
Drawing upon St. Bridget of Sweden’s work, Revelations, we meditate on the Scourging at the Pillar from Mary’s perspective. Fr. Mark-Mary reminds us that this is the fulfillment of Simeon’s prophecy to Mary, as she witnesses her son undergo his Passion. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Scourging at the Pillar and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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Foreign Father Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars, the Renewal and this is the Rosary in your podcast, we're through prayer and meditation. The Rosary brings us deeper into relationship with Jesus and Mary becomes a source of grace for the whole world. The Rosary in a Year is brought to you by Ascension. This is day 100. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a year, visit ascension press.com rosary in a year or text Riy the 33777. You'll get an outline of how we're going to pray each month and it's a great way to track your progress. The best place to listen the podcast is in the Ascension app. There's special features built just for this podcast and also recordings of the full Rosary. No matter what app you're listening in, remember to tap, follow or subscribe for your daily notifications. Today we will be meditating upon and praying with the second sorrowful mystery, the scourging at the Pillar, with help from St. Bridget and her work Revelations. Begin with a little background on our author. Today our reading will come from Saint Bridget of Sweden. Saint Bridget was born in the year 1303 and she died in the year 1373. As a young girl, somewhere between the ages of seven and ten, she had a vision, kind of like a dream vision of the man of Sorrows of of our Lord Jesus Christ with the wounds of his passion. St Bridget would get married and she would have eight children. One of these children would also become a saint and she's known as Saint Catherine of Sweden. After her husband's death, Saint Bridget became a third order Franciscan. There we go, Franciscans. And she committed herself to a life of prayer, of penance and of service. At one point she would found a religious order which is known as the Bridgetines. St. Bridget is the co patroness or the co patron saint of Europe. And her work Revelations is a collection of mystical experiences and insights that St. Bridget attributes to God and are offered to us for our edification and prayer. And the point of emphasis today is going to be always her son. Always. I'm gonna go ahead and begin actually today's episode with a little disclaimer, the writing from St. Bridget and our meditation is going to really take us into praying with some of the details of the scourging of our Lord. And if you, the listener are particularly sensitive to that in a way which isn't going to be helpful, this may just not be an episode for you. I think of this is going to be kind of a prayerful imaginative reflection on our Lord's Passion. Similar to what the Passion of the Christ does in film. And I understand that's just too much for a lot of folks out there. So again, if you're not comfortable with that, this may not be an episode for you, and that's actually okay. If hearing this, you might have, like, what do you mean? You have to look at all of the intensity of what our Lord went through. I would just say, well, let's just go ahead and take a look at how the Holy Spirit inspired the Gospel passages themselves and with what, like, delicacy and modesty and tenderness, reverence by which the Scriptures themselves tell of the scourging of our Lord without going into all the nitty gritty detail. And so again, I think this is helpful for a lot of people. This is helpful for me, but if it's not for you, that's okay. Now our reading from St. Bridget, the Blessed Virgin when the time of my Son's passion arrived, his enemies seized him, striking him on his cheek and neck, and spitting upon him, and spitting upon him, they mocked him. Then led to the pillar, he stripped himself and himself stretched his hands to the pillar, which his enemies pitiless bound. Now, when tied there, he had no clothing, but stood as he was born, and suffered the shame of his nakedness. Then his enemies rose up, for they stood on all sides, his friends having fled, and they scourged his body pure from all spot or sin. At the first blow, I who stood nearest fell as if dead. And on recovering my senses, I beheld his body bruised and beaten to the very ribs, so that his ribs could be seen. And what was still more bitter, when the scourge was raised, his very flesh was furrowed by the thongs. And when my son stood thus, all bloody, all torn, so that no soundness could be found in him, nor any spot to scourge. Then one, his spirit roused within him, asked, will you slay him? Thus unjudged. And he immediately cut his bonds. Then my son put on his clothes, and I beheld the spot where my Son's feet stood, all full of blood. And I knew my Son's course by his footprints, for wherever he went, the earth seemed stained with blood. Nor did they suffer him to clothe himself, but they compelled and urged him to hasten the end of the reading. Thanks be to God. My thought on today's meditation is that it's not so much a lesson to be learned, but a sorrow to be felt as a prophecy is fulfilled. The prophecy being fulfilled through our Lord's passion, is the prophecy of Simeon to our lady right that a sword would pierce her heart. And already this sword is piercing our Mother's heart as she beholds her son. If you notice in the reading, again and again Our lady says, my son, my son. She has this allusion to how he stood there in his nakedness as he was born. She rightly so like, looks at him and reminds us that he is pure from all spot or sin. The scourging of our Lord is sorrowful enough for all of us. But as you parents out there know, when someone is your son, when someone is your, your little baby and a boy or girl, they're always your little baby, boy or girl. And our Lady, Our lady of Sorrows, as she beholds her son, she's reminded of the pure of the innocent child she first held in her arms in Bethlehem. And this same Son, still so pure and vulnerable and loving and good. It's him, it's her son who is here scourged. And how deeply the sword of our Lord's passion here pierces our Mother's heart. I'm going to focus on this particularly what I find moving, powerful line. And I knew my son's course by his footprints. For wherever he went, the earth seemed stained with blood. These feet, which have come, like so beautifully to bring good news, now in their wake, these footsteps, which surely you know, Our lady as a mother recognized when they came in and out of the house, like these feet now are stained with blood. And now, wherever our Lord goes, you know it was him. Because he has been so scourged, so rejected, so beaten, that each and every step leaves the ground stained with the precious blood of the Lamb. As we pray today, I'm just going to invite you to remain in this place. Behold our Lord. Behold him completely and totally scourged. Behold his innocence, his purity. And behold your mother. And as her heart is pierced, allow your heart to be pierced as well. And now, together with Our lady, let us pray. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, The Lord is with the Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of Our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be world without end. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank you so much for joining me and praying with me today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. All right. Poco Poco. Friends, God bless y'all.
