Day 15: Deliver Us From Evil - The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames)

Day 15: Deliver Us From Evil

Thu Jan 15 2026

We conclude our meditations on the Our Father with Fr. Mark-Mary delving into the parable of the Good Shepherd, the Fall in Genesis, and Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, helping build our mental library as we pray the Rosary. As we pray these lines of the Our Father, we’ll have an opportunity to rejoice in the goodness of God. Today’s focus is “and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) – Day 15: Deliver Us From Evil

Episode Overview

In this episode (Day 15: Deliver Us From Evil), Fr. Mark-Mary Ames reflects on the final petition of the Our Father, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Through the lens of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, Fr. Mark-Mary explores how God not only forgives and saves us, but personally leads, protects, and heals our deep wounds of mistrust—drawing us back into communion with Himself. The meditation ties together biblical imagery, the Catechism, and the heart of the Christian life: trusting in the goodness of God.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Good Shepherd and His Flock

God as Good Shepherd: Fr. Mark-Mary introduces the idea of examining the final petition from the perspective of God as the Good Shepherd, referencing Psalm 23 and Jesus’ words about seeking the lost sheep.
- “The Lord is the good shepherd who leads his flock, who delivers, protects his flock, who lays down his life for his sheep, and who goes in search of his sheep.” (01:00)

The Garden of Eden and the Core Wound

Original Trust and Temptation: He draws parallels between Adam and Eve’s time in Eden and the trust they lost due to the devil’s temptation.
- “God, the good shepherd in creating us, he creates Adam and Eve and places them in the garden in paradise and gives them all that they need...Satan enters into this garden...He questions them. He sows seeds of doubt and distrust of the goodness of the Good Shepherd. They sin.” (02:00)
Catechism Reference (CCC 397): Fr. Mark-Mary quotes the Catechism to highlight how humanity’s wound is ultimately a lack of trust in God.
- "Man tempted by the devil let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and abusing his freedom, disobeyed God's command. This is what man's first sin consisted of. All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and a lack of trust in his goodness." (03:00)

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and Restoration

Christ’s Mission: Jesus restores not just what was lost, but brings healing to the core wound via his example and sacrifice—showing us the true depth of God’s goodness.
- “Jesus comes like the good shepherd who leaves the 99 in search of the one. And he comes searching for you. And he comes searching for me to lay down his life for his flock.” (04:25)
Restoring Trust: Jesus protects and delivers us by healing our mistrust of God’s goodness through His life, passion, and resurrection.
- “By healing up that core foundational wound where we lack a trust in God's goodness. By revealing to us the goodness of God, he reveals to us how good he is...even though we rebel against him in disobedience and sin, still he comes and loves us unto death.” (05:00)

Deliverance from Evil Through Communion

Invitation to Deep Relationship: The petition “deliver us from evil” is a plea for restoration to divine trust, communion, and protection.
- “It is in Jesus that we are being shepherded back to the kingdom of heaven, back to the authentic garden, which is a share in Jesus's own relationship with the Father.” (06:30)
Sanctifying Grace: Living in a relationship of trust and union with the Father, as Jesus perfectly does, is our ultimate protection from temptation and evil.

The Prayerful Response

Returning to the Father’s Heart: The episode ends with a prayerful call to allow the Holy Spirit to bring us into the Father’s embrace.
- “Jesus Christ, our good shepherd, bring us home. Bring us to the Father's heart where we may know his goodness and find peace.” (08:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Core of Sin (Quoting Catechism):
“All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and a lack of trust in his goodness.” (03:15)
Jesus as the Searching Shepherd:
“He comes searching for you. And he comes searching for me to lay down his life for his flock.” (04:25)
Healing the Wound:
“By revealing to us the goodness of God, he reveals to us how good he is...even though we rebel against him...still he comes and loves us unto death.” (05:15)
Ultimate Deliverance:
“We are being shepherded back to the kingdom of heaven, back to the authentic garden, which is a share in Jesus's own relationship with the Father.” (06:30)
Closing Plea:
“Jesus Christ, our good shepherd, bring us home. Bring us to the Father's heart where we may know his goodness and find peace.” (08:00)

