Day 107: Beauty Which Never Fades

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Rosary in a Year (Day 107: Beauty Which Never Fades)

Title: The Rosary in a Year
Host: Ascension
Guest: Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR
Episode: Day 107: Beauty Which Never Fades
Release Date: April 17, 2025

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Introduction

In the 107th episode of Ascension’s Rosary in a Year podcast, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR, delves into the fourth glorious mystery of the Rosary: the Assumption of Mary. This episode, titled "Beauty Which Never Fades," explores the profound theological and spiritual implications of Mary's Assumption, drawing insights from the writings of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen. Fr. Ames guides listeners through prayer and meditation, aiming to deepen their relationship with Jesus and Mary while fostering a lasting habit of prayer.

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Bishop Fulton J. Sheen: A Legacy of Faith and Influence

Fr. Ames opens the episode by honoring Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, a prominent Catholic bishop known for his influential radio and television ministries. Sheen’s legacy as a man of prayer and deep devotion is highlighted, emphasizing his impact on modern Catholic spirituality.

• Quote:
  “A man of prayer who loved God, loved the church.” — Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [02:08]

Sheen's dedication to daily prayer, particularly his holy hour before the Blessed Sacrament, has inspired generations of Catholics to cultivate a disciplined prayer life.

• Quote:
  “In our first episode on which we reflected on discussed the visit of Mary to Elizabeth. We looked at how sometimes prose isn't enough, that poetry is needed, especially when speaking of the Blessed Virgin Mary.” — Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [05:08]

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Reflection on the Assumption of Mary

The heart of the episode revolves around Sheen’s reflections on the Assumption of Mary. Fr. Ames reads a poignant excerpt from Sheen's work, capturing the mystical and eternal dimensions of Mary's Assumption.

• Quote:
  “Mary is assumed into heaven in the unity of Christ's human nature. Her mystical flight is the event to which our whole generation moves.” — Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [03:27] [03:59]

Sheen poetically describes Mary as the "new garden of paradise" and the "all beautiful one," emphasizing her purity and her pivotal role in salvation history.

• Quote:
  “Mary is the new garden of paradise in which grew the lily of divine sinlessness and the red rose of the Church.” — Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [03:26]

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Theological Insights: Beauty and Holiness

Fr. Ames transitions into discussing the broader theological themes inspired by the Assumption, particularly the concept of eternal beauty and its connection to holiness.

• Quote:
  “The ultimate cause of our beauty and the ultimate cause of the preservation of our beauty and eternal beauty of both body and soul, is holiness.” — Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [09:38]

He contrasts the contemporary obsession with physical beauty and anti-aging with the Christian understanding that true, eternal beauty is rooted in a deep spiritual transformation and union with Christ.

• Quote:
  “Everyone is fighting aging. There's a real movement of those who celebrate, even worship, the body beautiful in our age of carnalities... But it's not a fight you're gonna win.” — Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [07:34]

Fr. Ames underscores that Mary's Assumption is not merely about her glorified body but symbolizes the hope of resurrection and eternal life for all believers.

• Quote:
  “Mary, the temple of God... a tower of ivory up which climbed divine love to kiss upon the lips of his mother a mystic rose.” — Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [03:27]

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Practical Applications: Embracing Eternal Beauty Through Holiness

Building on these reflections, Fr. Ames encourages listeners to seek holiness as the path to true beauty. He draws parallels between Mary’s mystical flight and the Christian call to partake in the resurrection of the body.

• Quote:
  “Through holiness, through communion and transformation in Christ, with its ultimate hope placed in heaven.” — Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [10:57]

He challenges listeners to realign their desires for physical beauty with a spiritual pursuit of eternal beauty, mirroring Mary's journey and ultimate assumption into heaven.

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Prayer and Conclusion

The episode concludes with a heartfelt prayer, guiding listeners through the Hail Marys and the Glory Be, reinforcing the themes of the Assumption and the pursuit of holiness.

• Final Words:
  “Thank you for joining me and praying with me again today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. Poco. Poco. Friends. God bless.” — Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [14:43]

Fr. Ames leaves listeners with a sense of hope and purpose, urging them to embrace the transformative power of the Rosary and the deep mysteries it unveils.

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Key Takeaways:

1. Bishop Fulton J. Sheen's Influence: His devotion to daily prayer and media ministry significantly shaped modern Catholic spirituality.
2. Assumption of Mary: A profound mystery highlighting Mary's unique role and the hope of resurrection and eternal life for believers.
3. Eternal Beauty through Holiness: True beauty transcends physical appearance, rooted in spiritual transformation and union with Christ.
4. Practical Spirituality: Encouragement to cultivate a disciplined prayer life and seek holiness as the pathway to eternal beauty.

