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

Day 280: The Joyful and Luminous Mysteries

October 7th, 2026  |  16 mins 42 secs

Prayer, ascension, baptism, baptism in the jordan, baptism of jesus, building, building up the decades, catholic church, catholic faith, contemplative prayer, conversion, decades, father mark mary, father mark-mary, finding, finding of jesus in the temple, four decades, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, imaginative prayer, intercessory prayer, jordan, joyful, joyful mysteries, luminous, luminous mysteries, mary, meditating, meditative prayer, poco a poco, proclamation, proclamation of the kingdom and call to conversion, relational prayer, repentance, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, wedding at cana, wedding feast

We conclude the Joyful Mysteries and follow into the Luminous Mysteries as Christ’s mission is revealed. In the Finding of Jesus in the Temple, He shows Himself to be about His Father’s work. At the Baptism in the Jordan, the Spirit descends and the Father proclaims Him as the beloved Son. At the Wedding at Cana, He performs His first miracle, revealing His glory. In the Proclamation of the Kingdom, He announces the Good News and calls all to conversion. These mysteries encourage us to seek Him with faith, to listen to His Word, and to follow Him more closely each day. Today’s focus is the mysteries of the Finding of Jesus in the Temple, the Baptism of Jesus, the Wedding at Cana, and the Proclamation of the Kingdom and Call to Conversion. We will be praying four decades of the Rosary.

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

Day 268: The Joyful Mysteries

September 25th, 2026  |  15 mins 13 secs

Prayer, ascension, building, building up the decades, catholic church, catholic faith, christmas, contemplative prayer, decades, father mark mary, father mark-mary, finding, finding in the temple, foreshadowing, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, imaginative prayer, intercessory prayer, joyful, joyful mysteries, mary, meditating, meditative prayer, nativity, poco a poco, presentation, relational prayer, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, three decades

Concluding the Joyful mysteries, we witness the complexity of joy in the Christian life. The Nativity brings us the joy of the Incarnation, as God becomes man, born to bring us salvation. In the Presentation and Finding in the Temple, we see the price of salvation foreshadowed, as Mary is told Simeon’s prophecy, and as Jesus is lost for three days, to be found in his father’s house. Today’s focus is the mysteries of the Nativity, the Presentation, and the Finding in the Temple. We will be praying three decades of the Rosary.

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

Day 133: Respond with Grace

May 13th, 2026  |  12 mins 43 secs

admiration, art, art meditations, ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, father mark mary, father mark-mary, finding, finding in the temple, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, grace, human, humanity, lourdes, mosaic, rejection, riy, rosary, rosary basilica, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, visio divina, wonder

How would you react if you saw 12-year old Jesus preaching in the temple? Fr. Mark-Mary points out the varied reactions of onlookers in the mosaic of the Finding in the Temple in the Rosary Basilica at Lourdes. Those surrounding Jesus react with human admiration, amazement, curiosity, and even rejection. Yet Mary looks upon him filled with divine grace. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Finding 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.

Day 113: Spoiler Alert

April 23rd, 2026  |  12 mins 11 secs

ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, divinity, father mark mary, father mark-mary, finding, finding in the temple, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, historical, history, joyful, joyful mysteries, movies, revelation, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, st. cyril, st. cyril of alexandria

Spoiler alert: Jesus is Lord! While the mystery of the Finding in the Temple is not the climax of Jesus’ story, for the first century man or woman, this is an attention grabbing moment. Fr. Mark-Mary, reading from St. Cyril of Alexandria, reminds us that this is when Jesus first begins to reveal his divinity. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Finding of Jesus in the Temple and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

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

Day 93: Look Like You Love Him

April 3rd, 2026  |  12 mins 44 secs

ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, dryness, dryness in prayer, father mark mary, father mark-mary, finding, finding in the temple, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, hunting, joyful, joyful mysteries, love, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, searching,  st. augustine

When Mary and Joseph realized that Jesus was missing, they searched everywhere, stopping at nothing to find him. This is how love searches, Fr. Mark-Mary tells us, drawing from a reading by St. Augustine. When we feel as though Jesus is missing, we can be like Mary and Joseph, looking for him like we love him. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Finding in the Temple and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

