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

Day 146: My Soul Thirsts

May 26th, 2025  |  14 mins 3 secs

art, art meditations, ascension, boldness, catholic church, catholic faith, confidence, descent of the holy spirit, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fear, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, glorious, glorious mysteries, holy spirit, jean restout, mary, pentecost, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, spirit, trust, visio divina

At Pentecost, the Apostles may have been filled with a reasonable amount of fear, as wind shook the upper room and fire descended. However, Jean Restout’s painting, Pentecost, draws our attention to someone who is unafraid: Mary, who has already experienced the overshadowing of the Spirit. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Descent of the Holy Spirit 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 130: Joy in the Darkness

May 10th, 2025  |  13 mins 24 secs

art, art meditations, ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, chiaroscuro, darkness, elizabeth, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, future, hope, light, mary, plan, rembrandt, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sacred art, the visitation, trust, visio divina, visitation, zachariah, zechariah

So often, our futures are shrouded in mystery and darkness. It can be hard to see where God’s plan is leading. Fr. Mark-Mary highlights the dynamics of light and darkness in Rembrandt’s painting, The Visitation, revealing two women who may not see every step of God’s plan, but trust in him regardless. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Visitation 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 101: Glory and Indignity

April 11th, 2025  |  13 mins 9 secs

ascension, catholic church, catholic faith, crowning, crowning with thorns, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, glory, indignity, justice, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, trust,  st. thomas aquinas

 Instead of a crown of glory, they imposed on him a crown of indignity, St. Thomas Aquinas writes of the Crowning with Thorns. Fr. Mark-Mary recalls a learning experience on a trip to Nebraska, explaining the true nature of indignity, and relating it to Jesus’ experience during his passion. 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 94: No Doubt

April 4th, 2025  |  10 mins 51 secs

ascension, baptism, baptism in the jordan, belief, catholic church, catholic faith, doubt, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, luminous, luminous mysteries, revelation, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, saint, saint reflections, st. ambrose, trust, truth

Is there any room left for doubt in the mystery of the Baptism? No, say Fr. Mark-Mary and St. Ambrose, as we meditate on the confidence with which we can believe in God’s revelation. We step into the waters of the Jordan with Jesus, resting in the truth of his divine sonship. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Baptism in the Jordan and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

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

Day 88: The Road of Humility

March 29th, 2025  |  16 mins 33 secs

ascension, catholic, catholic church, catholic faith, catholicism, coronation, coronation of mary, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, glorious, glorious mysteries, humble, humility, lectio, lectio divina, mary, queen of heaven, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, trust

Mary chose humility, waiting with confidence in the Lord and his goodness. For this, Fr. Mark-Mary says, she has been made queen of heaven and earth. In our lectio divina today, we’re encouraged to not look down upon the humble road, but to follow in Mary’s example, trusting in the goodness of God. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Coronation of Mary and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

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

Day 87: It’s All True

March 28th, 2025  |  14 mins 45 secs

ascension, assumption, catholic, catholic church, catholic faith, catholicism, elizabeth, faithfulness, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, glorious, glorious mysteries, glory, lectio, lectio divina, magnificat, mary, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, salvation, trust

The mystery of the Assumption reveals that everything God promised to Mary was fulfilled. Fr. Mark-Mary emphasizes that we can place our hope in this: if God’s faithfulness was true for Mary, God’s faithfulness will be true for us. We, like Mary, are invited to share in the blessedness of salvation as heirs of the works of God. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Assumption and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

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

Day 79: Trust like Jesus

March 20th, 2025  |  15 mins 41 secs

agony, agony in the garden, ascension, catholic, catholic church, catholic faith, catholicism, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fidelity, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, jesus, lectio, lectio divina, obedience, passion, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, sorrowful, sorrowful mysteries, trust

When Jesus is sorrowful in the Garden of Gethsemane, he stays in relationship with the Father, trusting in the Father’s plan. Fr. Mark-Mary invites us to sit with Jesus, trusting in the Father when we are sorrowful and afraid, following the Son’s example. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Agony in the Garden and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

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

Day 69: Nothing is Impossible

March 10th, 2025  |  19 mins 22 secs

annunciation, ascension, belief, catholic, catholic church, catholic faith, catholicism, faith, faithfulness, father mark mary, father mark-mary, fiat, fr. mark mary, fr. mark-mary, god’s faithfulness, impossible, joyful, joyful mysteries, lectio, lectio divina, mary, promises, receive, rejoice, request, respond, revelation, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, trust, yes

Congratulations! You have made it to Phase 3 of the Rosary in a Year: Meditating on the Mysteries. We begin lectio divina with Fr. Mark-Mary, meditating on Mary’s yes to a person, not a plan. We’re reminded that even if we don’t understand God’s plan, we can fully trust in his goodness. 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 67: He Has Promised

March 8th, 2025  |  12 mins 1 sec

assumption, catholic, catholic church, catholicism, doubt, faith, fulfillment, glorious, glorious mysteries, god’s plan, mary, promise, promises, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, trust

Sometimes God asks us to do things that are unexpected or difficult. However, these times are often an opportunity for God to bless us: although we might have planned good things for ourselves, God asks us to trust that he has the best planned for us. Fr. Mark-Mary shows how Mary is the perfect example of this trust in God, and how God’s promises of goodness are fulfilled in the Assumption. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Assumption of Mary and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Day 56: Good News

February 25th, 2025  |  7 mins 44 secs

call to repentance, catholic, catholic church, catholicism, faith, homily, luminous mysteries, meditation, proclamation of the kingdom, riy, rosary, rosary in a year, rosary-in-a-year, trust

What is the Proclamation of the Kingdom and the Call to Conversion really about? Fr. Mark-Mary explains the rich mystery of the Proclamation of the Kingdom and the Call to Conversion, revealing the Good News throughout Jesus’ teachings: everything you are seeking and longing for is here. 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.