Day 150: God Will Provide

Summary

The Rosary in a Year: Day 150 - "God Will Provide"

Introduction

In Episode Day 150: God Will Provide of The Rosary in a Year podcast, hosted by Fr. Mark-Mary Ames of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFR) and brought to you by Ascension, listeners are guided through a profound meditation on the second joyful mystery of the Rosary—the Visitation. Fr. Mark-Mary Ames invites both seasoned and new practitioners to deepen their prayer life through structured daily prayer and meaningful reflections.

Overview of Today's Meditation

Fr. Mark-Mary Ames begins by encouraging listeners to engage with the second joyful mystery, the Visitation, through a detailed meditation facilitated by a beautiful piece of sacred art. He outlines how this episode builds upon the previous day's reflection on the Annunciation, emphasizing the continuity and growth in the spiritual journey.

“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.”
— Fr. Mark-Mary Ames (00:04)

Art and Symbolism

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to analyzing a painting by Federico Maldarelli, created around 1889 and housed in the Chiesa de Santi Severino Esosio. Fr. Mark-Mary Ames provides historical context and a vivid description of the artwork, highlighting its idyllic setting with blue skies, pink clouds, and lush greenery. The painting depicts:

• Our Lady Mary at the center, radiating serenity and strength
• Elizabeth, portrayed with tenderness, gesturing towards Mary’s pregnancy
• St. Joseph, symbolizing paternal care and protection
• Zechariah and attendants, representing the broader community of faith

“The goal of the artist in today's painting is to highlight the presence of Jesus, the presence of the long-form Messiah in the womb of the Blessed Mother.”
— Fr. Mark-Mary Ames (06:28)

The Role of St. Joseph

Fr. Mark-Mary Ames delves deeper into the often-overlooked presence of St. Joseph during the Visitation. Although not explicitly mentioned in the Gospel accounts, he posits Joseph's involvement based on contextual clues and the natural assumption of his protective and supportive role.

“St. Joseph is an icon of the Father's paternal care for Mary. God's looking out for her, his provision for her, of protecting her...”
— Fr. Mark-Mary Ames (04:33)

He draws parallels between St. Joseph's steadfastness and God's own fatherly love, emphasizing how Joseph's presence symbolizes emotional and spiritual safety for Mary.

“I think him traveling with Mary, loving her, protecting her, providing for her, guiding her, making her, like, feel and in fact be safe, I think that's just the most obvious thing in the world.”
— Fr. Mark-Mary Ames (06:18)

Imaginative Prayer Invitation

Inviting listeners to engage in imaginative prayer, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames encourages reflection on the journey of Joseph and Mary together. He underscores the importance of visualizing their interactions to foster a deeper connection with their faith and the protective role of St. Joseph in our lives.

“Enter into a space of imaginative prayer, reflecting on how they interacted, how safe Mary felt in his presence...”
— Fr. Mark-Mary Ames (07:36)

This approach not only personalizes the prayer experience but also enables believers to seek St. Joseph’s protection and guidance in areas where they feel vulnerable.

The Rosary Recitation

Following the reflections, the podcast leads listeners through the traditional recitation of The Rosary, encompassing the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be prayers. This collective prayer serves as a unifying practice, reinforcing the themes discussed and fostering a communal spirit among listeners.

Conclusion

Fr. Mark-Mary Ames concludes the episode by expressing gratitude for the community’s participation and looking forward to continuing the journey in the subsequent days. He reiterates the transformative power of the Rosary in fostering a deeper relationship with Jesus and Mary.

“I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. Poco. Poco. Friends. God bless y'all.”
— Fr. Mark-Mary Ames (11:53)

Key Takeaways

• Building a Daily Prayer Habit: Establishing a consistent prayer routine through the Rosary enhances spiritual growth.
• Relationship with Jesus and Mary: The Rosary serves as a conduit for developing a profound connection with the Divine and the Blessed Mother.
• Biblical Foundations: Understanding the scriptural underpinnings of the Rosary enriches its practice.
• Meditation with Sacred Art: Utilizing visual art, saint writings, and scripture as tools for deeper meditation.
• Mary’s Influence: Recognizing Mary’s maternal and intercessory roles in the believer's life.

Notable Quotes

• Fr. Mark-Mary Ames (04:33): “St. Joseph is an icon of the Father's paternal care for Mary.”
• Fr. Mark-Mary Ames (06:18): “I think him traveling with Mary, loving her, protecting her, providing for her, guiding her, making her, like, feel and in fact be safe, I think that's just the most obvious thing in the world.”
• Fr. Mark-Mary Ames (07:36): “Enter into a space of imaginative prayer, reflecting on how they interacted, how safe Mary felt in his presence...”

