Transcript
Fr. Mike Schmitz (0:00)
Foreign.
Podcast Host/Announcer (0:04)
Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars, 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.
Fr. Mike Schmitz (0:19)
This is day 122.
Podcast Host/Announcer (0:22)
To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a year, visit ascensionpress.com rosary in a 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 to the Podcast 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. On 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. And if you haven't already, please consider supporting us@ascensionpress.com support
Fr. Mike Schmitz (1:01)
today we will be meditating upon and praying with the fourth sorrowful Mystery, the carrying of the Cross, with help from a writing by St. Thomas Aquinas from his commentary on the Gospel of John. And the emphasis of our meditation will be he carried his his cross as a victor carries the trophy of his victory. And now our reading from St. Thomas Aquinas. The way Christ was brought to his crucifixion was a dishonor bearing his own cross for death on a cross was a disgrace, a hanged man is a curse by God, and thus avoiding the cross as something unholy, and fearing even to touch it, they laid the cross
Prayer Leader (1:48)
on the condemned Jesus.
Fr. Mike Schmitz (1:50)
Thus it says that he went out bearing his own cross. Christ bore his cross as a king does his scepter. His cross is the sign of his glory, which is his universal dominion over all things. The Lord will reign from the wood, the government will be upon his shoulders, and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He carried his cross as a victor carries the trophy of his victory. He disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in Himself. Again he carried his cross as a teacher, his candelabrum as a support for the light of his teaching. Because for believers the message of the cross is the power of God. No one after lighting a lamp, puts it in a cellar or under a bushel, but on a stand that those who enter may see the light the End of the reading. Thanks be to God. Again, our focus will be, he carried his cross as a victor carries the trophy of his victory. Okay, now let's pay close attention to the distinction made by our angelic doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas. In the reading today, he says, writing quote, the way Christ was brought to his crucifixion was a dishonor. He also said, death on a cross was a disgrace. And avoiding the cross as something unholy and fearing even to touch it, they laid the cross on the condemned Jesus. The crucifixion was dishonor. Death on a cross was a disgrace. The cross is something unholy, not to be touched. So this is all true. But St. Thomas goes on to say, Christ bore his cross as a scepter. His cross is a sign of his glory. He carried the cross as a victor carries the trophy of his victory. How can we reconcile these two? How can they both be true? Because of this Jesus, in embracing the cross, in freely accepting the cross and carrying the cross, he glorifies the cross and is glorified. Through the cross, Jesus changes what is unholy, disgraceful and dishonorable into something royal, something victorious, something worthy of embracing and carrying and even boasting in, as the words of St. Paul say, Let those who boast boast of nothing but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Okay, so now how do we apply