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

Day 135: Miracles of Love

May 15th, 2025  |  11 mins 46 secs

art, art meditations, ascension, bartimaeus, catholic church, catholic faith, compassion, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, glory, identity, lazarus, love, miracles, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, visio divina, wedding, wedding at cana, wedding feast, wedding feast at cana

Why does Jesus perform miracles? Fr. Mark-Mary, meditating with help from a painting by Carl Bloch, says that Jesus doesn’t just do miracles as a sign or as a magician. Jesus does miracles as acts of love, motivated by true compassion. We take a moment to rest in this sign of love at the Wedding Feast with Jesus and Mary. 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 for free in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

Day 131: Worship and Warmth

May 11th, 2025  |  12 mins 17 secs

adoration, angels, art, art meditations, ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, christmas, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, giovanni antonio pellegrini, joseph, love, mary, nativity, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, visio divina, visitation, warmth, worship

What  will be true in heaven is already true in the manger at Bethlehem. Already, heaven and earth bend the knee in worship of Jesus to the glory of God the Father. Fr. Mark-Mary draws our attention to the gaze of Mary, Joseph, and the angels, fixed on Jesus, in Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini’s painting of the Nativity. 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 in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

Day 126: Fire of Love

May 6th, 2025  |  12 mins 37 secs

ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, cross, descent of the holy spirit, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fire, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, glorious, glorious mysteries, holy spirit, kindle, love, pentecost, prayer, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacrifice, saint, saint reflections, st. alphonsus, st. alphonsus liguori

God desires the fire of his love to burn always in our hearts, says St. Alphonsus Liguori. Fr. Mark-Mary explains that we can kindle this fire of the Holy Spirit through the  wood of the cross and the oxygen of prayer. We meditate on the Holy Spirit’s ability to transform us and growing our receptivity to his love. 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 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 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 93: Look Like You Love Him

April 3rd, 2025  |  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 80: His Blood For You

March 21st, 2025  |  15 mins 3 secs

ascension, catholic, catholic church, catholic faith, catholicism, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, jesus, lectio, lectio divina, love, passion, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacrifice, scourging, scourging at the pillar, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, worth

Jesus freely endured the suffering of the scourging because of his great love for us. Fr. Mark-Mary leads us in lectio divina, meditating on the depth of Jesus’ love for us and how he wants us to receive the gift of his love. We allow ourselves to behold the sign of our worth: Jesus giving everything to save us. 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 74: Beloved of the Father

March 15th, 2025  |  15 mins 27 secs

ascension, baptism, baptism in the jordan, baptism of jesus, beloved, catholic, catholic church, catholic faith, catholicism, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, lectio, lectio divina, love, luminous, luminous mysteries, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year

We know Jesus is the beloved of the Father, but today Fr. Mark-Mary tells us that we too should see ourselves as beloved through the grace of our Baptisms. As we pray lectio divina, we meditate on how we are not only beloved, but can become pleasing to the Father. 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.

Day 63: Even Unto Death

March 4th, 2025  |  11 mins 1 sec

calvary, catholic, catholic church, catholicism, crucifixion, effects of sin, faith, god’s love, love, prodigal son, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sin, sorrowful mysteries, suffering

Just as the father in the parable of the prodigal son does not merely wait to welcome his son back, but pursues to meet him on the way, Fr. Mark-Mary explains that God does not wait for us to return to him but instead pursues us, even to death on the cross. At Calvary, in the Crucifixion, we see the true nature of the heart of God, a heart filled with love for us. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.