Day 110: Greater Seeks Lesser

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) - Day 110: Greater Seeks Lesser

Episode Overview In Day 110 of "The Rosary in a Year" podcast, hosted by Ascension and led by Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR, listeners delve into the second joyful mystery of the Rosary: the Visitation. Through a blend of scriptural reflection, personal anecdotes, and theological insights, Fr. Mark-Mary explores the profound theme "Greater Seeks Lesser," illustrating how God's grace actively seeks to engage with humanity.

Key Themes and Discussions

1. Introduction to the Second Joyful Mystery: The Visitation

   • Reading and Reflection: Fr. Mark-Mary begins by meditating on the Visitation, where Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth. He references St. Ambrose's "Commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke," emphasizing Mary's active role in seeking out Elizabeth despite her own humility and lower social standing.
   • Scriptural Insight: He highlights the significance of Mary's journey from Nazareth to the hill country of Judah, underscoring her eagerness to fulfill her divine duty without hesitation.

2. Personal Anecdote: Emulating Divine Humility and Perseverance

   • Story from Honduras: Fr. Mark-Mary shares a poignant experience from his early days as a friar in Honduras. While involved in a long-standing food handout program, he encountered frustration with a senior brother who became distracted from their mission.
     • First Apology: "[...] he says, 'Hey, bro, just I want to apologize. Like, mercy, bro, I know I got distracted and I didn't need to do it right there.'” (05:30)
     • Second Apology: The initial apology did not alleviate his frustration. However, the senior brother's persistent and genuine apologies exemplified true reconciliation and the importance of restoring communion.
   • Reflection: This interaction mirrored the episode's central theme, demonstrating how those in greater spiritual standing actively seek out and mend relationships with those they lead or mentor.

3. Theological Insights: The Greater Seeks the Lesser

   • Divine Example: Fr. Mark-Mary draws parallels between his personal story and the biblical narrative of the Visitation. He explains that just as Mary sought out Elizabeth, God continuously seeks to reach out to humanity, especially those who may feel distant or unworthy.
   • St. Ambrose's Perspective: Citing St. Ambrose, he articulates that the "superior comes to the inferior to help and sanctify," illustrating God's approach of humility and active engagement with His creation.
   • God's Relational Nature: Emphasizing that God does not remain aloof but engages personally, Fr. Mark-Mary states, "He takes the lowest place and he comes in search of us."

4. Practical Application: Imitating Divine Humility and Perseverance

   • Call to Action: Fr. Mark-Mary urges listeners to emulate God's relentless pursuit and humility in their own lives. He encourages patience, mercy, and proactive support towards those who may be struggling.
   • Connection to Marian Devotion: By following Mary's example in the Visitation, believers can deepen their relationship with Jesus and Mary, fostering a community rooted in grace and mutual support.

Notable Quotes

• "It doesn't just dismiss us. What does God do? Right? He takes the lowest place and he comes in search of us." (06:45)

• "This movement of God, this movement of Jesus, the greater one, who seeks out the lesser, the greatest being God himself, and God in his relationship towards his people." (07:30)

Conclusion and Prayer The episode concludes with a heartfelt prayer, reinforcing the themes discussed. Fr. Mark-Mary invites listeners to join in praying for humility, grace, and the strength to mirror God's unwavering commitment to seek and uplift others.

Final Thoughts Day 110 of "The Rosary in a Year" offers a rich exploration of divine humility and the proactive nature of God's love. Through scriptural analysis, personal storytelling, and practical exhortations, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames provides listeners with profound insights into fostering a deeper relationship with Jesus and Mary. This episode serves as a compelling reminder of the transformative power of the Rosary and the enduring grace it brings to both individual lives and the broader world.

Additional Resources For the complete prayer plan and to track your progress in the Rosary in a Year journey, visit ascensionpress.com/riy.

