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

Day 195: New Wine, New Life

July 14th, 2025  |  14 mins 24 secs

ascension, cana, catholic church, catholic faith, do whatever he tells you, father mark mary, father mark-mary, finding focus, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, independent meditation, jesus, love, luminous mysteries, luminous mystery, mary, meditation, practice, prayer, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, wedding, wedding at cana, wedding feast at cana

“Do whatever He tells you.” Mary’s powerful words at the Wedding Feast at Cana urge us to trust Jesus wholeheartedly. This moment reveals Jesus as the divine bridegroom who brings transformation, joy, and new life into our lives. We are reminded that Jesus and Mary see our needs and respond with deep love and care, even when we do not realize it. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Wedding Feast at Cana and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

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

Day 194: Beloved Sons and Daughters

July 13th, 2025  |  14 mins 6 secs

ascension, baptism, catholic church, catholic faith, daughter, dignity, father, father mark mary, father mark-mary, finding focus, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, grace, independent meditation, jordan, luminous mysteries, luminous mystery, meditation, practice, prayer, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, son, st. ambrose, the baptism in the jordan, the baptism of jesus, this is my beloved son

Reflecting on the Baptism of Jesus, Fr. Mark-Mary emphasizes that our own baptism equips us with the identity and strength needed to face spiritual trials. Drawing from Scripture and the works of St. Ambrose, he underscores the Father's declaration of Jesus as His beloved Son as a source of assurance in faith and personal identity. He also reminds us that while the path of discipleship includes the cross, it is ultimately a journey toward resurrection and eternal life. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Baptism of Jesus and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

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

Day 193: Faith in the Silence

July 12th, 2025  |  17 mins 24 secs

ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fathers house, finding focus, finding in the temple, finding of jesus in the temple, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, independent meditation, joyful mysteries, joyful mystery, meditation, obedient, practice, prayer, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, search, seek, temple

Our guided meditation on the fifth Joyful Mystery, the Finding of Jesus in the Temple, highlights the faith and trust of Mary and Joseph when faced with unexpected events and limited understanding. The quiet transition of leadership within the Holy Family, as Joseph’s protective role gives way to Jesus' revelation of His divine mission is also emphasized. Fr. Mark-Mary invites us to seek God with love and confidence, even in times of apparent silence, viewing such moments as a call to deeper trust in God’s presence. 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 192: A Renewed “Yes”

July 11th, 2025  |  16 mins 30 secs

ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, faith, father mark mary, father mark-mary, finding focus, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, freedom, hope, independent meditation, joy, joyful mysteries, joyful mystery, meditation, offering, practice, prayer, presentation, presentation in the temple, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, simian, the canticle of simian, trust, yes

Through storytelling and scripture, Fr. Mark-Mary explores the sacrificial freedom expressed by both Jesus and Mary during the Presentation in the Temple. Mary’s renewed “yes” is a powerful witness to steadfast faith. We are reminded to remain anchored in Christ with unwavering trust. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Presentation in the Temple and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

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

Day 191: Unworthy Yet Welcomed

July 10th, 2025  |  15 mins 2 secs

adoration, ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, father mark mary, father mark-mary, finding focus, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, independent meditation, joy, joyful mysteries, joyful mystery, meditation, nativity, practice, prayer, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, unworthy, worship

Fr. Mark-Mary reflects on the Nativity, emphasizing the overwhelming joy and sense of unworthiness that can accompany encountering the gift of Jesus. We are invited to contemplate the transformative love offered through the birth of Christ. Using Scripture, sacred imagery, and prayer, we are drawn into an intimate encounter with Jesus, who offers not only salvation but also warmth and affection. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Nativity and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

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

Day 190: Returning to the Visitation

July 9th, 2025  |  13 mins 57 secs

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We continue practicing meditation with our mental archive, returning to Mary as the Ark of the Covenant, understanding the Visitation as our invitation to song, and Mary’s charity and love towards us. With Fr. Mark-Mary, we pray through the “four R’s,” asking God to reveal his grace to us through the mystery. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Visitation and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

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

Day 189: Beginning Our Meditation

July 8th, 2025  |  15 mins 59 secs

annunciation, archive, ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, contemplation, father mark mary, father mark-mary, finding focus, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, independent meditation, joyful mysteries, meditation, practice, prayer, review, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year

We begin Phase 4: Finding Focus today, reviewing several topics for meditation on the Annunciation. Putting the mental meditation archive we’ve been building into practice, Fr. Mark-Mary leads us through prayer prompts and a decade of the rosary. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Annunciation and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

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

Day 142: Truly the Son of God

May 22nd, 2025  |  13 mins 21 secs

art, art meditations, ascension, carrying, carrying of the cross, catholic church, catholic faith, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, good friday, meditation, pieter bruegel, prayer, response, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, soldiers, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, visio divina

Pieter Bruegel’s painting, The Procession to Calvary, is distinctly filled with Roman soldiers. Fr. Mark-Mary leads us in a meditation focusing on the Roman soldiers observing the carrying of the cross, and relates it to his modern day experience of different reactions to Jesus in New York. 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 for free in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

Day 58: Creativity of Love

February 27th, 2025  |  10 mins 12 secs

catholic, catholic church, catholicism, communion, eucharist, faith, god’s love, homily, institution of the eucharist, love, luminous mysteries, meditation, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year

When you love someone, you create a way to be with them. Fr. Mark-Mary tells us that if you love Jesus, you’ll create time to be with him. However, our love for God is a response to God’s love for us. This beautiful reciprocity means the creator of the universe has found a creative way to remain with us in all times and places, revealed through the fifth Luminous mystery, the Institution of the Eucharist. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Institution of the Eucharist and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 57: Let's Step Away

February 26th, 2025  |  11 mins 4 secs

catholic, catholic church, catholicism, distractions, faith, homily, luminous mysteries, meditation, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, technology, transfiguration

To reveal his glory in the Transfiguration, Jesus took the apostles up the mountain, apart from distractions. Today, Fr. Mark-Mary asks if Jesus might be asking us to step away and go up the mountain apart with him, so that we can be moved by his brilliance. Let’s take this opportunity to join the apostles and see what we might need to step away from. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Transfiguration and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.