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

Episode: Day 123: She Magnifies Him
Date: May 3, 2026
Host: Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR
Podcast by: Ascension

Overview

This episode centers on meditating with the Fifth Sorrowful Mystery—the Crucifixion of Jesus—while viewing it through the eyes of Mary, His mother. Drawing from St. Bridget of Sweden's mystical Revelations, Fr. Mark-Mary reflects on how Mary “magnifies the Lord,” exploring the depth of her pain, her love, and ultimately her role in magnifying the glory of God. The episode gently emphasizes why Catholics honor Mary and why her perspective deepens our understanding of Jesus’ sacrifice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Contemplation of the Crucifixion with Mary (01:00–05:45)

Reading from St. Bridget’s Revelations:
Fr. Mark-Mary shares a powerful passage describing Mary’s visceral experience at the Crucifixion. The depiction brings listeners directly into the maternal pain and profound sorrow of Mary as she witnesses her son’s suffering.
- “Now as my son was led away like a robber, he wiped away the blood from his eyes... as naked as when he was born, one running up handed him a cloth with which exultingly, inwardly, he covered him.” (02:30–04:40)
Extending the Invitation:
Emphasizes that approaching the Passion through Mary’s experience draws forth a multiplied sense of grief, compassion, and connection for the listener.

2. Why Do Catholics Honor Mary? (05:45–08:05)

Fr. Mark-Mary addresses common questions about Catholic devotion to Mary and provides a succinct response:
- “If we boil it all down, like why Mary? ...Jesus himself is actually even more glorified when we have a relationship with Mary and take her to be our mother.” (06:35–07:20)
The Magnificat:
References Mary’s song in the Gospel of Luke:
- “My soul magnifies the greatness of the Lord. My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” (07:30)
Insight:
Mary does not distract from Jesus but leads to a deeper encounter with Him; Mary magnifies, or makes more visible, the glory of her Son.

3. Meditation on Mary’s Suffering and Role (08:05–11:45)

Experiencing the Passion with Mary:
Listeners are encouraged to notice how Mary's references to "my son" heighten the tenderness and anguish of her perspective.
- “Her son always remains like her little boy... how even more painful is it for the heart of Mary to witness all these things, to see her son crucified?” (09:10–09:55)
Notable Detail:
The pain of Mary listening to her son being struck, even when she cannot see it:
- “So violently and rudely was he struck, that though I did not see the person striking, I distinctly heard the sound of the blow.” (10:05)

4. Magnifying Contrition, Gratitude, and Love Through Mary (11:45–12:40)

Fr. Mark-Mary notes that when we suffer and pray at the foot of the cross with Mary, our own sorrow, gratitude, and love for Jesus are deepened, or ‘magnified’ just as Mary’s soul magnifies the Lord.
- “As we do this... so can be magnified our gratitude, so it can be magnified our response, so it can be magnified our own contrition in the face of our own sin.” (12:04)
Invitation to Prayerful Presence:
The encouragement is to remain with Mary, contemplating Jesus’ Passion with her.

5. Closing Prayer—The Rosary (12:45–13:54)

Communal Prayer:
Fr. Mark-Mary leads the community in a decade of the Rosary, employing the Hail Mary to perpetuate the reflection on Mary as the path through which believers approach Christ’s Passion.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Mary’s Experience:
“Now, while my son stood as naked as when he was born...”
(St. Bridget’s Revelations, quoted at 04:07)
Motherly Pain:
“For a mother, her son always remains like her little boy... Mary is looking at Jesus, her son, you know, as a 33-year-old man here, but also when she sees him in a real way, she sees her baby, the babe born in Bethlehem.”
(09:15)
Mary Magnifies Jesus:
“There’s a certain way in which the glory of God, it becomes magnified in a new way in an even more beautiful way by Mary and through Mary.”
(07:40)
Why Mary?
“Jesus himself is actually even more glorified when we have a relationship with Mary and take her to be our mother.”
(07:20)

Important Timestamps

01:00 — Introduction to today’s meditation: the Fifth Sorrowful Mystery and St. Bridget’s Revelations
02:30–04:40 — Reading: Mary’s account of the Crucifixion from St. Bridget
05:45–08:05 — Fr. Mark-Mary discusses the theological “Why” behind Marian devotion
09:10–09:55 — Reflection on the mother-child connection and Mary’s pain
10:05 — Mary’s sensitivity: hearing Jesus struck
12:04 — Encouragement to let Mary “magnify” our gratitude and contrition
12:45–13:54 — Communal recitation of the Hail Mary

Tone & Atmosphere

Gentle, contemplative, and pastoral, Fr. Mark-Mary’s voice is both instructive and empathetic, consistently inviting listeners to deeper spiritual experience rather than abstract theology.

Takeaways for Listeners

Meditating on the Passion with Mary allows believers to experience Jesus’ suffering and triumph with greater depth and empathy.
Mary always points us toward Christ, her devotion and suffering serving as a lens that intensifies both His glory and our appreciation of His sacrifice.
The invitation is not merely to feel sorrow but to magnify faith, gratitude, and love—allowing Mary’s example to draw us nearer to Jesus.

For more resources and the full prayer plan, listeners are encouraged to visit ascensionpress.com/riy.

Transcript

Fr. Mike Schmitz (0:00)

Foreign. Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars of the

Matt Fradd (0:06)

Renewal and this is the Rosary in the 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 (0:18)

This is day123.

