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

Day 63: Even Unto Death

March 4th, 2026  |  11 mins 1 sec

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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.

Day 61: You Are Beloved

March 2nd, 2026  |  9 mins 16 secs

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When the devil attacks, he tries to mock us and deny our dignity. Fr. Mark-Mary continues the journey of reflecting on the passion of our Lord as it reveals the true nature of sin, revealing how meditating on the Crowning with Thorns can help us reject Satan’s lies and remember our dignity as beloved sons and daughters. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Crowning with Thorns and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 60: Effects of Sin

March 1st, 2026  |  7 mins 5 secs

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Sometimes we don’t fully recognize or understand the effects of sin on our soul, but the mystery of the Scourging at the Pillar reveals the reality of sin to us. Fr. Mark-Mary continues the journey of reflecting on the passion of our Lord as it reveals the true nature of sin and the true nature of the heart of God. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Scourging at the Pillar and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 41: The Victorious King (2026)

February 10th, 2026  |  7 mins 44 secs

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In the mystery of the Crowing with Thorns, we see both the effects of sin on the world, but also the truth that Jesus is conquering death. Fr. Mark-Mary continues drawing connections between the prophecy of the Suffering Servant from Isaiah and the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Crowning with Thorns, and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 40: Suffering Servant (2026)

February 9th, 2026  |  10 mins 18 secs

historical context, isaiah, old testament, riy, romans, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, scourging, scourging at the pillar, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, suffering, suffering servant

Fr. Mark-Mary explains the historical context behind the mystery of the Scourging at the Pillar, and reveals how this mystery fulfills prophecies within the Old Testament book of Isaiah. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Scourging at the Pillar, and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 19: Valley of Tears (2026)

January 19th, 2026  |  8 mins 51 secs

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We may be in a valley of tears, but we are never alone. Fr. Mark-Mary reads from the Gospel of John, revealing that the Blessed Mother has shared in our sufferings, and in the Rosary, is always with us. We are blessed to have Mary, who knew both suffering and the hope of God’s promises, as a perfect mother who will always love us. Today’s focus is “To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears,,” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 360: The Sorrowful Mysteries

December 26th, 2025  |  29 mins 53 secs

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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

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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

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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

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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.