Day 138: Rest in All Things

Summary

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

Episode: Day 138: Rest in All Things

Date: May 18, 2026
Host: Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR (speaking/reading portions attributed also to Fr. Mike Schmitz per transcript)
Theme: Finding Deep Peace in the Institution of the Eucharist

Episode Overview

In this episode, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames guides listeners through a visio divina (prayerful meditation with sacred art) focused on the fifth Luminous Mystery: the Institution of the Eucharist. Using Giacomo Raffaelli’s micro mosaic The Last Supper (after Leonardo da Vinci), Fr. Mark-Mary leads listeners to contemplate the serenity and power of Jesus amid turmoil and betrayal, drawing comparisons to other moments of Gospel peace amid chaos and inviting the listener to seek rest in God, regardless of life’s storms. The episode concludes with the recitation of the decade for this mystery.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to the Artwork and Its Setting

• Artwork: Focus is on Raffaelli's micro mosaic "The Last Supper," a detailed mosaic reproduction of da Vinci’s famous work ([00:56]).
• Visual Details:
  • Jesus at the center with open arms, bread and wine before him, surrounded by expressive apostles—each reacting individually to the news that one among them will betray him ([02:04]-[03:03]).
  • Notably, a "dynamic pause"—though a moment frozen in the image, there’s a sense of movement and different emotional responses.

2. Meditation on the Scene: Dynamic Tension and Jesus’ Rest

• The apostles’ reactions range from “curiosity, fascination, surprise, peace, anger, bewilderment” ([02:31]).
• Among the disciples: one “holds a knife,” Judas grabs the money bag, John’s eyes are closed in contemplative sorrow or love ([03:58]).
• Jesus remains at rest:
  • In the midst of noise and discord, “our eyes find Jesus at rest. And what I experience as an invitation from Jesus to rest.” ([04:15])
  • Connects this peace to the episode of Jesus sleeping during the storm on the Sea of Galilee ([05:06]).

Notable Quote:

• "As our eyes finish scanning the reaction of the apostles, and they come at last to rest on Jesus...I experience an invitation from Jesus to rest."
  — Fr. Mark-Mary ([04:15])

3. Theological Reflection: The Peace of Jesus in All Circumstances

• Jesus’ rest stems from knowledge of His identity and relationship with the Father:
  • “Jesus knows who he is, and he knows who his Father is.” ([06:17])
  • “Jesus is Lord, Jesus is God, Jesus is in control.” ([06:37])
• Jesus’ peace isn’t detachment:
  • He’s “not afraid of the storm because he is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. The oceans are vulnerable before him...” ([06:21])
• The power dynamic:
  • “No one takes his life from him. But he lays it down freely. And on the third day, he will take it back up again. Because before Jesus, death is powerless and not vice versa.” ([07:36])

Notable Quote:

• “We may not have the ability to control the waves like Jesus, but we do have the ability to submit to the Father like Jesus...so we too can have peace.”
  — Fr. Mark-Mary ([07:55])

4. Personal Application and Invitation to Prayer

• Encourages a prayerful response:
  • Asking for “the grace of repentance, for our lack of faith and its sister lack of peace.” ([08:22])
  • Contemplate Christ's calm, strength, and confidence at the Last Supper.
• Emphasizes Christ’s sovereignty even in the face of suffering and evil:
  • “He is the Alpha and the Omega... He is the one who put the oceans in their place... air in the lungs of those who will condemn him to death... muscle on the arms that will strike him and nail him to the wood of the Cross.” ([08:44]-[09:00])

Notable Quote:

• “To each of us he speaks again today: 'Be not afraid.'”
  — Fr. Mark-Mary ([09:48])

5. Rosary Decade: Fifth Luminous Mystery — The Institution of the Eucharist

• Leads the prayers for a full decade, inviting listeners to join in reflecting and seeking Christ’s peace ([09:54]-[13:08]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments with Timestamps

• On the dynamic pause:
  • “I call it a dynamic pause because it’s obviously like a still shot of the event, but there’s a whole lot of movement in the mosaic, in the image, this specific moment in time.” ([03:27])
• Peace in turmoil:
  • “Jesus remains at rest, and he remains filled with peace.” ([05:48])
• About surrender:
  • “Jesus doesn’t take control. He allows things to unfold in submission to the Father’s plan, to the point of death on a cross.” ([07:52])
• On prayerful response:
  • “Let us contemplate Jesus seated at His Last Supper. Notice his calm, notice his peace. Notice his strength, his confidence.” ([08:22])
• Final spiritual encouragement:
  • “May our faith in him give us a share in his peace. Because he is the Lord. And to each of us he speaks again today: Be not afraid.” ([09:28]-[09:48])