Matt Fradd (0:21)

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 is 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. I encourage you to pick up a copy of the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, a book published by Ascension that was designed to complement this podcast. You'll find all the daily readings from Scripture, Saint reflections, and beautiful full page images of the sacred art we'll be reflecting on.

Fr. Mike Schmitz (0:57)

Today we will be meditating upon and praying with the fifth sorrowful Mystery, the Crucifixion of our Lord, with help from a reading from St Brigid's Revelations and the focus of our meditation is going to be Mary's soul always magnifies the Lord. All right, so today's reading is from St. Bridget and her work, the revelations reminder that St. Bridget received revelations locutions, vision from Jesus that the Church continues to offer to us as being helpful for our prayer and meditation. And this revelation is going to actually come through Mary's eyes and Mary's experience of our Lord's crucifixion. And now our reading. Now as my son was led away like a robber, he wiped away the blood from his eyes, and when he was condemned, they gave him his cross to bear. When he had carried it a short way, one came up and assumed it. Meanwhile, as my son was going to the place of his Passion, some smote him on the back, others struck him in the face, and so violently and rudely was he struck that though I did not see the person striking, I distinctly heard the sound of the blow. And when I came with him to the place of the Passion, I there beheld all the instruments prepared for his death. And my son himself coming thither, divested himself of his clothes. The attendants saying to each other, these vestments are ours, nor can he have them again that is condemned to death. Now while my son stood as naked as when he was born, one running up handed him A cloth with which exultingly, inwardly, he covered him. Then his cruel executioners seized him and stretched him on the cross. First they fixed his right hand to the beam which was pierced for nails, and they transfixed his hand in the part where the bone was firmest. Then, drawing his other hand with a rope, they fixed it in like manner to the cross. Then they crucified his right foot and over it the left with two nails, so that all the nerves and veins were extended and broken. The end of the reading. Thanks be to God. Again, the focus of our meditation is going to be that Mary's soul always magnifies the Lord. When speaking about Our lady and the Catholic's relationship with Mary, especially to non Catholic Christians, the question they kind of often ask, or always ask really is like, why? Like, what's the point? And there's a variety of answers that are given, often harking back to Jesus words from the cross in the Gospel of John. Son, behold your mother. Mother, behold your son. And there's many reasons why Catholics have the devotion to Mary that we do and ask her intercession the way we do and honor her the way we do. More and more I'm convinced of this. If we boil it all down, like why Mary? And why does Jesus want us to have relationship with his mother the way that we do? I think what it all comes down to is, is Jesus is himself even more glorified when we love Mary and come to Mary and have devotion to Mary and have relationship with Mary and ask for her intercession because it's absolutely strictly necessary. Okay, technically, no. But because Jesus himself is actually even more glorified when we have a relationship with Mary and take her to be our mother. In Mary's Magnificat, right, she opens with these beautiful words. My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord. My spirit rejoices in God my Savior. One of the other translations, often for my soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord is. My soul magnifies the greatness of the Lord. And I think here we see this like, there's a certain way in which the glory of God, it becomes magnified in a new way in an even more beautiful way by Mary and through Mary. And I do believe that in our prayer today, you know, again taken from St Bridget's revelations, we see this happening. We see a way in which, like Mary is magnifying the Lord and our Lord's passion in this context is actually magnified, if you will, enhanced when we come to it through the eyes of his mother. There's a way in which the sorrow, the pain, the sadness is accentuated, right, when we look at it through the experience of Mary. And I think that as you paid attention to the reading into the experience of Mary, right, Like how are our hearts not moved, our hearts broken again? One of the refrains that stands out to me is Mary referring to Jesus again and again as like my son, My son was led away like a robber, as my son was going to the place of his passion. And my son himself coming hither to divested himself of his clothes. And for me, where it hits its high point is this. Now, while my son stood as naked as when he was born. I know I don't have the internal experience of this, but my understanding is this is like for a mother, her son always remains like her little boy. And Mary is looking at Jesus, her son, you know, as a 33 year old man here, but also when she sees him in a real way, she sees her baby, the babe born in Bethlehem. And how quickly she sees him here stripped naked. And what comes to mind is how he came into the world and how she first saw him and first held him in the manger. And how even more painful is it for the heart of Mary to witness all of these things, to see her son crucified. There's this other detail from St. Bridget, right? And so violently and rudely was he struck, that though I did not see the person striking, I distinctly heard the sound of the blow. How painful was this to the heart of Mary? With what grief was she filled, seeing her son mocked? So, and certainly my experience of this is it, if you will, it enhances, it magnifies my own sorrow as I come and look at our crucified Lord through the eyes of Mary and with Mary. And the invitation is just to remain here, to contemplate Jesus with his arms stretched out on the cross, being pierced by the nails, but also to contemplate Mary and to continue to look at all that happens in his passion through the eyes of Mary and with Mary. And I do believe that as we do this, not only is our Lord's pain and the tragedy of this moment, the sorrow of this moment magnified, but so can be magnified our gratitude, so it can be magnified our response, so it can be magnified our own contrition in the face of our own sin. And as we conclude in prayer, continue to meditate upon and contemplating the passion of our Lord through the eyes of Mary. Let us ask for this grace that our contrition may be magnified, that our trust in him may be magnified, and that our love of him may be magnified. And now with Mary, let us pray. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 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. Amen. 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. Amen. 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. Amen. 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. Amen. 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. Amen. 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. Amen. 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. Amen. 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. Amen. 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. Amen. 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. Amen. 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. Amen. 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. Amen. 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 today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. All right, poco poco, friends, God bless y'.