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

Day 12: Thy Will Be Done (January 12, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this episode of "The Rosary in a Year," Fr. Mark-Mary Ames explores the line “Thy will be done” from the Our Father prayer, focusing on how true humility and child-like trust enable believers to authentically enter into the kingdom of heaven. By reflecting on biblical teachings and personal experiences, Fr. Mark-Mary invites listeners to embrace dependence on God and to let go of self-reliance, experiencing peace and freedom in doing so.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Grounding in Scripture: The Call to Become Like Children

• Scriptural Reflection: Matthew 18:1-4 – Jesus teaches that greatness in the kingdom of heaven comes from becoming like humble children (01:07).
• Fr. Mark-Mary emphasizes that, to experience God’s kingdom on earth, we must approach Him in humility and dependence, as children do their parents.

2. The Nature of Children and Christian Humility

• Children are marked by:
  • Poverty (lack of material and self-sufficiency)
  • Dependence
  • Vulnerability
• Unlike adults, children aren’t burdened by shame or frustrated by their limitations; they confidently turn to their parents for help (02:12).
• Fr. Mark-Mary: “What they do is they just come to their mom and dad. They come to their parents and say help me. Like take care of me, provide for me… There’s a levity to them. There’s this freedom. And this is authentic humility, particularly Christian humility.” (02:51)

3. Applying Childlike Trust to the Spiritual Life

• True humility means accepting our poverty before God without falling into self-reliance, shame, or self-hatred.
• The faithful are invited to continually present their needs and limitations to God, trusting His providence—“Here I am, Lord, in all of my reality, my limitations, my poverty” (04:05).
• Key Point: The fruit of such dependence is peace—a tangible taste of God’s kingdom here and now.

4. Personal Story: The Restaurant Analogy

• Fr. Mark-Mary shares a childhood memory to illustrate reliance and trust:
  • As a child, he would look to his parents when asked what he wanted to eat, not out of indecision, but because he trusted their judgment for what was best for him (05:08).
• Fr. Mark-Mary: “I don’t actually know what I want for myself… But under this is just this confidence like, that they know what I want. And also they love me. And so they’re going to give the answer that’s best for me, even though I can’t give the best answer for myself.” (06:15)

5. The Difficulty of Childlike Dependence in Adulthood

• As people grow older, they may experience shame or frustration about their limitations, striving for self-sufficiency and losing the peace of dependence (07:00).
• Invitation: Jesus calls us to embrace our poverty and bring it to God the Father, rather than trying to “figure it out all by ourselves.”

6. The Example of Jesus: The Garden of Gethsemane

• High point of childlike surrender: Jesus in the Garden prays, “Father, let this cup pass. But not my will, but your will be done.” (08:25)
• By praying the Our Father, Catholics join Jesus in His relationship with the Father—expressing filial trust and surrender.

7. Practical Spiritual Invitation

• Listeners are invited to reflect:
  • In what areas are you struggling to be child-like before God?
  • Are you carrying the burden of self-reliance?
• Fr. Mark-Mary: “Is the Lord inviting you to just the freedom, the confidence, the joy, the peace of a child by saying, hey, give it to me. Let me take care of you…” (09:05)
• When believers truly trust in God’s will, they experience the kingdom of heaven in their daily lives.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Christian Humility:
  “This is authentic humility, particularly Christian humility. And this is where we as children of God can experience the kingdom of heaven on this earth.” — Fr. Mark-Mary (02:51)
• On Dependence:
  “It’s when our dependence meets his perfect providence. And the fruit of this is peace.” — Fr. Mark-Mary (04:45)
• On Trusting God:
  “Because, Father, I trust that you know what is good for me. And the more we live this, the more here and now we experience the kingdom of heaven.” — Fr. Mark-Mary (10:03)

Key Timestamps

• 00:45 – Framing “Thy will be done” with Matthew 18:1-4
• 02:12 – Reflection on children’s poverty and dependency
• 04:05 – The importance of recognizing our own limitations and need
• 05:08 – Personal childhood story (restaurant/drink choice analogy)
• 08:25 – Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane as the model of surrender
• 09:05 – Practical invitation for self-reflection and prayer

Concluding Prayer

Fr. Mark-Mary guides listeners through the Our Father, three Hail Marys, and the Glory Be, inviting listeners to internalize the theme of humble surrender (10:30).

Final Thoughts

Fr. Mark-Mary closes by encouraging listeners to continue the journey of prayer and reliance on God, promising increased peace and joy as they adopt this childlike spiritual posture.

For the full prayer plan and further resources, visit Ascension Press – Rosary in a Year.