The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames)
Pray the Rosary Like Never Before
Displaying Episode 1 - 10 of 18 in total of The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) with the tag “suffering”.
-
Day 360: The Sorrowful Mysteries
December 26th, 2025 | 29 mins 53 secs
agony, agony in the garden, ascension, carrying, carrying of the cross, catholic church, catholic faith, contemplative prayer, crowning, crowning with thorns, crucifixion, decades, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, imaginative prayer, mary, meditating, meditation archive, meditation muscles, meditative prayer, poco a poco, prayer, praying together, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacrifice, scourging, scourging at the pillar, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, suffering
We pray the Sorrowful Mysteries and enter deeply into the heart of Christ’s Passion, guided by Fr. Mark-Mary through each decade. In the Agony in the Garden, Fr. Mark-Mary reflects on Jesus’ threefold cry of “My Father,” showing how Jesus faces his suffering in relationship with the Father, inviting us to bring our own agonies to God with the same trust. The Scourging at the Pillar inspires us to meditate on the irony of the crowd choosing Barabbas, the “son of the father” in name only, over the true Son. Despite the mockery of the Crowning with Thorns, Fr. Mark-Mary shows how even here Christ’s kingship is revealed and God is silently at work for our salvation. During the Carrying of the Cross, we’re guided into a moment of imaginative prayer, placing us in the role of Simon of Cyrene. Finally, as we pray with the Crucifixion, Fr. Mark-Mary draws attention to the tearing of the temple veil and Pope Benedict XVI’s insight that symbols give way to reality: God himself has opened the way to his heart through the crucified Christ. Today's focus is the Sorrowful Mysteries, and we’ll be praying the full Rosary.
For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
-
Day 357: The Sorrowful Mysteries
December 23rd, 2025 | 29 mins 29 secs
agony, agony in the garden, ascension, carrying, carrying of the cross, catholic church, catholic faith, contemplative prayer, crowning, crowning with thorns, crucifixion, decades, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, imaginative prayer, james tissot, kingship, love, mary, meditating, meditation archive, meditation muscles, meditative prayer, poco a poco, prayer, praying together, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacrifice, scourging, scourging at the pillar, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, suffering, tissot
Fr. Mark-Mary guides us in a deeply contemplative Rosary, as we walk the path of the Sorrowful Mysteries with Jesus. We encounter Christ in the Agony in the Garden, reflecting on how all of Salvation history has been leading to this moment. Reverently, we witness the Scourging and Crowning with Thorns, beholding Christ’s love and kingship. We honor the cross that became the sign of our salvation as Jesus carries it with love, and conclude in a meditation on James Tissot’s painting, What Our Lord Saw from the Cross. Today's focus is the Sorrowful Mysteries, and we’ll be praying the full Rosary.
For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
-
Day 236: The Crucifixion and the Resurrection
August 24th, 2025 | 12 mins 23 secs
ascension, building, building up the decades, catholic church, catholic faith, contemplative prayer, crucifixion, death, decades, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, glorious, glorious mysteries, imaginative prayer, intercessory prayer, love, meditating, meditative prayer, poco a poco, prayer, rejoicing, relational prayer, resurrection, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sin, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, sorrowful mystery, st. thomas, suffering, two decades, victory
We pray with the fifth Sorrowful Mystery, the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus, and the first Glorious Mystery, his Resurrection. At the Cross, we witness Christ’s total self-gift, his mercy toward the repentant thief, and the sorrow of Mary who remains faithfully at His side. Then we move to the empty tomb, where light bursts from darkness and Jesus, risen and still bearing his wounds, offers hope that God is working for good even through suffering. These mysteries invite us to deeper trust in Jesus’ victory over death. Today’s focus is the mysteries of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection and we will be praying two decades of the Rosary.