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For further exploration and to access the complete prayer plan, visit Ascension Press.

Transcript

[Mark Mary]

Foreign Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and this is the Rosary in a 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 the Year is brought to you by Ascension. This is day 107. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a year, visit ascensionpress.com rosary in the year or text RIY to 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 Podcasts in the Ascension app There are special features both just for the podcast and also recordings of the full Rosary. On behalf of myself, the whole team here at Ascension, we wanted to take.

[Franciscan Friar]

This opportunity to thank everyone who's helped.

[Mark Mary]

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 [e-mail] forward slash support. Today we will be praying with and meditating upon the fourth glorious mystery, the Assumption of Mary, with help from writing by Venerable Fulton J. Sheen from his work meditations on the 15 mysteries of the Rosary. So today we have Venerable he's our first non canonized author, but he's a pretty special guy. Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. So he's born in 1895 and he passed from this life in 1979. So he was very popular, very, very popular from the year 1930 to 1950. So over 20 years, first his father, then his Monsignor Sheen, he'd be the host of a popular radio show called the Catholic Hour. But then after being consecrated bishop in 1951, he would begin his very, very, very famous show called Life Is Worth Living that would reach an estimated 30 million viewers a week. He won an Emmy. He was on the COVID of Time magazine. It was a bit of a different time back then, but he was very popular. But more than being popular, he was.

[Franciscan Friar]

A man of prayer who loved God, loved the church.

[Mark Mary]

You know, there's a new movement and very, very popular, especially for priests, young missionaries, to make a holy hour every day. I think a lot of this goes back to the influence of Bishop Sheen, who for some 40 years of his priesthood would make sure he'd spend an hour a day in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Something that he kept very, very faithfully and really influenced the whole new generation of Catholics. In 1979, when Pope John Paul II visited St. Patrick's Cathedral, visited where Bishop Sheen was He said to Bishop Sheen, you have written and spoken well of the Lord Jesus.

[Franciscan Friar]

You are a loyal son of the church.

[Mark Mary]

In 2012, he would be proclaimed as a venerable servant of God, which is kind of on the step towards canonization. And that process is still ongoing. Our focus today will be beautiful because it is a temple of God. Now our writing from Bishop Sheen, what the ascension was to our Lord, that the Assumption is to our lady, certainly she the new garden of paradise in which grew the lily of divine sinlessness and the red rose of the Church, should not be delivered over and forgotten.

[Franciscan Friar]

By the heavenly gardener.

[Mark Mary]

Sheen, whose womb was celebrated the nuptials of eternity and time is more of eternity than time. If husband and wife and marriage are made two in one flesh, then shall not she who is the new Eve of the new Adam be also made two in one spirit with him. As Christ ascended into heaven to the unity of the divine nature, so Mary is assumed into heaven in the unity of Christ's human nature. Her mystical flight is the event to which our whole generation moves. Our age of carnalities, which loves the body beautiful, is lifted out of its despair by the Assumption to honor a body that is beautiful because it is a temple of God, the gate through which the word of heaven passed to earth, a tower of ivory up which climbed divine love to kiss upon the lips of his mother a mystic rose. The end of the reading. Thanks be to God. Again, our theme is reflect on the assumption. It's going to be beautiful because it is a temple of God. If you remember all the way back, all the way back to our first episode on which we reflected on discussed the visit of Mary to Elizabeth. We looked at how sometimes prose isn't enough, that poetry is needed, especially when speaking of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There may be no greater master of providing poetry in praise of the Blessed Mother than our author today, venerable servant.

[Franciscan Friar]

Of God, Fulton J. Sheen.

[Mark Mary]

And I guess it's not always like poetry exactly, but his words always have that extra beauty and the love and certainly a poetic quality fitting to Our Lady.

[Franciscan Friar]

His work.

[Mark Mary]

The World's First Love is an especially beautiful book honoring Our Lady. We see the poetic quality of his writing speaking of the Blessed Mother and our Lord. Really? In what we just read, right. He refers to Our lady as the new garden of paradise Beautiful, his words. She in whose womb was celebrated the nuptials of eternity and time. Are you kidding? I love it. She in whose womb was celebrated the.

[Franciscan Friar]

Nuptials of eternity and time.

