Day 125: Hold Fast to Christ

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Rosary in a Year (Day 125: Hold Fast to Christ)

Host: Ascension
Guest: Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR
Release Date: May 5, 2025
Podcast Description: Fr. Mark-Mary Ames guides listeners through a transformative journey of praying the Rosary over a year, deepening their relationship with Jesus and Mary through incremental steps, fostering a life enriched with prayer and charity.

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Introduction

In Day 125: Hold Fast to Christ, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames delves into the profound connection between holding fast to Christ and the practice of charity. This episode emphasizes the vital role of good works in nurturing one’s spiritual life and ascending alongside Jesus through acts of love and generosity.

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Meditation on the Ascension of Our Lord

Timestamp [00:00]

Fr. Mark-Mary begins the episode by meditating on the second Glorious Mystery of the Rosary—the Ascension of Jesus Christ. He references a poignant excerpt from St. Augustine’s Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament, Sermon 41, which underscores the importance of holding fast to Christ through charity:

"Do you wish to ascend? Hold fast to him that ascends, for by your own self you cannot rise... Let everyone then do what he can for others."
— St. Augustine, Sermon 41 [00:15]

This foundational message sets the stage for exploring how charitable works are intrinsically linked to our spiritual ascent.

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The Power of Charity in Christian Life

Timestamp [04:30]

Fr. Mark-Mary elaborates on the theme of charity as a means to cling to Christ, drawing parallels with the teachings of Matthew 25. He explains how acts of charity, such as feeding the hungry and clothing the naked, are not merely good deeds but essential elements that solidify our relationship with Jesus:

"Because they didn't do this for the neighbor, they didn't do it for him, and they've ruptured that relationship." [06:45]

He emphasizes that these actions are manifestations of our love for Christ, enabling us to ascend with Him.

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Personal Anecdote: The Value of Listening

Timestamp [08:00]

Fr. Mark-Mary shares a heartfelt story from his time in Guatemala, illustrating the essence of charity through simple acts of listening:

"What I have to give is when I encounter somebody who's lonely and who needs to talk, I can be a friend... this is what clinging to Jesus looks like." [09:15]

This anecdote highlights that charity doesn't always require grand gestures; sometimes, being present and attentive is a profound act of love and service.

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Connecting Augustine’s Teachings to Daily Life

Timestamp [05:20]

Referencing St. Augustine again, Fr. Mark-Mary underscores the practicality of living out one’s faith through daily acts of kindness:

"We have nothing we can do for God, but because we have something, we may do for our neighbor, we shall by our good offices to the needy gain his favor." [07:00]

He encourages listeners to find accessible ways to serve others, regardless of their circumstances, reinforcing that every small act contributes to our spiritual growth and ascent with Christ.

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The Role of Good Works in Ascension

Timestamp [09:50]

Exploring the connection between good works and ascension, Fr. Mark-Mary references the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25, illustrating how our actions towards others reflect our relationship with Jesus:

"Right, that which you did for the least of my brethren, you did it for me." [10:05]

He reiterates that ascending with Christ is achieved through persistent and heartfelt charity, making our love for God tangible through our service to others.

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Conclusion and Prayer

Timestamp [13:35]

Fr. Mark-Mary concludes the episode with a heartfelt prayer, asking for the grace to ascend with the Lord by abiding in Him and practicing charity:

"Let us ask for the grace to ascend with the Lord... to love him through those we are invited to serve in our family, in our community, in our world." [12:00]

He wraps up with the Rosary, guiding listeners through the prayers, reinforcing the episode’s theme of holding fast to Christ through prayer and works of love.

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Final Thoughts and Call to Action

Timestamp [13:52]

In his closing remarks, Fr. Mark-Mary invites listeners to deepen their understanding of the Beatitudes through his new book, Eight Promises of God: Discovering Hope through the Beatitudes. He connects the Beatitudes to living a life of compassion and trust in God's promises:

"In this book, we'll learn from the example of the truly blessed ones, Our Lord and Our Lady, and how they practiced and lived the Beatitudes." [13:00]

Listeners are encouraged to continue their journey of faith and charity by engaging with both the Rosary in a Year prayer plan and his insightful writings.

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Notable Quotes

1. St. Augustine on Charity:
   "Let everyone then do what he can for others. Let him freely bestow upon the needy from his superfluity." [00:15]

2. Fr. Mark-Mary on Ascension:
   "We ascend with him through charity." [09:30]

3. Matthew 25 Reference:
   "Right, that which you did for the least of my brethren, you did it for me." [10:05]

4. Personal Anecdote Insight:
   "What I have to give is when I encounter somebody who's lonely and who needs to talk, I can be a friend." [09:15]

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Epilogue

Fr. Mark-Mary Ames effectively weaves theological insights with practical applications, urging listeners to embody their faith through unwavering charity. Day 125: Hold Fast to Christ serves as a compelling reminder that ascension is not a solitary journey but one intricately linked to our service and love for others, reflecting our deepest communion with Jesus and Mary.

