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

Day 101: Glory and Indignity

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

Fri Apr 11 2025

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.

Summary

The Rosary in a Year: Day 101 – "Glory and Indignity" with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames

Podcast Information:

Title: The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames)
Host/Author: Ascension
Episode: Day 101: Glory and Indignity
Release Date: April 11, 2025

In this 101st episode of "The Rosary in a Year" podcast, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR, delves deep into the third Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary—the Crowning with Thorns. Through insightful reflections, theological explorations, and personal anecdotes, Fr. Ames guides listeners on a transformative journey of prayer and meditation aimed at strengthening their relationship with Jesus and Mary.

1. Introduction to the Episode

Fr. Mark-Mary Ames opens the episode by welcoming listeners and providing a brief overview of the Rosary in a Year program. He encourages listeners to download the prayer plan from Ascension Press to track their monthly progress and enhance their prayer experience. He emphasizes the podcast’s aim to foster a daily habit of prayer, build a deeper relationship with Jesus and Mary, and explore the Biblical foundations of the Rosary.

"Through prayer and meditation, the Rosary brings us deeper into relationship with Jesus and Mary and becomes a source of grace for the whole world."
— Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [00:00]

2. Exploring the Third Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning with Thorns

Fr. Ames introduces the focus of the day: the Crowning with Thorns, the third Sorrowful Mystery. He incorporates a theological reading from St. Thomas Aquinas, specifically his "Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew," to provide a rich, doctrinal foundation for the reflection.

"Instead of a crown of glory, they imposed on him a crown of indignity. These thorns signify the prickles of sinners which prick their consciences. And Christ received these for us, for he died for our sins."
— Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [04:15]

a. St. Thomas Aquinas: The Angelic Doctor

Fr. Ames briefly highlights St. Thomas Aquinas's contributions to the Church, noting his extensive theological works like the "Summa Theologiae." He humorously references an alleged quote by Aquinas, expressing admiration for St. Bonaventure, to acknowledge the collaborative spirit among Dominican friars.

"St. Thomas Aquinas was called the Angelic Doctor, perhaps because of his virtues and in particular the sublimity of his thought and the purity of his life."
— Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [02:10]

3. Reflection on Indignity

Fr. Ames transitions into a personal reflection on the concept of indignity, exploring its meaning and implications within the context of the Crowning with Thorns.

a. Defining Indignity

He begins by defining "indignity" using the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

"An act that offends against a person's dignity or humiliating treatment."
— Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [05:30]

b. Personal Anecdote: A Lesson in Trust and Humility

To illustrate the impact of indignity, Fr. Ames shares a poignant personal story from his past. He recounts a time when he and a fellow friar played a seemingly innocent prank on a trusting host mother in Lincoln, Nebraska. Their immature game of asking only questions for an extended period led to unintended emotional hurt when the host mother realized they were manipulating the conversation.

"She trusted you. I thought this was safe. I trusted you and you took advantage of me."
— Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [07:20]

This experience deeply affected Fr. Ames, instilling a lasting sense of regret and empathy for those he unintentionally hurt. He connects this memory to the theological concept of indignity, emphasizing how their actions mirrored the humiliation of Christ.

4. Theological Insights and Spiritual Application

Fr. Ames draws parallels between his personal experience and the suffering of Christ, encouraging listeners to introspect on how their actions may inadvertently bring indignity upon the Lord.

"The Lord looks at us and he says with his eyes, I gave you everything. I trusted you. I gave you life and freedom and a beautiful creation. I created for you a home. I loved you. And this, this crown of thorns, this is how you repay me."
— Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [08:30]

a. Recognizing Personal Indignities

He urges listeners to identify moments in their lives where their sins and selfishness may have metaphorically placed a "crown of indignity" upon Jesus, instead of the rightful "crown of glory." This introspection is vital for genuine repentance and spiritual growth.

b. Call to Repentance and Contrition

Fr. Ames emphasizes the need for immediate contrition upon recognizing such indignities. He highlights the importance of heartfelt repentance in healing the relationship with God, mirroring the humility and love demonstrated by Christ.