For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
-
Day 202: Scapegoat and Savior
July 21st, 2025 | 14 mins 58 secs
ascension, carrying of the cross, catholic church, catholic faith, cross, father mark mary, father mark-mary, finding focus, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, independent meditation, jesus, jesus carries his cross, meditation, practice, prayer, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, scapegoat, simon, sins, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, sorrowful mystery, suffering, trophy, victorious, victory
Fr. Mark-Mary connects Jesus carrying His cross to Christ as the new scapegoat, freely taking on the exile, rejection, and sins of all humanity and carrying them to His place of crucifixion. Simon of Cyrene had the opportunity to let his suffering draw him closer to Jesus—an invitation extended to each of us in our own crosses of loss, illness, or pain. When we unite our suffering with His, our crosses too can become salvific, glorified, and trophies of shared victory in Christ. 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 201: Thorns for Love
July 20th, 2025 | 14 mins 15 secs
ascension, behold the man, catholic church, catholic faith, crown, crowned, crowning with thorns, ecce homo, father mark mary, father mark-mary, finding focus, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, fulton sheen, independent meditation, king, kingdom, meditation, practice, prayer, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, sorrowful mystery, suffering, thorn
Mocked and spat upon, Christ crowned with thorns fulfills the image of the suffering servant—humble in agony, yet still the King, still victorious. Fr. Mark-Mary invites us to behold Him, as Pilate once did, and examine our own heart. Are we offering our worship and loyalty to the Lord or to the world? Are we burdened by sins of indifference or misplaced priorities? Let us respond with renewed fidelity, offering our whole selves to the King. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Crowning with Thorns and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.
For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
-
Day 181: Grace Amid Thorns
June 30th, 2025 | 14 mins 15 secs
anthony van dyck, art, art meditations, ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, crown, crowning with thorns, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, grace, pain, power, powerless, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, suffering, thorn, visio divina
Witnessing Christ crowned with thorns reveals a striking contrast between worldly might and divine strength and humility. Through the lens of Anthony van Dyck’s dramatic painting and the words of scripture and Pope John Paul II, Fr. Mark-Mary’s meditation unveils the redemptive power found in suffering. We are invited to see our own suffering as a means to draw nearer to Christ and receive His transforming grace. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Crowning with Thorns 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 180: The God Who Bleeds
June 29th, 2025 | 15 mins 42 secs
art, art meditations, ascension, bleed, bleeds, catholic church, catholic faith, dedication, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, love, pain, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, scourging, scourging at the pillar, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, suffering, the god who bleeds, visio divina, william-adolphe bouguereau
Fr. Mark-Mary draws us in to an overwhelming realization while meditating on The Flagellation of Our Lord Jesus Christ by William-Adolphe Bouguereau: our God is a God who bleeds. We observe Jesus in his pain and suffering, reflecting on the incredible amount of love he has to pursue our souls regardless of his suffering. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Scourging at the Pillar 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 159: Surrender Your Suffering
June 8th, 2025 | 11 mins 37 secs
agony, agony in the garden, alessandro maganza, art, art meditations, ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, doctor, doubt, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, healing, pain, prayer, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, sin, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, suffering, surrender, visio divina
As we meditate with the painting entitled Prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane Garden by Alessandro Maganza, Fr. Mark-Mary notices that all of the movement, lines, and action in the painting points towards Jesus. Sharing a story about one of his fellow friars, Fr. Mark-Mary explains how we can direct ourselves to Jesus and surrender our fears, worries, and pain. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Agony in the Garden 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 140: His Glory Remains
May 20th, 2025 | 13 mins 10 secs
agostino ciampelli, art, art meditations, ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, fresco, glory, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, scourging, scourging at the pillar, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, strength, suffering, visio divina
St. Paul’s letter to the Romans tells us, “if God is for us, who is against us?” Reflecting on a fresco of the Scourging, Fr. Mark-Mary draws our attention to Jesus’ strength and glory shining through despite his suffering. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Scourging at the Pillar 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 122: Trophy of Victory
May 2nd, 2025 | 13 mins 29 secs
aquinas, ascension, carrying, carrying of the cross, catholic church, catholic faith, cross, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, glorified, glory, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, st. thomas, suffering, victory, st. thomas aquinas
Carrying the cross was meant to be a dishonor, but Jesus carried his cross as a sign of his glory, as a victory carries his trophy. Fr. Mark-Mary reveals how we too can turn our sufferings into trophies of glory, as he reads from St. Thomas Aquinas. We may not experience the victory immediately, but we can trust that Jesus will bring victory. 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.