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

Day 20: Eyes of Mercy

January 20th, 2025  |  9 mins 46 secs

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You are enough for God. Fr. Mark-Mary contemplates Mary’s Magnificat, reminding us that Mary and Jesus look upon us with eyes of mercy, rejoicing in our offerings of love to them, no matter how small we think they are. As we slowly build up our Rosary, prayer by prayer, these sincere acts of love are pleasing offerings to God. Today’s focus is “Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us,” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 19: Valley of Tears

January 19th, 2025  |  8 mins 51 secs

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We may be in a valley of tears, but we are never alone. Fr. Mark-Mary reads from the Gospel of John, revealing that the Blessed Mother has shared in our sufferings, and in the Rosary, is always with us. We are blessed to have Mary, who knew both suffering and the hope of God’s promises, as a perfect mother who will always love us. Today’s focus is “To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears,,” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 18: Our Sweetness, Our Hope

January 18th, 2025  |  7 mins 23 secs

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Jesus gives us not only what we need, but in his abundance, gives us more than what we need so that we might have joy. Fr. Mark-Mary meditates on the Hail Holy Queen, exploring the relationship between the Eucharist and Mary, the mother of God, to help us meditate during the Rosary. Today’s focus is “Hail Holy Queen, mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope,” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 17: Turn On the Light

January 17th, 2025  |  10 mins 29 secs

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Catholics may be very familiar with the Sign of the Cross, but this short prayer has deep significance. Fr. Mark-Mary shares the Biblical origins of the Sign of the Cross, reading from Matthew’s Gospel and the book of Psalms to explain how this prayer can allow us to see life as God does and proclaim our Faith as we say the Rosary. Today’s focus is “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 16: Glorify Him

January 16th, 2025  |  7 mins 55 secs

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How often do we pray a prayer of purely praise and adoration to God? Fr. Mark-Mary explains how the Rosary and the Glory Be can be said as a prayer of praise, drawing from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Psalms, leading us to enter into adoration of God. Today’s focus is “Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end,” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 15: Mother of God

January 15th, 2025  |  8 mins 45 secs

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You know the Mother of God. Fr. Mark-Mary contemplates this amazing gift, drawing from Biblical examples of the special relationship between mothers and children that is present in Mary’s relationship to Jesus. We meditate on the Rosary as a personal conversation with the mother of God, making it an incredible intercessory prayer. Today’s focus is “Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death,” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 14: Blessed Are You

January 14th, 2025  |  8 mins 18 secs

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Everytime we say the Hail Mary, we express a cry of joy in honor of the Blessed Mother. Fr. Mark-Mary reveals the Biblical celebration at the center of the Hail Mary that we too can participate in, sharing a story of the Franciscan Friars delight in God’s creation that we can emulate as we pray the Rosary. Today’s focus is “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus,” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 13: Full of Grace

January 13th, 2025  |  8 mins 38 secs

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As we pray the rosary, we can focus on the words of the prayers we’re saying, especially the words of the Hail Mary. Fr. Mark-Mary explains the Biblical roots of the Hail Mary, leading us in a meditation of love for Mary. Today’s focus is “Hail Mary, full of grace,” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 12: Deliver Us From Evil

January 12th, 2025  |  7 mins 44 secs

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We conclude our meditations on the Our Father with Fr. Mark-Mary delving into the parable of the Good Shepherd, the Fall in Genesis, and Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, helping build our mental library as we pray the Rosary. As we pray these lines of the Our Father, we’ll have an opportunity to rejoice in the goodness of God. Today’s focus is “and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 11: As We Forgive

January 11th, 2025  |  10 mins 54 secs

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We are to forgive as we have been forgiven. Today, Fr. Mark Mary leads us in a meditation upon the forgiveness described in the Our Father, taking inspiration from a parable in Matthew 18 and a personal experience with a delicious plate of nachos. As we come to the Lord in prayer today, Fr. Mark Mary invites us to allow God’s mercy to flow through us. Today’s focus is “and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 10: Daily Bread

January 10th, 2025  |  8 mins 41 secs

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What is the “daily bread” we pray for in the Our Father? Fr. Mark-Mary provides Biblical examples from the Gospels and Exodus to reveal how God is always providing daily bread for his people. The manna in Exodus and Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew illustrate what “daily bread” can look like for the modern Christian. Today’s focus is “Give us this day our daily bread” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 9: Thy Will Be Done

January 9th, 2025  |  8 mins 16 secs

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Fr. Mark-Mary continues meditating on the Our Father, exploring the concept of the kingdom of heaven through Matthew 18:1-4. Jesus instructs his disciples to become like children in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, and Fr. Mark-Mary shares how we can have more child-like faith in God as we pray the Rosary. Today’s focus is “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 8: Our Father in Heaven

January 8th, 2025  |  9 mins 47 secs

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How do you approach God when you pray the Rosary? Fr. Mark-Mary begins exploring the Biblical Roots of the Rosary with the Our Father by comparing the story of Jacob and Esau in Genesis 32 to Jesus’ words to his Father as he teaches us the Lord’s Prayer. Understanding how we can approach God will give us a strong foundation for praying the Rosary. Today’s focus is “Our Father who art in heaven” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Bonus: Introduction to Phase Two: “Biblical Roots of the Rosary”

January 8th, 2025  |  31 mins 41 secs

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How can praying the Rosary help you dive deeper into Scripture? In this special bonus episode, Fr. Mark-Mary is joined by Jeff Cavins to discuss the Scriptural basis of the Rosary. Jeff Cavins explains the Biblical roots of Mary as queen mother, the Hail Mary, and the incredible experience of Mary as our partner in prayer, taking us through her son’s life.

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

Day 7: Grace Will Overflow

January 7th, 2025  |  10 mins 1 sec

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Praying the Rosary is not just for ourselves! Fr. Mark-Mary reveals how your prayers of the Rosary are a powerful action that God can use to create an overflowing of grace into your relationships, your family, and our world. Today’s focus is on prayer as a source of grace and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

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

Day 6: Prayer is a Battle

January 6th, 2025  |  10 mins 45 secs

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How is prayer a battle, and what role does the rosary serve in this fight? Fr. Mark-Mary explains the various struggles we may experience while trying to grow our prayer life, and how we can use the Rosary as a weapon to defeat temptation. Today’s focus is on prayer as a battle and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

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