"Just look at the ways in which we have hurt him by our sin and our selfishness. And how many times, instead of giving him a crown of glory, have we given the Lord a crown of indignation?"
— Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [09:10]

5. Concluding the Reflection with Prayer

Fr. Ames leads listeners through the completion of the day's Rosary, inviting them to meditate on the image of Jesus crowned with thorns. He encourages focusing on Jesus' eyes, which plead for understanding and love.

"Let us pray in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
— Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [12:07]

The episode concludes with the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, multiple Hail Marys, and the Glory Be, fostering a communal and reflective prayer experience.

Key Takeaways and Insights

Understanding Indignity: Recognizing actions that disrespect or humiliate others, especially in spiritual contexts, is crucial for maintaining a respectful and loving relationship with God.
Personal Accountability: Fr. Ames’s anecdote underscores the importance of being mindful of how our actions affect others, reflecting on the broader spiritual implications.
Repentance and Healing: Acknowledging personal wrongdoings allows for sincere repentance, which is essential for spiritual growth and reconciliation with God.
The Power of Reflection: Integrating personal stories with theological insights enhances the depth of spiritual understanding and fosters a more profound connection with the mysteries of the Rosary.

Final Thoughts

In this episode, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames masterfully intertwines theological discourse with personal narrative, offering listeners a relatable and profound meditation on the Crowning with Thorns. By exploring the theme of indignity, he invites an honest examination of one’s actions and their alignment with divine love and respect. This reflective journey not only enriches the listener’s prayer life but also strengthens their bond with Jesus and Mary, embodying the essence of the Rosary in a Year program.

For those seeking to deepen their prayer practices and spiritual lives, Day 101 serves as a compelling reminder of the transformative power of the Rosary and the importance of genuine introspection and repentance.

Join Us Tomorrow: Continue this spiritual journey by tuning in to the next episode of "The Rosary in a Year" podcast, where Fr. Ames will guide you through another profound mystery of the Rosary.

God bless.

Loading summary...

Transcript

A (0:00)