[Mark Mary]

There's a reason Bishop Sheenan was as Popular as he was. And Mary's mystical flight is the event to which our whole generation moves. On that last line, just a little callback again, if you recall our discussion of Mary's assumption in light of her magnificat, particularly, we looked at it during our time of lecter divina, right? As we looked at Mary's magnificat, what we pointed out is the pattern it follows. First celebrating what happens in the life of Mary, God's goodness to Mary, but then celebrating the fact that what Mary, like, experiences first, we are all invited to experience, right? Mary's mystical flight is the event to which our whole generation moves. And so we are all invited to this destination, to sharing in the resurrection, to sharing an eternal life in heaven, not exactly as queen as Mary does, but certainly as beloved sons and daughters of the queen. Now, let's focus real quick on the resurrection of the body, right? So Mary, we, as assumed into heaven, body and soul, she's already taken the mystical flight to which our whole generation moves. And we ourselves believe. We profess the resurrection of the body. We believe we are called to this. To begin our discussion, there's a great quote, a quote I'm going to use all the time that I just came across from the French Catholic thinker. His name is Rene Girard, and he wrote, few people want to be saints these days, but everyone is trying to lose weight. It's so true. And I think he just nails in a very, very pithy way what Bishop Sheen is saying. Right? Bishop Sheen, in that last paragraph we just read, he says, our age of carnalities, which loves the body beautiful, is lifted out of its despair by the assumption to honor a body that is beautiful because it is a temple of God. Like, everyone's trying to lose weight. You know, everyone is fighting aging. There's a real. There's a real movement of those who celebrate, even worship, the body beautiful in our age of carnalities, using Bishop Sheen's words, who are just doing everything that they can to fight aging. But Bishop Sheen, he says about how this leads to despair. Why? Because you can't win this battle. Life's going to have the struggle. Make sure it's the right struggle, the right struggle to really push against and fight aging. Like, to really try and stop it. Like, it's not a fight you're gonna win. Aging is gonna win the decline of.

[Franciscan Friar]

The body, the atrophy of the body.

[Mark Mary]

Like, you're not gonna be able to stop it. But here's what we know, right? Like, that's not where true beauty lies. It's not anti wrinkling and it's not anti aging. So let's look at Our Lady. You know, how beautiful would Mary's gray hair have been? And I imagine deep wrinkles like signs towards the end of her earthly life.

[Franciscan Friar]

Like how beautiful would Mary have been.

[Mark Mary]

With a head full of presumably gray hair and a face with deep wrinkles. These signs of a life actually profoundly lived and a love profoundly experienced and just a heart that had been totally, totally given. Mary, the temple of God, the Garden of paradise was assumed into heaven, body and soul.

[Franciscan Friar]

Her body will live forever and with.

[Mark Mary]

A heavenly beauty that far surpasses any beauty ever encountered in this world. I'll say, like the desire for a beauty which doesn't fade can actually be a very good and holy thing. And I dare say it's what we're made for. But not in this world and not just through human means. The ultimate cause of our beauty and the ultimate cause of the preservation of our beauty and eternal beauty of both body and soul, is holiness. It is the beauty of a person conformed to Jesus Christ. We call Mary the all beautiful one because she experienced this firstly and most profoundly. But where Mary has gone, we are all called to follow to the resurrection of the body, to the experience of a beauty which never fades. So as we pray today, and as we pray with this mystery, may we place our hope, our hope for eternity, but also our hope for ourselves, for.

[Franciscan Friar]

The beauty of the body.

[Mark Mary]

And if we can say like the anti aging we're longing for, like, can we place it where Mary found it and pursue it right the same way.

[Franciscan Friar]

That Mary pursued it and experienced it?

[Mark Mary]

Through holiness, through communion and transformation in Christ, with its ultimate hope placed in heaven. And our belief that we, all of us, like Mary, who experienced it first.

[Franciscan Friar]

Are called to experience the resurrection of.

[Mark Mary]

Our bodies and a beauty which never fades.

[Franciscan Friar]

And now with Mary, the Garden of paradise, the all beautiful one. Let us pray in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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.

[Mark Mary]

And lead us not into temptation, but.

[Franciscan Friar]

Deliver us from evil.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

[Mark Mary]

Thank you for joining me and praying with me again today.

[Franciscan Friar]

I look forward to continuing this journey.

[Mark Mary]

With you again tomorrow. Poco. Poco. Friends. God bless.