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

Day 73: Seek Him

March 14th, 2026  |  14 mins 57 secs

Catholic, Prayer, ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, catholicism, father mark mary, father mark-mary, finding, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, joyful, joyful mysteries, lectio, lectio divina, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, searching, seeking god, simeon, temple

How are we seeking Jesus? Are we aware that as we seek Jesus, he too is seeking us? Fr. Mark-Mary asks us the words Jesus asks Mary when she finds him in the Temple, “how is it that you sought me,” as we pray lectio divina, inspiring us to consider how we look for Jesus. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Finding in the Temple and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

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

Day 53: Our Perfect Director (2026)

February 22nd, 2026  |  9 mins 1 sec

Catholic, Meditation, catholic church, catholicism, faith, finding, finding in the temple, finding jesus, joy, joyful, joyful mysteries, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, trust

Mary and Joseph knew that they had a special role when raising Jesus, but something unexpected happens in the mystery of the Finding in the Temple. Mary may not fully understand Jesus’ explanation that he would be “in his Father’s house”, but she continues to trust in God’s plan. We have all experienced times in which we cannot visualize God’s plan for us, but Fr. Mark-Mary reminds us that we have a perfect director who will make a masterpiece out of our stories. All we have to do is trust and say yes. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 363: The Joyful Mysteries

December 29th, 2025  |  28 mins 28 secs

Prayer, annunciation, ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, contemplative prayer, decades, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fiat. st. elizabeth, finding, finding in the temple, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, imaginative prayer, joyful, joyful mysteries, manger, mary, meditating, meditation archive, meditation muscles, meditative prayer, monstrance, nativity, poco a poco, praying together, presentation, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, simeon, visitation

As we come together to pray the Joyful Mysteries, Fr. Mark-Mary calls us to place our lives before the Lord with the same trust and openness shown by Mary. He reflects on how God brings life to what feels empty or lifeless, choosing humble hearts as His dwelling place. We are encouraged to persevere in prayer, to seek Jesus with renewed desire, and to allow Him to gather our scattered hearts into a deeper love for the Father. Today’s focus is the Joyful Mysteries, and we’ll be praying the full Rosary.

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

Day 361: The Joyful Mysteries

December 27th, 2025  |  30 mins 35 secs

Prayer, ana, angel gabriel, annunciation, ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, contemplative prayer, decades, dryness, father mark mary, father mark-mary, finding, finding in the temple, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, imaginative prayer, joyful, joyful mysteries, magnificat, mary, meditating, meditation archive, meditation muscles, meditative prayer, nativity, persevering, poco a poco, praying together, presentation, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, savior, seek, simeon, visitation

Today, Fr. Mark-Mary invites us to bring our worries, our smallness, and our longing into God’s presence with confidence that nothing is impossible for Him. He reflects on the way God is drawn to humility, lifting us where we cannot lift ourselves, and in the quiet peace that comes from beholding Christ with a childlike heart. Even moments of spiritual dryness, he notes, can lead us into deeper relationship as we seek the Lord anew. Today’s focus is the Joyful Mysteries, and we’ll be praying the full Rosary.

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

Day 356: The Joyful Mysteries

December 22nd, 2025  |  30 mins 59 secs

Prayer, annunciation, ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, contemplative prayer, conversation, decades, father mark mary, father mark-mary, finding, finding in the temple, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, imaginative prayer, jan van eyck, joyful, joyful mysteries, mary, meditating, meditation archive, meditation muscles, meditative prayer, nativity, poco a poco, praying together, presentation, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, st. joseph, trust, visitation

We journey again through the Joyful Mysteries, stopping to meditate with Jan van Eyck’s depiction of the Annunciation and its reminder to keep in conversation with God. Fr. Mark-Mary reminds us of St. Joseph’s essential role in the Nativity. We meditate on Mary’s sacrifice revealed in the Presentation in the Temple, and the call to turn to God in the Finding in the Temple. Today's focus is the Joyful Mysteries, and we’ll be praying the full Rosary.

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