the weight of the cross, yet His face is calm. Fr. Mark-Mary contrasts the visible burden of the cross with Jesus’ promise of a “light burden”. He invites us to consider that what lightens the load is not its removal, but the strength that comes from perfect trust in the Father. We are encouraged to seek not just relief, but faith that rests in God’s presence and power, even when our cross feels anything but light. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Carrying of the Cross and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.
All of the Sacred Art we’ll be meditating with can be found in the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, for free linked in the complete prayer plan, or in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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Day 161: Sharing Eternal Victory
June 10th, 2025 | 12 mins 13 secs
art, art meditations, ascension, caravaggio, catholic church, catholic faith, crown, crowning with thorns, darkness, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, hope, light, mercy, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, thorn, visio divina
Christ is depicted in Caravaggio’s Ecce Homo with quiet dignity amid humiliation, as He is crowned with thorns and presented to the crowd. Fr. Mark-Mary encourages a prayerful examination of conscience, recognizing our personal role in Christ’s Passion while holding fast to the light and hope that remains even in darkness. Through repentance and faith, we are called not only to witness His suffering but to share in His rising and ultimate victory. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Crowning with Thorns and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.
All of the Sacred Art we’ll be meditating with can be found in the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, for free linked in the complete prayer plan, or in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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Day 160: Choose Your Side
June 9th, 2025 | 13 mins 45 secs
anger, apathetic, apathy, art, art meditations, ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, daughters, father mark mary, father mark-mary, flagellation, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, lukewarm, pride, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, scourging, sin, sons, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, vengeance, visio divina
We are in a war with darkness, and we must choose to take up the side as sons and daughters of God. Fr. Mark-Mary describes Caravaggio’s painting, The Flagellation of Christ, relating each of Jesus’ assailants to a personification of sin. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Scourging at the Pillar and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.
All of the Sacred Art we’ll be meditating with can be found in the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, for free linked in the complete prayer plan, or in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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Day 159: Surrender Your Suffering
June 8th, 2025 | 11 mins 37 secs
agony, agony in the garden, alessandro maganza, art, art meditations, ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, doctor, doubt, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, healing, pain, prayer, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, sin, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, suffering, surrender, visio divina
As we meditate with the painting entitled Prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane Garden by Alessandro Maganza, Fr. Mark-Mary notices that all of the movement, lines, and action in the painting points towards Jesus. Sharing a story about one of his fellow friars, Fr. Mark-Mary explains how we can direct ourselves to Jesus and surrender our fears, worries, and pain. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Agony in the Garden and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.
All of the Sacred Art we’ll be meditating with can be found in the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, for free linked in the complete prayer plan, or in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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Day 158: Wash All of Me
June 7th, 2025 | 12 mins 8 secs
art, art meditations, ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, commitment, devotion, eucharist, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, institution of the eucharist, juan de juanes, luminous, luminous mysteries, peter, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, visio divina, washing
Jesus gives himself totally to us in the Eucharist, body, blood, soul, and divinity. Today’s art, The Last Supper, by Juan de Juanes (Vicente Juan Masip) includes the bowl and urn used for the washing of feet, reminding us of Peter’s request that Jesus wash him entirely. This is the attitude, Fr. Mark-Mary says, that we should bring as we receive the Eucharist. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Institution of the Eucharist and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.
All of the Sacred Art we’ll be meditating with can be found in the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, for free linked in the complete prayer plan, or in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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Day 157: We Have Authority
June 6th, 2025 | 14 mins 9 secs
apostles, art, art meditations, ascension, authority, catholic church, catholic faith, exorcism, faith, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, healing, luminous, luminous mysteries, matthew, power, raphael, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, transfiguration, visio divina
Fr. Mark-Mary notices that The Transfiguration, painted by Raphael, contains a very interesting Biblical reference. Raphael has chosen to depict the beginning of Jesus’ exorcism of a demon in Matthew 17 alongside the Transfiguration. This parallel reveals the truth that Jesus can give us all spiritual authority to resist temptation, through our faith in him. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Transfiguration and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.
All of the Sacred Art we’ll be meditating with can be found in the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, for free linked in the complete prayer plan, or in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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Day 156: I Do Not Condemn You
June 5th, 2025 | 15 mins
art, art meditations, ascension, call to conversion, catholic church, catholic faith, condemnation, conversion, father mark mary, father mark-mary, forgiveness, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, luminous, luminous mysteries, proclamation, proclamation of the kingdom, repentance, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, sin, visio divina
In Lorenzo Lotto’s painting, The Adulterous Woman, we are presented with an unforgettable moment from the Gospels. A group of accusers try to trap Jesus by asking for his judgement of a woman caught in sin. However, Fr. Mark-Mary explains, Jesus’ incredible response to the accusers and the woman is a response to all of us. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Proclamation of the Gospel and Call to Conversion and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.
