The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames)
Pray the Rosary Like Never Before
Displaying Episode 1 - 10 of 12 in total of The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) with the tag “crowning with thorns”.
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Day 235: The Crowning with Thorns and the Carrying of the Cross
August 23rd, 2025 | 11 mins 27 secs
ascension, building, building up the decades, carrying of the cross, catholic church, catholic faith, contemplative prayer, cross, crown, crowning, crowning with thorns, decades, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, imaginative prayer, intercessory prayer, jesus, jesus carrying his cross, meditating, meditative prayer, poco a poco, prayer, relational prayer, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, sorrowful mystery, thorn, two decades
In prayer, we focus on the third Sorrowful Mystery, the Crowning with Thorns, and the fourth Sorrowful Mystery, the Carrying of the Cross. In the mockery of Jesus as King, we behold the profound humility and suffering He freely embraces. On the road to Calvary, we reflect on His encounter with Simon of Cyrene, who shares in the weight of the cross and meets salvation face to face. These mysteries draw us into deeper surrender as we say yes to carrying our own crosses each day in union with Christ. Today’s focus is the mysteries of the Crowning with Thorns and the Carrying of the Cross and we will be praying two decades of the Rosary.
For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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Day 225: Bring It to Jesus
August 13th, 2025 | 11 mins 6 secs
ascension, building, building up the decades, carrying of the cross, catholic church, catholic faith, contemplative prayer, cross, crown, crowning, crowning with thorns, decades, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, imaginative prayer, intercessory prayer, jesus, jesus carrying his cross, meditating, meditative prayer, poco a poco, prayer, relational prayer, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, sorrowful mystery, thorn, two decades
Continuing the focus on intercessory prayer, Fr. Mark-Mary invites us to bring the intentions on our hearts directly to Jesus. He encourages us to imagine the Lord drawing near—whether to rejoice with us, to comfort us, or simply to be present with love and power. With trust in Christ’s nearness and care, we are called to lay down our intentions and enter prayer with openness and faith. Today’s focus is the mysteries of the Crowning with Thorns and the Carrying of the Cross and we will be praying two decades of the Rosary.
For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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Day 215: Here With Jesus
August 3rd, 2025 | 12 mins 30 secs
ascension, building, building up the decades, carrying of the cross, catholic church, catholic faith, contemplative prayer, cross, crown, crowning, crowning with thorns, decades, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, imaginative prayer, jesus, jesus carrying his cross, meditating, meditative prayer, poco a poco, prayer, relational prayer, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, sorrowful mystery, thorn, two decades
Imagine Jesus present in your everyday environment—your home, school, office, or car. While we often picture Him in distant historical settings, Fr. Mark-Mary encourages us to experience Jesus coming to us in the here and now. This kind of imaginative prayer deepens our relationship with Jesus by making His love and presence tangible in the ordinary moments of our lives. Today’s focus is the mysteries of the Crowning with Thorns and the Carrying of the Cross and we will be praying two decades of the Rosary.
For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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Day 201: Thorns for Love
July 20th, 2025 | 14 mins 15 secs
ascension, behold the man, catholic church, catholic faith, crown, crowned, crowning with thorns, ecce homo, father mark mary, father mark-mary, finding focus, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, fulton sheen, independent meditation, king, kingdom, meditation, practice, prayer, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, sorrowful mystery, suffering, thorn
Mocked and spat upon, Christ crowned with thorns fulfills the image of the suffering servant—humble in agony, yet still the King, still victorious. Fr. Mark-Mary invites us to behold Him, as Pilate once did, and examine our own heart. Are we offering our worship and loyalty to the Lord or to the world? Are we burdened by sins of indifference or misplaced priorities? Let us respond with renewed fidelity, offering our whole selves to the King. 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.
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Day 181: Grace Amid Thorns
June 30th, 2025 | 14 mins 15 secs
anthony van dyck, art, art meditations, ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, crown, crowning with thorns, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, grace, pain, power, powerless, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, suffering, thorn, visio divina
Witnessing Christ crowned with thorns reveals a striking contrast between worldly might and divine strength and humility. Through the lens of Anthony van Dyck’s dramatic painting and the words of scripture and Pope John Paul II, Fr. Mark-Mary’s meditation unveils the redemptive power found in suffering. We are invited to see our own suffering as a means to draw nearer to Christ and receive His transforming grace. 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 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 141: Render Unto God
May 21st, 2025 | 13 mins 41 secs
antiquity, art, art meditations, ascension, caesar, catholic church, catholic faith, crowning, crowning with thorns, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, love, render, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, thorns, titian, visio divina, worship
As we see the bust of Tiberius Caesar at the top of today’s painting, Christ Crowned with Thorns by Titian, the phrase “render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and render to God what is God’s” may come to mind. Fr. Mark-Mary asks us to consider whether we are rendering our worship and love unto God, or unto the world. 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 for free in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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Day 121: The Cost of Compromise
May 1st, 2025 | 14 mins 37 secs
ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, compromise, crowning, crowning with thorns, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, fulton sheen, justice, passion, politics, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, truth, venerable fulton j. sheen
Pilate tried to compromise on truth. His concern was not justice, but instead self-preservation. Fr. Mark-Mary reads from Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, emphasizing that we must not compromise on Jesus. We have to commit to the truth. 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.
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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.
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Day 81: Behold Your King
March 22nd, 2025 | 15 mins 34 secs
ascension, catholic, catholic church, catholic faith, catholicism, crowning, crowning with thorns, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, jesus, king, kingship, lectio, lectio divina, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacrifice, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, thorns, true king
Although the Roman soldiers mockingly hail Jesus as king, Fr. Mark-Mary explains that in this mystery we see the reality of Jesus’ true kingship and dignity. In our prayer of lectio divina, we meditate on Jesus’ incredible sacrifice for us, and we receive the good news that we worship the true king. 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.