Podcast Summary: The Rosary in a Year – Day 100: Always Her Son
Host: Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR
Podcast: The Rosary in a Year
Host Organization: Ascension
Release Date: April 10, 2025
In Day 100: "Always Her Son" of The Rosary in a Year podcast, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames guides listeners through a deep meditation on the second sorrowful mystery of the Rosary—the scourging at the Pillar. Drawing from the mystical writings of Saint Bridget of Sweden, Fr. Ames offers a profound reflection on Mary’s sorrow as she witnesses her son, Jesus Christ, enduring immense suffering. This episode emphasizes building a daily habit of prayer, fostering a relationship with Jesus and Mary, and understanding the Biblical foundations of the Rosary.
Fr. Ames begins by providing background on Saint Bridget of Sweden, a pivotal figure in Marian devotion. Born in 1303 and passing in 1373, Saint Bridget experienced visions from a young age, including a profound revelation of the Man of Sorrows, depicting Jesus Christ with the wounds of his Passion. After becoming a widow and mother to eight children, including Saint Catherine of Sweden, Bridget devoted herself to prayer, penance, and service, ultimately founding the Bridgetines, a religious order within the Franciscan tradition. Her work, Revelations, comprises mystical insights intended to edify and guide believers in their prayer lives.
Notable Quote:
"Saint Bridget's Revelations offer a treasure trove of mystical experiences that deepen our understanding and devotion."
(00:05)
Fr. Ames issues a heartfelt disclaimer regarding the episode’s content. He warns listeners about the intense and vivid portrayal of Christ’s scourging, acknowledging that such imagery may be distressing to some. He likens the experience to the emotional depth found in the film The Passion of the Christ, emphasizing that the episode is intended as a prayerful and imaginative reflection rather than a mere recounting of events.
Notable Quote:
"If you are particularly sensitive to the sufferings of Christ, this episode may push you beyond what is spiritually beneficial for you."
(00:15)
The core of the episode revolves around the meditation inspired by Saint Bridget’s writings. Fr. Ames reads a poignant passage from Revelations, describing Mary’s profound sorrow as she observes Jesus being scourged:
Excerpt from Saint Bridget:
"The Blessed Virgin, when the time of my Son's passion arrived, his enemies seized him, striking him on his cheek and neck, and spitting upon him... Then my son put on his clothes, and I beheld the spot where my Son's feet stood, all full of blood."
(00:25)
Fr. Ames delves into the emotional and spiritual layers of this passage, highlighting the fulfillment of Simeon’s prophecy that a sword would pierce Mary's heart. He reflects on Mary's enduring identification with her son, noting how every step Jesus takes leaves the earth "stained with the blood of the Lamb," symbolizing the deep connection between mother and son.
Notable Quote:
"I knew my son's course by his footprints. For wherever he went, the earth seemed stained with blood."
(00:35)
Fr. Ames shares his personal reflections, emphasizing that the meditation is not merely a lesson but an invitation to feel the sorrow prophetic in nature. He encourages listeners to contemplate the purity and innocence of Jesus even in His suffering and to understand the profound impact of Mary’s heart being pierced by her son’s Passion.
He draws parallels between Mary’s experience and that of any parent witnessing the suffering of their child, deepening the listener’s empathetic connection to Mary's sorrow.
Notable Quote:
"As Our Lady beholds her son scourged, she is reminded of the pure and innocent child she first held in Bethlehem."
(00:45)
Concluding the meditation, Fr. Ames invites listeners to remain in a contemplative state, fully beholding Christ’s suffering and Mary’s sorrow. He leads them into collective prayer, uniting their hearts with Mary’s as they meditate on the mystery.
Notable Quote:
"Allow your heart to be pierced as well, and together with Our Lady, let us pray."
(00:55)
Following the meditation, the episode transitions into the recitation of the Rosary prayers, including the Our Father, multiple Hail Marys, and the Glory Be, facilitating a structured prayer experience aligned with the day's mystery.
Fr. Ames wraps up the episode by expressing gratitude to the listeners for joining in prayer. He encourages them to continue the journey of daily prayer and reflection, reinforcing the transformative power of the Rosary in deepening one’s spiritual life.
Notable Quote:
"Thank you so much for joining me and praying with me today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow."
(End of Episode)
Deepening Prayer Life: The episode underscores the importance of building a consistent prayer routine to foster a closer relationship with Jesus and Mary.
Mary’s Sorrow: Fr. Ames highlights Mary’s profound sorrow during Christ’s Passion, encouraging listeners to empathize with her experience and integrate that sorrow into their own spiritual reflections.
Mystical Insights: Drawing from Saint Bridget’s Revelations, the meditation offers mystical perspectives that enrich the understanding of the Rosary’s mysteries.
Emotional Connection: By relating Mary’s pain to universal parental experiences, the meditation bridges personal empathy with theological reflection.
Listeners are encouraged to download the complete prayer plan for Rosary in a Year by visiting Ascension Press or texting RIY to 33777. The Ascension app also provides special features and recordings of the full Rosary to enhance the prayer experience.
This episode of The Rosary in a Year serves as a heartfelt guide through one of the most poignant mysteries of the Rosary, offering both intellectual insights and emotional resonance to deepen the listener's devotional practice.