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Key Timestamps

• Introduction to artwork and mosaic — [00:56]-[02:57]
• Describing apostles’ reactions at the table — [03:01]-[03:58]
• Meditative reflection on Jesus’s rest and the storm — [04:15]-[05:55]
• Jesus as Lord in all things — [06:17]-[07:36]
• Invitation to surrender and peace — [07:55]-[08:44]
• Proclamation of Christ’s divine authority — [08:44]-[09:28]
• “Be not afraid.” and transition to prayer — [09:48]-[09:54]
• Rosary Decade (Our Father, Hail Mary x10, Glory Be) — [09:54]-[13:08]

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Summary & Takeaways

• This episode draws listeners into a contemplative meditation on peace amid chaos, exemplified by Jesus both at the Last Supper and during the storm, inviting imitation of His calm through union with God’s will.
• The visual meditation on Raffaelli’s mosaic helps listeners “rest their gaze” on Christ, encouraging a trust that leads to interior peace no matter the circumstances.
• The message closes with a call to “be not afraid,” inviting practical trust and surrender, before leading into prayer with Mary through the Rosary.

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For a complete prayer plan, additional sacred art, and daily readings, visit ascensionpress.com/riy.

Transcript

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

Foreign.

[Introduction Narrator]

Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars with 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]

This is day 138.

[Introduction Narrator]

To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a year, visit ascensionpress.comrosaryinayear 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 images of the sacred art we'll be reflecting on.

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

Today. We will be meditating and praying with the fifth luminous mystery, the institution of the Eucharist, with help from an image entitled the Last Supper by Giacomo Raffaelli, which is inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. All right, so brief introduction to our artist and artwork today. Our artist is Giacomo Raffaelli. He was an Italian mosaicist from Rome, meaning he made mosaics. So our artwork today is actually a mosaic, or more specifically what's called a micro mosaic. A micro mosaic is art composed of tiny pieces of colored glass that when viewed from afar, look like a painting. In this image, this micro mosaic is a copy of Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting the Last Supper. Okay, now a description of the mosaic

[Prayer Leader]

itself,

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

the Last Supper. It's a wall sized artwork that features a long rectangular banquet table with a white tablecloth covered in dishes and plates and cups of wine and loaves of bread. Jesus is seated at the center of the table with his arms open. On the table, his right hand is facing down and his left palm is facing up. Six disciples are seated to his right and six to his left. Their hands and their faces are expressive and everyone presents with a unique response, communicating curiosity, fascination, surprise, peace, anger, bewilderment as they react to the words of Jesus who has just revealed to them that one of them will betray him. One of those seated at the table

[Prayer Leader]

holds a knife

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

and yet in the center of the image, exuding calm, is Jesus.

[Prayer Reader]

His eyes are downcast

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

and before him are a piece of bread and a cup of wine. Today's micro mosaic. Today's artwork presents us with what I'll

[Prayer Reader]

call a dynamic pause during the Last

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

Supper and the institution of the most Holy Eucharist. And to be honest, most of my praying with the fifth luminous mystery has me focus on the gift of the Eucharist, his presence in the Eucharist, etc. And not often, probably not often enough with the actual Gospel accounts of the institution. And that's what our artist today does. And I call it a dynamic pause because it's obviously like a still shot of the event, but there's a whole

[Prayer Leader]

lot of movement in mosaic in the

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

image, the specific moment in time. It's just after Jesus is revealed, that one of them would betray him. One of those seated there would betray him. And in a way that's, like, probably quite relatable. We notice the commotion that these words of Jesus caused. And all of the apostles are basically having different responses. They're arguing. Someone's standing in, like, a great position of, like, attention and readiness, like, ready to spring, ready to act. There's objection. And we have Judas grabbing the money bag, and we have John with his eyes closed, depicting either contemplation or love or a broken heart. But as our eyes finish scanning the reaction of the apostles, and they come at last to rest on Jesus. Jesus who's at the center of the table, our eyes find Jesus at rest. And what I experience as an invitation from Jesus to rest. And perhaps what's happening here at the Last Supper is very consistent, very near.

[Introduction Narrator]

Like, what.

