Day 137: Medium Reveals Meaning

Summary

Summary of "The Rosary in a Year" Podcast Episode: Day 137 – Medium Reveals Meaning

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames)
• Host: Ascension
• Description: Fr. Mark-Mary Ames guides listeners through a transformative journey of the Rosary, fostering a deeper relationship with Jesus and Mary through prayer and meditation.

Episode Details:

• Episode: Day 137: Medium Reveals Meaning
• Release Date: May 17, 2025

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Introduction to Day 137

The episode commences with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames welcoming listeners to Day 137 of the "Rosary in a Year" journey. He emphasizes the transformative power of the Rosary in deepening one's spiritual life, regardless of where the listener currently stands in their faith journey.

Exploring the Fourth Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration

Fr. Mark-Mary Ames delves into the fourth luminous mystery of the Rosary: The Transfiguration. He begins by introducing a piece of sacred art—a stained glass window of the Transfiguration located in the Votive Church (Votivkirche) in Vienna, Austria.

"The Transfiguration is the mystery of Light par excellence... He is the summit of all lights." (03:15)

Description of the Stained Glass Window

The stained glass window is a three-panel Neo-Gothic masterpiece, completed in 1879 by Heinrich von Furstal. The central panel depicts Jesus elevated and radiating dazzling light, symbolizing His divine luminosity. Flanking Him are Moses and Elijah, with three angelic figures above and apostles Peter, James, and John below, all rendered in vibrant colors except for Jesus, who stands as a beacon of pure light.

"Jesus is the light of the world... The light of God, His being, His beauty, His truth is revealed in creation and in you and me." (04:10)

Theological Significance of Light

Fr. Mark-Mary articulates the profound symbolism of light in the Transfiguration:

• Jesus as the Light of the World: He explains that the Transfiguration momentarily unveils Jesus' divine nature, showcasing His role as the fulfillment of the law and the prophets.

• Stained Glass as a Medium: The medium of stained glass itself symbolizes God's light. Just as sunlight illuminates the intricate designs of stained glass, revealing their beauty and meaning, God's light illuminates our understanding, making all creation beautiful and purposeful.

"Like sitting before an image or window of stained glass on a warm and sunny day, we are bathed in His light, warmed by His light." (05:30)

Fr. Mark-Mary emphasizes that this light does more than allow us to see; it transforms and fulfills creation, bestowing meaning and beauty upon it.

Symbolism and Spiritual Reflection

Drawing parallels between the stained glass depiction and human experience, Fr. Mark-Mary encourages listeners to reflect on their own lives:

• Personal Transformation: Just as the apostles Peter, James, and John witness Jesus' transfiguration, believers are invited to experience personal transformation through the light of Christ.

• Hope and Confidence: In moments of human frailty and darkness, placing oneself in the light of Christ brings hope, confidence, and divine illumination.

"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." (07:50)

Integrating Art and Meditation

Fr. Mark-Mary highlights the integration of sacred art and meditation as tools for deeper contemplation:

• Visio Divina: Meditating with sacred art allows believers to engage with theological truths visually, enhancing their spiritual experience.

• Lectio Divina: Coupled with scripture meditation, these practices foster a holistic approach to prayer and understanding.

"The symbolism or the spirituality, perhaps the medium of stained glass points to God being the light of the world." (06:45)

Conclusion and Prayer

The episode culminates with a series of prayers, including the Our Father, Hail Marys, and the Glory Be, led by the Friars. Fr. Mark-Mary concludes by expressing gratitude to the listeners and encouraging them to continue their journey of prayer.

"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." (10:47)

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Key Takeaways

• Deepening Prayer Practices: The Rosary serves as a powerful tool for building a daily prayer habit and fostering a closer relationship with Jesus and Mary.

• Symbolism of Light: Understanding the Transfiguration through the lens of light enhances the appreciation of Jesus' divine nature and His role in illuminating truth and beauty.

• Integration of Art and Scripture: Utilizing sacred art and scripture meditation enriches the spiritual journey, making theological concepts tangible and personal.

• Community and Support: Engaging with resources like the Rosary in a Year prayer plan and supporting the podcast community aids in sustaining one's spiritual growth.

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For Further Engagement: Listeners are encouraged to download the complete prayer plan from Ascension Press or text RIY to 33777 for an outline of the monthly prayer journey. Special features and full Rosary recordings are available on the Ascension app, providing additional depth to the prayer experience.

Transcript

[Mark Mary]

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.

[Unknown Friar]

This is day 137.

[Mark Mary]

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 [e-mail] support.

[Unknown Friar]

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.

[Unknown Participant]

Amen.

[Unknown Friar]

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

[Unknown Participant]

Is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Unknown Friar]

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

[Unknown Participant]

Amen.

[Unknown Friar]

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

[Unknown Participant]

Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Unknown Friar]

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

[Unknown Participant]

Amen.

[Unknown Friar]

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

[Unknown Participant]

Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Unknown Friar]

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

[Unknown Participant]

Amen.

[Unknown Friar]

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

[Unknown Participant]

Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Unknown Friar]

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

[Unknown Participant]

Amen.

[Unknown Friar]

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

[Unknown Participant]

Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Unknown Friar]

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

[Unknown Participant]

Amen.

[Unknown Friar]

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

[Unknown Participant]

Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Unknown Friar]

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

[Unknown Participant]

Amen.

[Unknown Friar]

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

[Unknown Participant]

Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Unknown Friar]

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

[Unknown Participant]

Amen.

[Unknown Friar]

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

[Unknown Participant]

Is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Unknown Friar]

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

[Unknown Participant]

Amen.

[Unknown Friar]

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

[Unknown Participant]

Is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Unknown Friar]

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

[Unknown Participant]

Amen.

[Unknown Friar]

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

[Unknown Participant]

Is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Unknown Friar]

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

[Unknown Participant]

Amen.

[Unknown Friar]

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.

[Unknown Participant]

Amen.

[Unknown Friar]

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

[Unknown Participant]

Amen.

[Unknown Friar]

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.