Podcast Summary: The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) – Day 11: Our Father in Heaven
Date: January 11, 2026
Host: Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR
Podcast by: Ascension

Main Theme

Day 11 of “The Rosary in a Year” centers on the very first words of the Our Father: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” Fr. Mark-Mary explores what it means to address God as Father, reflecting on the way Jesus teaches us to approach God – not in fear or anxiety, but with the familiarity and freedom of beloved children. Using the story of Jacob and Esau from Genesis, Fr. Mark-Mary contrasts human approaches to reconciliation with the relationship God offers us in prayer.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Contextual Introduction of the Rosary and Prayer (00:00–01:01)

• Fr. Mark-Mary encourages listeners to track their rosary journey using Ascension’s prayer plan and app, emphasizing community and gradual habit-building.
• Quote: “Through prayer and meditation, the Rosary brings us deeper into relationship with Jesus and Mary. It becomes a source of grace for the whole world.” (00:07)

2. The Scriptural Foundation: Jacob and Esau (01:01–02:34)

• Fr. Mark-Mary reads from Genesis 32, where Jacob prepares to meet Esau, seeking forgiveness with elaborate gifts out of fear for Esau’s anger.
• Jacob instructs his servants on how to present the gifts, all to appease Esau before meeting him face-to-face.
• Quote: “I may appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterwards I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.” (02:32, referencing Jacob’s fear-driven approach)

3. Connecting Jacob’s Approach with the Our Father (02:37–03:58)

• Fr. Mark-Mary argues that both the Genesis story and the beginning of the Our Father center on “how do we approach another?”
• He notes that one’s approach will differ based on relationship: friend, parent, boss, or someone whom we’ve wronged.
• Quote: “The approach is modified and customized and quite different depending on who I'm meeting and my relationship to that person.” (03:11)

4. Jesus’ Teachings on How We Approach God (03:58–06:25)

• In contrast to Jacob’s anxiety, Jesus invites us to approach with the confidence of children addressing a loving Father.
• Quote: “When you come to God, when you pray, say ‘Our Father’... you come with reverence… but also with the freedom and confidence of a child.” (04:23–04:39)
• Fr. Mark-Mary uses a personal story about visiting his father’s law office as a child. Where others approached his father (the managing partner) with respect, reservation, or need, he walked in with the freedom of a son.
• Quote: “My primary approach to him, relationship to him, was one of a son to his father who loved him.” (06:11–06:14)

5. Reflection and Invitation to Prayer (06:27–07:05)

• Fr. Mark-Mary encourages listeners to reflect on their own image of God: Do we approach as beloved children, or as debtors, employees, or supplicants before an angry ruler?
• He emphasizes purifying our image of God, favoring one rooted in love and trust.
• Quote: “Do you approach him as a loving father, as the best of fathers, as someone who loves you? Or do you approach him as somebody who's mad at you, to whom you owe a debt?” (06:37–06:52)

Memorable Quotes

• “God is mighty. God is all powerful. God has the authority. His name is hallowed… But also, Jesus wants us to come quite simply, quite humbly, quite freely.” (06:22–06:27)
• “Let us come simply, totally, completely, humbly, confidently, as a child comes to his father.” (07:05)

Important Timestamps

• 00:00–01:01: Podcast purpose, prayer plan resources, gratitude for support.
• 01:01–02:34: Reading Genesis 32 (Jacob and Esau).
• 02:37–03:58: The nature of approaching others and God.
• 03:58–06:25: Jesus’ model for approaching the Father; personal anecdote.
• 06:27–07:05: Questions for reflection on relationship with God.
• 07:05–end: Recitation of the Our Father and concluding decades of the Hail Mary.

Summary & Takeaway

Fr. Mark-Mary gently reframes the Lord’s Prayer’s opening words, encouraging a shift from anxiety or transactional thinking to that of a beloved child’s confidence. Drawing parallels from both Scripture and personal experience, he illustrates the transformative effect of seeing God as “Our Father”—someone who is mighty, worthy of reverence, but above all, approachable and loving.

For Reflection:
Ask yourself how you approach God in prayer. Are you coming as a son or daughter, with confidence and freedom, or as one fearful or distant? Let Christ’s teaching in the Our Father shape your heart and prayer.

For more resources and the full prayer plan, visit Ascension’s Rosary in a Year page.