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

What took place in that little boat caught up in the big storm, right? Remember how the disciples, they were in the storm and. And the waves were crashing like they were busy and they were anxious, and then they. They were kind of frustrated with Jesus as he just slept through the storm. They awoke him, right? He rebuked their lack of faith, and then he commanded the waves. And there was calm, and there was peace, and there were still waters. Jesus, as his words, you know, reveal,

[Prayer Reader]

like, he knew he would be betrayed

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

by one of the 12. Jesus knew of his upcoming arrest and trial. He knew about his passion. Yet Jesus remains at rest, and he remains filled with peace.

[Prayer Reader]

Like, why?

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

And this isn't just Jesus disassociating with reality but remaining firmly and deeply rooted in reality. Jesus knows who he is, and he

[Prayer Reader]

knows who his Father is.

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

He knows he is God going back to the storm. Like, Jesus isn't afraid of the storm because he is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Like, the oceans are vulnerable before him. The oceans are powerless before him and not vice versa. Likewise, Jesus remains at peace before the waves and thunder of world events because they are vulnerable to Him. They are powerless before him and not vice versa. Or in other words, Jesus is Lord, Jesus is God, Jesus is in control. Jesus is always in the place of power, right? There is nothing outside of his providence and there's nothing that he can't conquer. And so he has rest in all things at all times. He is at peace here, even at His Last Supper. He is at peace even before the storm of His Passion, which will in fact take his life and cause great human suffering to him. Because even here, no one takes his life from him. But he lays it down freely. And on the third day, he will take it back up again. Because before Jesus, death is powerless and not vice versa. And yet Jesus doesn't take control. He allows things to unfold in submission to the Father's plan, to the point

[Prayer Leader]

of death on a cross.

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

We may not have the ability to control the waves like Jesus, but we do have the ability to submit to the Father like Jesus, entrusting like Jesus in the Father's plan and surrendering to his will, so we too can have peace.

[Prayer Leader]

As we pray today, let us like

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

sincerely ask for the grace of repentance, for our lack of faith and its sister lack of peace. Let us contemplate Jesus seated at His Last Supper. Notice his calm, notice his peace. Notice his strength, his confidence.

[Prayer Leader]

He is the Alpha and the Omega.

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

He is the one who put the

[Prayer Leader]

oceans in their place.

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

He is the one who put air

[Prayer Leader]

in the lungs of those who will condemn him to death.

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

He is the One who put muscle

[Prayer Reader]

on the arms that will strike him

[Prayer Leader]

and nail him to the wood of the Cross.

[Prayer Reader]

He is the Lord.

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

And he was born for this moment, right this moment of his passion. And he will soon be glorified in it. Because, like through Jesus, even death loses its sting. My brothers and sisters, the same Jesus remains in control. The same Jesus remains with us. The same Jesus.

[Prayer Reader]

We worship, we visit, we receive in

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

the most Holy Eucharist. May our faith in him give us a share in his peace. Because he is the Lord. And to each of us he speaks again today.

[Prayer Reader]

Be not afraid.

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

[Prayer Leader]

on earth as it is in heaven.

[Prayer Reader]

Give us this day our daily bread

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive Those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

[Prayer Reader]

Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace.

The Lord is with the blessed art

[Prayer Leader]

thou among women, and blessed is the

[Prayer Reader]

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

[Prayer Leader]

thou among women and blessed is the

[Prayer Reader]

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

[Prayer Leader]

thou among women and blessed is the

[Prayer Reader]

fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for

us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

Amen.

[Prayer Reader]

Hail Mary, full of grace.

The Lord is with the blessed art

[Prayer Leader]

thou among women, and blessed is the

[Prayer Reader]

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

[Prayer Leader]

thou among women, and blessed is the

[Prayer Reader]

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

[Prayer Leader]

thou among women and blessed is the

[Prayer Reader]

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

[Prayer Leader]

thou among women, and blessed is the

[Prayer Reader]

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

[Prayer Leader]

thou among women, and blessed is the

[Prayer Reader]

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

[Prayer Leader]

thou among women, and blessed is the

[Prayer Reader]

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

[Prayer Leader]

thou among women, and blessed is the

[Prayer Reader]

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

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is

[Prayer Reader]

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.

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

Thanks so much for joining me and praying with me today.

[Prayer Reader]

I look forward to continuing this journey

with you again tomorrow.

[Fr. Mike Schmitz]

Poco. Poco. Friends, God bless y'.

[Introduction Narrator]

All.