Foreign Mark Mary with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and this is the Rosary in Year podcast, where through prayer and meditation, the Rosary brings us deeper into relationship with Jesus and Mary and becomes a source of grace for the whole world. The Rosary in a Year is brought to you by Ascension. This is day 101. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a year, visit ascensionpress.com rosary in a year or text RIY to 3 3. 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 to Podcasts in the Ascension app. There are special features built just for this podcast and also recordings of the full rosary with myself and other friars. No matter what app you're listening in, remember to tap, follow or subscribe for your daily notifications. Behalf of myself and the whole team here at Ascension, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who's helped support this podcast financially. Your generosity is so appreciated and helps us to reach as many people as possible. If you haven't already, please consider supporting us at essentialpress.com forward/support. Today we will be reflecting on and praying with the third Sorrowful Mystery, the Crowning with Thorns, aided by a reading from St. Thomas Aquinas from his work Cometary on the Gospel of Matthew. Okay, as mentioned, today's reading is from the Angelic Doctor, the great Dominican St. Thomas Aquinas. Interesting fact about St. Thomas Aquinas. Allegedly. Allegedly, he's quoted as saying his favorite philosopher and favorite theologian of all time are none other than Saint Bonaventure, the great Franciscan. By allegedly I mean he never said that at all. But having fun with my Dominican counterparts here while doing the Rosary, which they helped, did so much work in popularizing. So thanks to Dominican brothers out there, St. Thomas Aquinas pray for us. St. Thomas Aquinas was born in 1225 and he died in 1274. Like St. Augustine, his contributions to the Church are really too extensive to fully cover here, but of course he's well known for his theological writings such as the Summa Theologiae. As I mentioned, St. Thomas Aquinas was Dominican friar and priest and is a Doctor of the Church with the title Angelic Doctor. Pope Benedict XVI tells us in a general audience that St Thomas was called the angelic doctor, the doctor angelicus, perhaps because of his virtues and in particular the sublimity of his thought and the purity of his life. So here's a short reading from St. Thomas Aquinas from his Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew Our focus will be Instead of a crown of glory, they impose on him a crown of indignity. And the reading begins. And plating a crown of thorns, they put it on his head. Hence, instead of a crown of glory, they imposed on him a crown of indignity. He will crown you with the crown of tribulation. These thorns signify the prickles of sinners which prick their consciences. And Christ received these for us, for he died for our sins. Or it can be referred to Adam's curse, where it was said, thorns and thistles will it bring forth to you. Hence, it signified that this curse was undone. The end of the reading thanks be to God. Again, our focus here. Hence, instead of a crown of glory, they imposed on him a crown of indignity. Let's begin by looking at the definition of indignity. According to Merriam Webster dictionary, it means an act that offends against a person's dignity or humiliating treatment. Reading and reflecting on this definition takes me to a pretty tough memory, to be honest. It takes me back to a time that myself and a fellow friar were traveling to Lincoln, Nebraska. The reason we were in Lincoln, Nebraska, is a couple of us were there because one of our our brothers was just ordained a priest, and so he was out there for what we called the Mass of Thanksgiving. So there's a bunch of us out there, myself and the other friar, who's a good friend of mine, we were being hosted by a young couple. This young couple would go on to become lifelong friends of ours. But early into the trip, the other friar, myself, again, like, we're close friends, and probably because of that, we're a little bit too immature for our own good. We started to play a game with the mom, like with the host mom. And it's a game where two people who know what they're doing, they try and only ask the third person questions. So you're trying to have a conversation going on as long as possible where two of you are only responding, only asking questions until the focus of this prank realizes it. For example, like so friar one says, oh, so what's for dinner tonight? The mom answers, oh yeah, spaghetti and meatballs. It's easy with all the kids. So then Fryer two has a ton of options. You can go a thousand ways. So are the kids old enough yet to have favorite foods? Do you try and cook most nights in the house? Do you learn to cook when you're growing up or as a mom? And the mom answers, and you just kind of keep going as long as possible, just with questions. Well, here's the thing. The mom we were playing the joke on was from Lincoln, Nebraska. And she was innocent and she was warm hearted and she was trusting, and she was just a good, wholesome Midwest mother. So what happens is the Friar and myself, we're just, we're having a great time and we're enjoying ourselves and it just like, she just isn't picking up on it. And so we have this game going for like 20 or 30 minutes, literally. And we learned all type of stuff about, you know, the violin and the violin classes that our kids were taking. Finally, the two of us, we realized this little prank, this little game, is not going to end organically. And with our immature, childish laughter, we tell her what we were doing. And the look that she gave us, the way her face just dropped with disappointment and hurt and sadness, it just crushed me. It pierced me to the core. This was like 10 years ago. And just thinking about it now, still, I feel it. And then her first words, just like, push the sword deeper. It's like, oh, oh, I thought you guys were just interested in our family. Crushing, Crushing her look. Her reaction said, I trusted you. I thought this was safe. I trusted you and you took advantage of me. Like, I rolled out the red carpet for you and you tricked me. I gave you a place in my home and even in my heart. And you guys hurt me. Like, in a small but, like, parallel sense, you can see the comparison. It's like I deserved a crown of glory and you gave me a crown of indignation. It was right for you, like, to honor me and to celebrate me. And you humiliated me. And I called to mind that look and her response and how it hurt me and how it immediately, like, revealed what I was doing and just, it led me to like a really, really deep, immediate contrition and repentance, like, right away. How much more so here, as we were reflecting on and praying with the third sorrowful mystery, when the Lord looks at us and he says to us with his eyes, I gave you everything. I trusted you. I gave you life and freedom and a beautiful creation. I created for you a home. I loved you. And this, this crown of thorns, this is how you repay me. I trusted you and you took advantage of me. I loved you and you humiliated me. Just look at the ways in which we have hurt him by our sin and our selfishness. And how many times, instead of giving him a crown of glory, have we given the Lord a crown of indignation? So as we conclude today's episode praying one decade of the most holy rosary. I'm just going to invite you to focus on the face of Jesus as he stands before you crowned with thorns. And notice his eyes which say like, why all this? Why do you treat me so? All I did was love you. And now with Mary. Let us pray in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.