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

Day 144: Done in Secret

May 24th, 2025  |  11 mins 53 secs

annibale carracci, art, art meditations, ascension, calm, catholic church, catholic faith, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, glorious, glorious mysteries, prayer, resurrection, reward, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, secret, solitude, visio divina

Repeatedly in the Gospels, Jesus goes off alone to pray to the Father, telling us, “pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” While meditating on today’s painting, The Resurrection of Christ by Annibale Carracci, Fr. Mark-Mary draws out the hidden nature of the Resurrection. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Resurrection 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 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 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 117: Come Down, Peter

April 27th, 2025  |  16 mins 5 secs

ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, charity, contemplation, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, luminous, luminous mysteries, mother theresa, mountain, peter, prayer, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, st. francis, transfiguration, world,   st.  augustine

The mystery of the Transfiguration begins with ascent to the heavenly mountain, but ends with descent, back to the world. As much as Peter would like to remain atop the mountain, Jesus calls him to persevere in  life of charity, a holy life in the world. Fr. Mark-Mary, with help from St. Augustine, reflects on living out the balance of our call to the mountain and our call to live lives of charity in the world. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Transfiguration and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

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

Day 92: Waiting in the Temple

April 2nd, 2025  |  14 mins 50 secs

ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, distractions, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, joyful, joyful mysteries, prayer, presentation, presentation in the temple, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, simeon, temple, waiting,  st. cyril,  st. cyril of alexandria

When Jesus was presented in the Temple, Simeon was ready to receive the long desired savior. With a reading from  St. Cyril of Alexandria, Fr. Mark-Mary asks us how we’ve been preparing to receive our savior: are we waiting in our metaphorical temples, or have we become distracted by the world? To help us place ourselves in the fourth joyful mystery, Fr. Mark-Mary leads us in imaginative prayer, setting the scene for a place of prayer we can always return to. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Presentation 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, 2025  |  14 mins 57 secs

ascension, catholic, catholic church, catholic faith, catholicism, father mark mary, father mark-mary, finding, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, joyful, joyful mysteries, lectio, lectio divina, prayer, 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 66: Wait and Pray

March 7th, 2025  |  12 mins 12 secs

apostles, catholic, catholic church, catholicism, faith, glorious, glorious mysteries, holy spirit, patience, pentecost, prayer, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, transformation

What were the Apostles feeling as they waited in the upper room? Despite their trepidation, the Apostles waited and prayed with confidence, and the Holy Spirit transformed them. Fr. Mark-Mary shares a story of transformative prayer, teaching us how we can call upon the Holy Spirit. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 21: Show Unto Us

January 21st, 2025  |  9 mins 28 secs

advocate, cana, hail holy queen, hail mary, marian prayer, mary, mercy, mother of god, mother of jesus, prayer, praying through mary, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, wedding feast at cana

When we call upon Mary, what does she say to us? As we pray the Rosary and ask Mary to show Jesus unto us, we hear her response through the story of the Wedding Feast at Cana in the Gospel of John. If you feel like you’re at the wedding and out of wine, Fr. Mark-Mary says, turn to Mary in the Rosary, and she will advocate for you to Jesus. Today’s focus is “And after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Oh, Clement. Oh, loving. Oh, sweet Virgin Mary,” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, one Glory Be, and the Hail Holy Queen.

Day 20: Eyes of Mercy

January 20th, 2025  |  9 mins 46 secs

advocate, hail holy queen, hail mary, marian prayer, mary, mercy, mother of god, mother of jesus, prayer, praying through mary, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year

You are enough for God. Fr. Mark-Mary contemplates Mary’s Magnificat, reminding us that Mary and Jesus look upon us with eyes of mercy, rejoicing in our offerings of love to them, no matter how small we think they are. As we slowly build up our Rosary, prayer by prayer, these sincere acts of love are pleasing offerings to God. Today’s focus is “Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us,” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 17: Turn On the Light

January 17th, 2025  |  10 mins 29 secs

cross, faith, how to pray, prayer, praying, psalms, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sign of the cross

Catholics may be very familiar with the Sign of the Cross, but this short prayer has deep significance. Fr. Mark-Mary shares the Biblical origins of the Sign of the Cross, reading from Matthew’s Gospel and the book of Psalms to explain how this prayer can allow us to see life as God does and proclaim our Faith as we say the Rosary. Today’s focus is “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.