
Jesus is the light of the world, shown so clearly through the mystery of the Transfiguration. Fr. Mark-Mary draws on the symbolism found in today’s art medium, stained glass, to meditate on Jesus who illuminates the world for us. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Transfiguration and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary. All of the Sacred Art we’ll be meditating with can be found in the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, for free linked in the complete prayer plan, or for free in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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Foreign. 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. This is day 137. 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 today we'll be meditating upon and praying with the fourth luminous mystery, the Transfiguration, with help from a stained glass window of the Transfiguration, which is located in a church in Vienna, Austria. The name of the church in English is the Votive Church. All right, brief introduction to our artwork. The artist is unknown. The stained glass window it's housed in, it's called the Votive Kirche in Vienna, which means the Votive Church, which is a Neo Gothic cathedral designed by Heinrich von Furstal and it was completed in the year 1879. So it's a stained glass window in a Neo Gothic style. Now, a description of our piece of artwork today. It's a three panel stained glass window. In the center, Jesus stands elevated, emanating a dazzling light. His figure is wrapped by a glowing ethereal aura that is white and gold and wrapped in an oval rainbow. His clothes are white with shimmering gold trimmings. On either side of Jesus, the figures of Moses and Elijah appear, their faces turned towards him with reverence. Above them are three angelic faces with wings and below, the apostles Peter, James and John. On the grassy peak of a mountain, shown falling over in awe, their expressions a mixture of astonishment and fear. All of the details are rendered in deep colors and vibrant tones, except for Jesus, who stands out as a bright, pure light in the center, Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus the light of the world and the fourth luminous mystery. Right? The Transfiguration. It is the mystery of Light par excellence. It is here that Jesus, the light of the world, for a brief moment in time, he suspends the veiling of his divine luminosity through his sacred humanity. It is here that Jesus, the light of the world, for a brief moment in time, suspends the veiling of his divine luminosity done through his sacred humanity. And he is transfigured before his chosen apostles. His light, it breaks through, proclaiming that he is the light of the world. He is the light that fulfills the law and the prophets. He is the light who illumines our minds with the fullness of truth about God and all of creation and ourselves. He is the source, and he is the summit of all lights. Our artwork today, which depicts the transfiguration, which depicts this mystery of light par excellence, does so in a medium which is founded on this theological reality. The symbolism or the spirituality, perhaps, we could say, of stained glass. It points to God being the light of the world. And as the sun is the light which passes through the glass, illuminating and revealing its meaning in a sense, like, you could say, maybe like it gives birth to their scenes and their beauty and meaning, so it is God Himself who is the light by which we see all other light. Like the light of God, his being, his beauty, his truth. It is revealed in creation and you and me. He is the light in which all other lights share. He is the source and the summit of all lights. In our depiction of the stained glass window that we are looking at today, we see the light passing through Moses and Elijah. And as a newly rising sun, it already illuminates this thin glass, but it doesn't do so yet with the full warmth or full vibrancy. So too, like we already see in the Law and the prophets, the light of Christ shining through. But it's like at daybreak, it will not be until Christ that the light of the noonday sun is going to radiate the fullness of its light. But it's not until Christ, the fullness of the light is revealed in the fullness of its warmth and its vibrancy. So as a rising sun, yes, it reveals already, like it's the noonday sun. It's in the noonday sun. It's in Christ that the fullness of light and worth and beauty shine through all of creation. And to sit before this light, to sit before Christ, it's like sitting before an image or window of stained glass on a warm and sunny day. Like we are bathed in its light, we are warmed by his light. And his light it doesn't just allow us to see. His light makes everything it passes beautiful, meaningful. It allows it to fulfill the end for which it was crafted, created. It is fulfilled and glorified in his light. And as we, like Peter, James and John today, like, place ourselves before our transfigured Lord, let us be bathed in his light and let us hear him speak this promise to us. As the sun beautifies and glorifies stained glass, so will I beautify and glorify you by giving you a share in my own divine life. As we experience today the frailty, perhaps the coldness, what we call maybe the darkness of our frail humanity, let us place that before his light and before the light of Christ. Let us find hope and confidence and light in his divinity. 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 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. 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 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. 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. Poco. Poco. Friends, God bless you.
Episode Title: Day 137: Medium Reveals Meaning
Date: May 17, 2026
Host: Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR
Podcast by: Ascension
In this episode, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames guides listeners through a meditation on the fourth Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration, using a striking stained glass window from Vienna’s Votive Church as the focal point for visio divina. He explores how both the artistic medium and the scriptural event reveal deeper truths about Christ as the Light of the World, inviting listeners to place themselves before this divine light through prayer and contemplation.
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This episode artfully blends theology, sacred art, and contemplative prayer, making the mystery of the Transfiguration tangible. Through Fr. Mark-Mary’s vivid description of the stained glass window and insightful parallels to Christ’s light, listeners are invited to contemplate how the medium of stained glass not only illustrates but partakes in the mystery—requiring divine light to fully reveal its beauty. The guided rosary roots this meditation in prayerful encounter, encouraging listeners to allow Christ’s transforming light to illuminate every aspect of their lives.
For resources and the complete prayer plan: ascensionpress.com/riy