For the complete prayer plan and to support this transformative journey, listeners are encouraged to visit Ascension Press.

Transcript

[Mark Mary]

Foreign Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and this is the Rosary in a 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 the Year is brought to you by Ascension. This is day125. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a year, visit ascensionpress.com forward/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 podcasts 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. 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 support is so appreciated and helps us to reach as many people as possible. And if you haven't already, please consider supporting [e-mail] support today we will be meditating upon and praying with the second glorious mystery, the Ascension of our Lord, with help from a writing again by our friend St. Augustine and his work Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament, Sermon 41 now our reading from St. Augustine run with a heart's affection, Journey on with love, Ascend by charity. Why do you seek for the way? Cleave unto Christ, who by descending and ascending has made himself the way. Do you wish to ascend? Hold fast to him that ascends, for by your own self you cannot rise for no man has ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven. If no one ascends but he that descended, that is the Son of Man, our Lord Jesus. Do you wish to ascend also? Be then a member of him who only has ascended for he the head with all the members is but one man, as walking by faith let us do good works, and in these good works let there be a free love of God for his own sake, an active love of our neighbour. For we have nothing we can do for God, but because we have something we may do for our neighbour, we shall by our good offices to the needy gain his favor, who is the source of all abundance. Let everyone then do what he can for others. Let him freely bestow upon the needy from his superfluity. One has money, let him feed the poor, let him clothe the naked, let him build a church, let him do with his money all the good he can Another has good counsel Let him guide his neighbor let him by the light of holiness, drive away the darkness of doubting. Another has learning Let him draw out of this store of the Lord Let him minister food to his fellow servants, strengthen the faithful, recall the wandering, seek the lost, do all the good he can Something there is which even the poor may deal out to one another. Let one lend feet to the lame another give his own eyes to guide the blind another visit the sick, another bury the dead. These are things which all may do so that, in a word, it would be hard to find one who has not some means of doing good to others. And last of all comes that important duty which the apostle speaks of. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so shall you fulfill the law of Christ. The End of the Reading thanks be to God. I really love these opening words of St. Augustine. Run with heart's affection, journey on with love. Ascend by charity who goes on the right. Do you wish to ascend? Hold fast to him that ascends. The connection I want to highlight is we ascend by clinging to Jesus, by holding fast to him that ascends. And a principal way in which we in fact cling to him is by works of charity. Our works of charity are a way in which we hold fast to Christ, and their absence is a sign or cause of us ceasing to hold fast to Him. And I propose that this is confirmed in Matthew 25. Matthew 25 is where Jesus famously gives the parable with the separation of the sheep and the goats, those who will ascend with him and those who will descend without him. And in Matthew 25, how is this discerned? Those who descend without him, those who don't hold fast to him are those who do not do the works of charity, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, Welcoming the stranger, etc. Because they didn't do this for the neighbor, they didn't do it for him, and they've ruptured that relationship. They've ceased to cling to him, and so they descend without him. Those who ascend with him, with the Lord, those who abide in him, are those who do feed the hungry, do give drink to the thirsty, do Visit the imprisoned, etc. Because, as he says, right, that which you did for the least of my brethren, you did it for me. These are all ways in which we cling to him and therefore share in his ascension. We ascend with him through charity. In our reading today from St. Augustine, I see, this theme echoed where he writes, for we have nothing we can do for God, but because we have something we may do for our neighbor, neighbor, we shall, by our good offices to the needy, gain his favor. Who is the source of all abundance, right? Like we have nothing we can do for God, but because we have something we can do for our neighbor. Like that which you did for the least of my brethren, you did it for me. Like, so by loving our neighbor, we can love God, we can give back to God, we could say, and so, out of love for Jesus, and for love of Jesus, let us love our neighbor with an outpouring of generosity. Because the Lord, the source of all abundance, has been so generous to us. And St. Augustine, he goes on, and I really love this, and I invite you to spend some more time with it. He goes on to give some guidance on what this could look like, including for those who have limited means. It makes me think of this, one of my favorite stories. I was down in Guatemala in language school. This is where I prayed for nachos back in the day. And it happened. And I was with a. A brother who's a few years older than me. And so we were just kind of walking around in Antigua, just kind of chatting, and we're in kind of like a common marketplace. And he was senior to me by a number of years. And at some point, as we're walking, a man stops us and he starts talking, and he starts talking, talking, talking. And he just sets off on this monologue. And being the younger friar in that situation, I kind of have this disposition of, like, deference. And so I'm going to follow the senior brother's lead. But as the monologue went on from, like 10 minutes to 15 minutes to 20 minutes, I'm like, looking at the brother to be like, is this what we're doing? Like, how long do we let this go on for? And the monologue, literally, the monologue continued, 25 minutes, 30 minutes. And I'm, like, looking at the guy, talking, looking at the brother, looking at the guy, talking, looking at the brother. 40 minutes, 45 minutes. We get to, like an hour, hour and 15 minutes of just a monologue when finally, you know, the night falls and the guy had to get back home. And as me and this friar are walking back, I kind of casually bring it up. It's like, hey, so is that what we do? He's like, what do you mean, is that what we do? He's like, well, you know, like, if someone's talking like that, do you ever Interrupt it? Do you ever cut it off? Do you ever say, you gotta go? Or you just kind of let him go as long as he wants? And the friar, he kind of just stopped and he looked at me, he said, you know, I just don't feel like I have a lot that I can give to people, but I can listen. And so that's what I do when people talk, I let them. And I just listen because that's what I have to give. And I think this is so good. And this nails it, right? Like, how often we could say, like, does the Lord just listen to us and receive us? And how generous is he in listening to us? And, you know, it doesn't take a rocking scientist or some sort of hero or saint to be able to listen to others. But it does take charity. It does take goodwill. And I just think that this brother, he just nails it. You know what? Like, what I have to give is. I can listen. What I have to give is when I encounter somebody who's lonely and who needs to talk, I can be a friend. I can be somebody that's there for them, but I can be the one who welcomes the stranger or gives a place to the lonely, right? And he lives this like that which you did for the least of my brethren. You did it for me. And this is what clinging to Jesus looks like. This is what ascending with Jesus looks like. This is what ascending with charity looks like. And I think it's so beautiful and it's so accessible. So as we pray today, let us ask for the grace to ascend with the Lord. Let us ask for the grace to abide in him, to hold fast to him through charity. And let us ask for the grace to give thanks to the Lord in both word and deed by loving him through those we are invited to serve in our family, in our community, in our world. Because that which we do for the least of our brethren, we do for Christ. And in doing these things for Christ, we truly ascend with him who has first descended. And now with Mary. Let us pray. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

