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

Day 55: Water Into Wine

February 24th, 2025  |  12 mins 16 secs

cana, catholic, catholic church, catholicism, faith, homily, luminous mysteries, mary, meditation, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacrifice, wedding, wedding at cana

In the Wedding Feast at Cana, we see Mary taking a new role: that of the initiator, asking Jesus to perform his first miracle. Fr. Mark-Mary unpacks this mystery, revealing the depth of Mary’s actions. By initiating Jesus’ public ministry, Mary is freely giving her son away, out of her great love for all of us. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Wedding Feast at Cana and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 54: My Beloved Son

February 23rd, 2025  |  10 mins 35 secs

baptism, catholic, catholic church, catholicism, faith, homily, jesus’ baptism, luminous mysteries, meditation, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, temptation, trust

The waters of the Jordan in our lives must always precede the sands of the desert. Fr. Mark-Mary explores the mystery of Jesus’ Baptism, highlighting that Jesus’ baptism immediately precedes his temptation in the desert. We are invited to recall our own baptisms and the gifts we received as we meditate on the Rosary and face difficulties in our lives. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Baptism of Jesus and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 53: Our Perfect Director

February 22nd, 2025  |  9 mins 1 sec

catholic, catholic church, catholicism, faith, finding, finding in the temple, finding jesus, joy, joyful, joyful mysteries, meditation, 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 52: My Eyes Have Seen Salvation

February 21st, 2025  |  10 mins 31 secs

catholic, catholic church, catholicism, faith, joy, joyful, joyful mysteries, meditation, presentation, presentation of jesus, presentation of the lord, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, simeon

Simeon’s words at the Presentation of the Lord, “Now let your servant depart in peace according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation,” are said around the world every day by religious and lay people alike in Compline, also known as Night Prayer. Fr. Mark-Mary shares the story of a blind man who truly knew what it meant to see his savior with the eyes of faith, inviting us to pray our Rosary for true sight like Simeon. 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 51: Moved With Awe

February 20th, 2025  |  13 mins 2 secs

awe, catholic, catholic church, catholicism, christmas, faith, homily, joy, joyful, joyful mysteries, meditation, nativity, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, wonder

How would we feel if we could experience the Nativity the way Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and Magi did? Fr. Mark-Mary shares the story of a visitor who truly experienced the awe and wonder of Christmas, revealing what an incredible gift Jesus is for all of us. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Nativity and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 50: Rejoice in the Beauty

February 19th, 2025  |  9 mins 33 secs

catholic, catholic church, catholicism, faith, joy, joyful, joyful mysteries, mary, meditation, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, st. elizabeth, visitation

God takes our ordinary and turns it into the extraordinary. Fr. Mark-Mary leads us through a meditation on the mystery of the Visitation, focusing on the Magnificat, describing how Elizabeth’s words of joy turn into song in Mary. Similarily, God enters the narratives of our lives, turning our prose into poetry and song, making our lives into something beautiful. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Visitation and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 38: Food for the Journey

February 7th, 2025  |  14 mins 51 secs

abraham, eucharist, exodus, historical context, institution of the eucharist, lamb of god, last supper, luminous, luminous mysteries, manna, meditation, melchizedek, old testament, passover, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year

In the institution of the Holy Eucharist Jesus is revealed as the Bread of Life that sustains us to the promised land. Fr. Mark-Mary draws upon the Old Testament to reveal how this mystery was foreshadowed, and what salvation history can tell us about Jesus and 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.

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

Day 37: To Be Transfigured

February 6th, 2025  |  11 mins

completion, exodus, glory, heaven, historical context, journey, light, luminous, luminous mysteries, meditation, moses, old testament, pilgrimage, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, transfiguration

The mystery of the Transfiguration is a glimpse of heaven, giving us an image of the home Jesus has prepared for us. Fr. Mark-Mary takes us on a journey in the book of Exodus as we explore Jesus’ fulfillment of the Old Testament. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Transfiguration and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 36: The Kingdom and the Gospel

February 5th, 2025  |  10 mins 9 secs

conversion, good news, gospel, historical context, kingdom, luminous, luminous mysteries, meditation, old testament, proclamation, proclamation of the kingdom and the call to conversion, repentance, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year

The Lord is here and he is at work! Fr. Mark-Mary reminds us that we don’t have to save ourselves: Jesus is proclaiming the Good News and acting for good in our lives, just as he acts in this third Luminous Mystery of the Rosary. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Proclamation of the Kingdom and the Call to Conversion and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 34: The Anointed One

February 3rd, 2025  |  13 mins 28 secs

baptism, day of atonement, historical context, jordan river, lamb, lamb of god, luminous, luminous mysteries, meditation, messiah, old testament, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacrifice, scapegoat, sin

Each of the Luminous mysteries reveal an aspect of Jesus’ nature and mission. Fr. Mark-Mary draws on the history of the Jordan River and the Jewish Day of Atonement, historical details that reveal Jesus as Messiah and sacrifice in this mystery of the Rosary. Today’s focus is the mystery of The Baptism of Jesus and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.