Podcast Summary: The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames)
Episode: Day 1 – Responding to God
Date: January 1, 2026
Host: Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR (Ascension)
Overview of the Episode
In this inaugural episode, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames invites listeners to the beginning of a transformative journey through the Rosary. The focus is on building a consistent daily habit of prayer by starting small and growing over time. He introduces the structure of the podcast—six phases designed to help anyone, regardless of spiritual background, fall deeper in love with the Rosary and grow in relationship with Jesus and Mary. The main theme centers on responding to God and the foundational act of prayer as “practicing the presence of God.”
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. The Purpose and Structure of the Podcast (01:10–04:10)
- Purpose: Learning to pray with the truths of the Catholic faith, entering deeper union with God through the Rosary.
- Six-Phase Structure:
- Forming the Relationship: Basic movement of prayer, raising the mind and heart to God.
- Biblical Roots of the Rosary: Guided exploration of the scriptural basis of the Rosary and its mysteries.
- Meditating on the Mysteries: Guided practice with lectio divina (sacred reading), saint writings, and visio divina (meditating on sacred art).
- Finding Focus: Building the capacity to recall and pray the mysteries, starting with one decade.
- Building up the Decades: Gradually increasing the number of decades prayed together.
- Praying the Full Rosary: Applying foundations learned, praying for oneself and the world.
“That’s the pilgrimage we’ll be making together with the Rosary in a Year podcast.” – Fr. Mark-Mary (03:52)
2. Understanding Prayer – Raising Mind and Heart to God (04:20–06:59)
- Essence of Prayer: Quoting the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Fr. Mark-Mary stresses that prayer is more about the devotion and presence of the heart than the amount of words.
- Key Practice: Not just reciting prayers, but deeply raising one’s mind and heart to God, which is an act of faith—acknowledging that God is always with us, seeing, hearing, and loving us.
"Whether or not our prayer is heard depends not on the number of words, but on the fervor of our souls." (05:20)
- Analogy: Picking up the phone and waiting for the other person—take time to “wait for God to say hello” before launching into prayer, shifting from monologue to real encounter.
3. Practical Steps to Practicing the Presence of God (07:00–13:30)
- Slowing Down: Begin with a pause, maybe a few deep breaths—recognize God’s presence before beginning.
- Receiving God’s Presence: Acknowledge that God is always present; it’s not something we create.
- Personalizing the Approach: Can include using sacred images, imagination, or scripture (e.g., John 11: “Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me.”)
- Traditional Practices: Start with the sign of the cross, consciously recognizing the Trinity’s presence.
"We don't produce His presence—He is always present to us, so we receive His presence." (09:30)
4. The Movement of the Heart and Will (13:31–15:10)
- Giving the Heart: Prayer is more a movement of the will (“I love you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.”) than just emotion.
- Intercessory Aspect: These movements can also be for others, not just oneself (e.g., “Help us, Jesus. Heal us, Jesus. Give us your peace, Jesus.”)
“To raise our minds and our hearts to God is to receive his presence…to give our hearts to Him, to give our needs to him, our deepest desires, our fears, our hopes to Him—and receive his love, his peace, his care, his own heart for us.” (15:09)
5. Building the Habit – Encouragement for Beginners (15:11–17:00)
- Learning Curve: It might feel awkward at first, like being in a dance class for the first time.
- Patience and Growth: Emphasizes that prayer is a skill built with time, and the community will journey and grow together.
“It might make you feel like somebody who’s never danced a day in their life, who’s now in a dance class. Like, you might feel a little uncoordinated... But over time, we’ll build this habit together.” (16:01)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On the Meaning of Prayer:
“Praying the rosary, it’s not just about saying prayers. It’s about raising our minds and our hearts to God.” – Fr. Mark-Mary (05:28) - On Encountering God:
“You don’t just pick up a phone, dial the number, and then start talking…But too often, we don’t take the time to wait for God to say hello, to connect with Him.” (06:45) - On the Role of Grace:
“Prayer is always, we could say, a group project—at the very least between me and God, with God in his grace doing the heavy lifting.” (06:20)
Key Timestamps
- 00:00–01:10: Introduction to the podcast, mission, and gratitude for listeners joining the journey.
- 01:10–03:52: Explanation of the six-phase structure and the pilgrimage metaphor.
- 04:20–06:59: Fundamental teaching on prayer from the catechism; analogy to real conversation vs. monologue.
- 07:00–09:30: How to practice the presence of God and practical beginnings for prayer.
- 09:31–13:30: Examples and personalizing prayer practice.
- 13:31–15:10: Distinguishing mind and heart in prayer; importance of the will and intentions.
- 15:11–17:00: Encouragement for beginners, analogy to learning to dance, previewing the habit-formation journey.
Prayer Segment (17:01–End)
Fr. Mark-Mary leads listeners in:
- The Sign of the Cross
- The Our Father
- Three Hail Marys
- The Glory Be
- Closing with the Sign of the Cross
Throughout, he encourages listeners to truly “find Jesus, receive His presence, and tell Him we love Him. Then find Mary, receive her loving gaze, and tell her we love her too.”
Final Thoughts and Tone
Fr. Mark-Mary’s approach is warm, humble, patient, and deeply invitational. He reassures listeners that prayer, especially the Rosary, is accessible and transformative for all, regardless of where they begin. The episode sets a gentle, faith-filled tone for daily practice, emphasizing God’s loving presence, the value of starting small, and the community aspect of growing together.
Useful Links:
Get the complete prayer plan: https://ascensionpress.com/riy