[Franciscan Friar]

Amen.

[Mark Mary]

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. But deliver us from evil.

[Franciscan Friar]

Amen.

[Mark Mary]

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed.

[Unknown Friar]

Is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Mark Mary]

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[Franciscan Friar]

Amen.

[Mark Mary]

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the.

[Unknown Friar]

Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Mark Mary]

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[Franciscan Friar]

Amen.

[Mark Mary]

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the.

[Unknown Friar]

Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Mark Mary]

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[Franciscan Friar]

Amen.

[Mark Mary]

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the.

[Unknown Friar]

Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Mark Mary]

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[Franciscan Friar]

Amen.

[Mark Mary]

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the.

[Unknown Friar]

Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Mark Mary]

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[Franciscan Friar]

Amen.

[Mark Mary]

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the.

[Unknown Friar]

Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Mark Mary]

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[Franciscan Friar]

Amen.

[Mark Mary]

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the.

[Unknown Friar]

Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Mark Mary]

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[Franciscan Friar]

Amen.

[Mark Mary]

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the.

[Unknown Friar]

Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Mark Mary]

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[Franciscan Friar]

Amen.

[Mark Mary]

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.

[Franciscan Friar]

Amen.

[Mark Mary]

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the.

[Unknown Friar]

Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Mark Mary]

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[Franciscan Friar]

Amen.

[Mark Mary]

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.

[Franciscan Friar]

Amen.

[Mark Mary]

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

[Franciscan Friar]

Amen.

[Mark Mary]

All right, friends, thanks so much for joining me and praying with me today. I look forward to continuing this journey with to you again tomorrow. Poco Poco. Friends, God bless y'all. Thank you for listening to this episode of the Rosary in a year. If you've been enjoying this journey with me, I encourage you to check out my new book, eight Promises of God Discovering Hope through the Beatitudes. We all want to know, like, what can I expect my life to look like when I'm following Jesus? How do I know I'm doing it right? My brothers and sisters, I believe that the answer to these questions is found in the Beatitudes. In this book, we'll learn from the example of the truly blessed ones, Our Lord and Our lady, and how they practiced and lived the Beatitudes. And all this is going to bear fruit with a deepening of our trust in God's promises in any and all circumstances. You can get your copy [e-mail] promises.