Important Timestamps

[01:00] — Introduction: God as Good Shepherd and connection to Psalm 23
[02:00] — Retelling the Garden of Eden and humanity’s original wound
[03:00] — Catechism on sin as loss of trust in God’s goodness
[04:25] — Jesus as the Good Shepherd seeking the lost
[05:00] — How Christ heals our core wound and models trust
[06:30] — Being shepherded into communion with the Father through Christ
[08:00] — Concluding prayer for deliverance and trust in God

Conclusion

Fr. Mark-Mary’s reflection in Day 15 gently guides listeners to the heart of the Christian life: trusting the goodness of God, even in our weakness and sin. By seeing Jesus as the Good Shepherd who actively seeks out, heals, and leads each one of us, we are invited to a deeper relationship—one where the ultimate deliverance from evil comes from being restored to trust in the Father’s love. The episode ends with heartfelt prayers, grounding these truths in daily spiritual practice.

Transcript

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Foreign. Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars of 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 15. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a year, visit ascensionpress.com rosaryinnar or text R I Y to 33777. You'll get an outline of how we're going to pray each month. It's a great way to track your progress. The best place to listen this 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. I encourage you to pick up a copy of the Rosary in your 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 arts we'll be reflecting on and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. As I was praying with this, I really love the angle or the approach that I think the Lord kind of spoke to me or gave to me and I want to look at this last of the petitions of the Our Father through the lens of God as Good Shepherd. The Lord is the good shepherd who leads his flock, who delivers, protects his flock, who lays down his life for his sheep, and who goes in search of his sheep. Let's go back and look at the Garden of Eden, right? We know Psalm 23 already in the Old Testament. The Lord is revealing himself to be a good shepherd and God the good shepherd in creating us, he creates Adam and Eve and places them in the garden in paradise and gives them all that they need. Satan enters into this garden and although they had access to all they needed to resist temptation, Satan is able to tempt them. He questions them. He sows seeds of doubt and distrust of the goodness of of the Good Shepherd. They sin and this is what the Catechism says paragraph 397 man tempted by the devil let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and abusing his freedom, disobeyed God's command. This is what man's first sin consisted of. All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and a lack of trust in his goodness. The ultimate garden, the ultimate green pastures for Adam and Eve wasn't just the external realities, it was the internal. This internal home where they lived in union, in harmony, in total trust of God and through original Sin. This sin has been passed down to us. And so we all share this wound. We fall into disobedience. We continue to sin. And what is the wound? It's a lack of trust in his goodness. And Jesus comes like the good shepherd who leaves the 99 in search of the One. And he comes searching for you. And he comes searching for Me to lay down his life for his flock. Yes, Jesus dies for our sins. He saves us by the shedding of his blood. But he also comes to deliver us as the Good Shepherd. To protect us as the Good Shepherd. How? By healing up that core foundational wound where we lack a trust in God's goodness. By revealing to us the goodness of God, he reveals to us how good he is. That even though we rebel against him in disobedience and sin, still he comes and loves us unto death. The passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is how he restores us and leads us to the green pastures, the authentic deep green pastures that are a sharing in his own relationship with the Father, where we live in this truth that God is good and worthy of our trust. And so my brothers and sisters, as we are praying, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. We are invited to meditate upon again the goodness of God. And it is in Jesus that we are being shepherded back to the kingdom of heaven, back to the authentic garden, which is a share in Jesus's own relationship with the Father. And when we live here and we know his goodness, then it is here that we are protected from temptation and we are delivered from evil. In the Our Father and in these final petitions, we are asking again to encounter the truth of the heart of God, of who he is, and by grace to be shepherded back into this perfect relationship, this perfect communion where we are protected from temptation and delivered from evil by the dignity of a share in his sonship. And as the Holy Spirit cries out within us. Abba Father Jesus Christ, our good shepherd, bring us home. Bring us to the Father's heart where we may know his goodness and find peace. 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. 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. Thanks, y', all for joining me. Praying with me again today. And we'll continue the journey Poco poco tomorrow. God bless you.