Transcript

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Foreign Mark Murray with Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and this is the Rosary in the Year podcast. But 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 110. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a year, visit ascensionpress.com forward/rosary in a year text R A Y 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 to podcasts in the Ascension app. There's special features built just for this podcast and also recordings of the full rosary. On behalf of myself, 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 [e-mail] for forward slash support. Today we'll be meditating upon and praying with the second joyful mystery, with help from a writing by St. Ambrose and his work, Commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke. We've already had an opportunity to introduce St. Ambrose, so let's go ahead and get into our reading. The emphasis is going to be on the greater seeks the lesser. Now, in those days Mary arose and departed in haste to the hill country into a town in Judah, and entered into the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. It is customary that all those who believe provide reasons for their faith. And thus the angel who announced the mysteries that her faith might be bolstered by an example announced to the Virgin Mary the pregnancy the of an old and barren woman, showing that God can do anything pleasing to him. When Mary heard this, not for lack of faith in the prophecy, nor uncertainty about the message, nor out of doubt for the example provided, but in the eagerness of her desire to fulfill a pious duty. In the hastiness of joy she went to the hill country for now filled with God, to where would she strive with haste, except to the heights? Sluggish efforts are foreign to the grace of the Holy Spirit. Learn humility. She comes as a relative to her relative, as a junior to her senior, and not only does she come, but she is even the first to greet the superior, comes to the inferior in order to help the inferior marry to Elizabeth, Christ to John, and later to sanctify John's baptism. The Lord came to this baptism the Benefits of Mary's arrival and the Lord's presence are immediately apparent. For as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant in her womb leapt for joy and she was filled with the Holy Spirit. Observe the distinction in choice of words. Elizabeth hears the voice first, but John is the first to be aware of grace. Elizabeth hears with bodily ears, but John leaps for joy at the meaning of the mystery. The end of the reading. Thanks be to God. Again, the focus is going to be on the greater seeks the lesser. It's one of my favorite stories. It's one of my go to stories. It's one of the most kind of formative experiences I had in religious life. My early life as a friar. I was living down in Honduras at the time, and we had this big food handout that we do, and all the friars were involved with it. And at the time, I was pretty much the youngest guy there. And there's a bunch of other friars who had been doing this for maybe 20 years longer than me. And at some point during the food handout, one of the other brothers, he just kind of got. He got distracted. He got focused on doing something else that was, at least in my judgment, like, not timely and not helpful for us with the food handout that we were part of. And as a young guy, I just obviously kind of got frustrated. Whatever something happened. There's some sort of way in which I was carrying this on my countenance that this senior brother, he became aware that I was frustrated with him. So at some point later on in the day, he sees me in the friary and he says, hey, bro, just I want to apologize. Like, mercy, bro, I know I got distracted and I didn't need to do it right there. And I kind of left you hanging. So I'm sorry about that. It was really beautiful gesture. But what's funny, what's funny is that it just made me think about it again and I just got actually more frustrated. So his apology, like, unfortunately didn't help. And whatever it is, like a couple hours go by and we must have had a couple of interactions where he could tell I was still struggling. So one more time he seeks me out and he's like, hey, bro, just one more time. I'm just so sorry about that today. And there was something about that second apology which just totally broke me, where it's like he already apologized. It was a small thing, but this senior brother, this much older brother, came to be reconciled with me. Like, if he wanted to just check the box, say, hey, look, I apologize if he's still angry, it's on him. Like, he could have done that, but he wasn't worried about that, right? He was worried about reconciliation. He was worried about communion with me, the lesser brother, the less virtuous brother, the brother who wasn't able to receive his first, like, apology. And so this is a very, very clear example of, like, a senior brother being a senior brother and a better brother being a better brother. But this is manifest not by him distancing himself from me, but by him coming down to me as many times as needed until I was able to receive his forgiveness, I was able to receive his apology and until communion had been restored. And so this story of this brother coming to me, right? Like, it's a story of grace. It's a continuation of the movement of the Holy Spirit in the Lord Jesus. It's a story of the greater seeking the lesser, which we see here in the visitation. This movement of God, this movement of Jesus, the greater one, who seeks out the lesser, the greatest being God himself, and God in his relationship towards his people. God doesn't just sit on the throne and say, hey, come to me if you can, Come to me if you dare. He doesn't just say, like, hey, I gave you a chance. I gave you a ton of options, a ton of resources, a ton of tries. You didn't do it. Well, that's on you, right? Like. But he doesn't just dismiss us. What does God do? Right? He takes the lowest place and he comes in search of us. St. Ambrose, writing about the visitation, he says, the superior comes to the inferior in order to help the inferior. Mary to Elizabeth, Christ to John, and later to sanctify John's baptism. The Lord came to his baptism. The story of the visitation, the story of the Annunciation, the story of Jesus, whole earthly ministry, especially his seeking out of the lost sheep. It's a story of the Holy One seeking out the unholy, like the one who is life itself, seeking out the dead and the lost, the greater, seeking out the lesser. Today, as we pray, let us have both a movement of praise and imitation. Like let us praise the humility of God, the Lord Himself, who comes in search of us and never quits seeking us. The Superior One who comes seeking the inferior one again and again and again, until we receive the grace offered to us. And let us in gratitude, be quick ourselves to imitate this movement of God, this movement of Jesus, this movement of the Holy Spirit that we see in the Blessed Virgin Mary at the visitation. Let us be quick ourselves to Be patient with those who are struggling around us and be quick to come to their aid with the same humility, generosity, mercy, haste and perseverance showed in his coming down to us. And now with Mary, let us pray. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

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Amen.

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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.

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Amen.

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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.

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Amen.

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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.

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Amen.

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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.

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Amen.

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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.

[B]

Amen.

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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.

[B]

Amen.

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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.

[B]

Amen.

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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.

[B]

Amen.

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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.

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Amen.

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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.

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Amen.

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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.

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Amen.

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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.

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Amen.

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In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. All right. Thanks so much 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.