All of the Sacred Art we’ll be meditating with can be found in the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, for free linked in the complete prayer plan, or in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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Day 155: More than Meets the Eye
June 4th, 2025 | 12 mins 29 secs
art, art meditations, ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, celebration, double, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, intentional, joy, luminous, luminous mysteries, miracle, miracles, multitasking, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, visio divina, wedding, wedding feast at cana
Jesus is a divine multitasker, intentionally and perfectly. Fr. Mark-Mary explains that while we might struggle to multitask, God works on multiple levels at all times. As Jesus turns water into wine in Gérard David’s painting, The Wedding at Cana, he is both continuing the joy of the celebration and revealing himself as the divine bridegroom. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Wedding Feast at Cana and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.
All of the Sacred Art we’ll be meditating with can be found in the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, for free linked in the complete prayer plan, or in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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Day 154: I Am Not Worthy
June 3rd, 2025 | 11 mins 12 secs
andrea del verrocchio, art, art meditations, ascension, baptism, baptism in the jordan, catholic church, catholic faith, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, humility, john, leonardo da vinci, luminous, luminous mysteries, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, visio divina
When Jesus approaches John to be baptized, John initially resists, insisting that he is not worthy. John is troubled, explains Fr. Mark-Mary, and yet, when Jesus reassures him, he obeys with confidence and trust. Andrea del Verrocchio and Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, The Baptism of Christ guides our meditation on humility. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Baptism in the Jordan and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.
All of the Sacred Art we’ll be meditating with can be found in the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, for free linked in the complete prayer plan, or in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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Day 153: From St. Joseph to Jesus
June 2nd, 2025 | 13 mins 9 secs
art, art meditations, ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, father mark mary, father mark-mary, finding of jesus in the temple, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, holly family, joseph, joyful, joyful mysteries, mary, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, st. joseph, temple, visio divina, wedding at cana
Concluding our focus on St. Joseph, we reflect on the quiet but powerful transition of Mary’s care from St. Joseph to Jesus in the Holy Family. God's constant provision for Mary is evident as we see how Jesus steps into his role as protector and provider for his mother. The reflection is anchored in a 17th-century painting of The Finding in the Temple, located at St. Nicholas Church in Brussels. Fr. Mark-Mary reminds us that even when God's plan requires letting go, His attentive love never leaves us abandoned. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Finding of Jesus in the Temple and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.
All of the Sacred Art we’ll be meditating with can be found in the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, for free linked in the complete prayer plan, or in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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Day 152: St. Joseph’s Offering
June 1st, 2025 | 12 mins 31 secs
art, art meditations, ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, joseph, joyful, joyful mysteries, offering, presentation, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, sacrifice, sorrow, st. joseph, temple, turtledoves, visio divina
We continue our series focusing on St. Joseph’s presence with the Presentation in the Temple. In today’s art, we see Joseph offering the turtle doves, artistically representing what also is happening interiorly, Fr. Mark-Mary says. St. Joseph’s heart was surely sorrowful when Simeon prophesied that a sword would pierce Mary’s heart, and yet he said yes to the Father alongside her. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Presentation in the Temple and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.
All of the Sacred Art we’ll be meditating with can be found in the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, for free linked in the complete prayer plan, or in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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Day 151: St. Joseph’s Protection
May 31st, 2025 | 12 mins 13 secs
adoration, art, art meditations, ascension, care, catholic church, catholic faith, christmas, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, joyful, joyful mysteries, magic, nativity, paternal, providence, provision, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, shepherds, st. joseph, visio divina
If St. Joseph had not been present at the Nativity, could the adoration of the shepherds have happened? Fr. Mark-Mary continues our focus on St. Joseph’s role, highlighting the goodness of God in bringing Mary and Joseph together to raise the Savior. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Nativity and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.
All of the Sacred Art we’ll be meditating with can be found in the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, for free linked in the complete prayer plan, or for free in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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Day 150: God Will Provide
May 30th, 2025 | 12 mins 6 secs
angel, art, art meditations, ascension, care, catholic church, catholic faith, father, father mark mary, father mark-mary, federico maldarelli, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, joseph, joyful, joyful mysteries, paternal, provide, providence, provision, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, st. joseph, visio divina, visitation
Mary was not the only one who received an angelic visitor. Joseph too was directed by an angel to take Mary, his wife, into his home. Fr. Mark-Mary, meditating on Joseph’s presence at the Visitation, shares this as an example of God’s providential care towards Mary and towards all his children. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Visitation and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.
All of the Sacred Art we’ll be meditating with can be found in the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, for free linked in the complete prayer plan, or for free in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.