Additional Resources

For listeners seeking to follow along with the prayer plan or delve deeper into the Rosary in a Year, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames directs them to ascensionpress.com/riy for the complete prayer guide and additional materials.

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This detailed summary encapsulates the essence of Episode Day 150: God Will Provide, offering a comprehensive overview for those who wish to engage with the content without having listened to the episode.

Transcript

[Unknown]

Foreign.

[Mark Mary]

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 a Year is brought to you by Ascension.

[Franciscan Friar]

This is day 150.

[Mark Mary]

To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a year, visit ascensionpress.com forward/rosaryinayear or.

[Franciscan Friar]

Text RIY to 33777.

[Mark Mary]

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.

[Franciscan Friar]

Copy of the Rosary in a Year.

[Mark Mary]

Prayer Guide, a book published by Ascension that was designed to complement this podcast.

[Franciscan Friar]

You'll find all the daily readings from.

[Mark Mary]

Scripture, saint reflections and beautiful images of the sacred art will be reflecting on.

[Franciscan Friar]

Today.

[Mark Mary]

We will be meditating upon and praying with the second joyful mystery, the Visitation. With help from a visitation scene, a painting in the Chiesa de Santi Severino Esosio by Federico Maldarelli and now brief introduction to our artist and artwork. Federico Maldarelli lived in the year 1826-1893. He was an Italian painter from Naples and his dad was also a painter. This particular painting we're going to be looking at, which again is found in a church, was done in about the year 1889. Now our description of the painting against an idyllic backdrop of blue skies, pink clouds, and lush greenery, a group gathers.

[Franciscan Friar]

On the stone porch of a fine home.

[Mark Mary]

At the center, in a pink dress.

[Franciscan Friar]

Yellow head wrap, and teal outer garment, Our lady stands, eyes raised to heaven.

[Mark Mary]

Her figure round in pregnancy, clasping her.

[Franciscan Friar]

Chest with one hand and holding the.

[Mark Mary]

Other hand, low and open in turquoise.

[Franciscan Friar]

A woman, Elizabeth, crouches at her side, one hand on her own round belly, the other gesturing towards Mary's rounded abdomen.

[Mark Mary]

Two men are on either side of them. St. Joseph with a walking stick offers a bow. The other is older Zechariah, and he's.

[Franciscan Friar]

Close to the door in a purple.

[Mark Mary]

Robe, standing upright and hands spread wide.

[Franciscan Friar]

Attendants in white look on from the.

[Mark Mary]

Doorway, and others gather, working in the back. Now, before getting into some of the specifics of today's painting, let's get a little reminder of what has taken place since yesterday's mystery. The Annunciation. This is from the Gospel of Matthew Chapter one. Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And a few verses later, it says, when Joseph woke from sleep, he did.

[Franciscan Friar]

As the angel of the Lord commanded him.

[Mark Mary]

Yesterday, the Annunciation, right, The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her she was to be the mother of Jesus. And remember how we encountered her so little, so young, so innocent and so vulnerable.

[Franciscan Friar]

And the Father, God, the Father, saw that.

[Mark Mary]

So he sent an angel to Joseph as well to give him an admission or an encouragement on his mission to take Mary as his wife, to protect Mary, to care for Mary, to accompany Mary, to rejoice in Mary and to love Mary. And I believe that St. Joseph is an icon of the Father's paternal care for Mary. God's looking out for her, his provision for her, of protecting her, so that she may not only experience safety in him and God, but also experience, like human safety, emotional safety, in the strong.

[Franciscan Friar]

And loving care of St. Joseph.

[Mark Mary]

And I really, I believe this is just a very important insight into the heart of God and his fatherly love of Mary. So today, in this painting of the visitation, who do we find present with Mary at the entryway at the porch to the home of Elizabeth and zechariah? We find St. Joseph. Now, I realize that the gospel itself, like, doesn't explicitly say that Joseph travels with Mary to the home of Elizabeth and Zachariah. And the account of the visitation in Luke's gospel, right, like, it doesn't mention him by name, but I think he had to be there. So the question, right, can you know something is true without it being explicitly mentioned? I think so. And I'll use kind of an obvious example. Like, if I were to say, I went fishing on my friend's boat yesterday, like, you better believe there was some water present, right? Like, I didn't explicitly say that we were on the water, but if we were on a boat and we were fishing, I think everyone is going to have a lot of confidence that water was present as well. And I guess that might be a little bit of a ridiculous example. And I know it's not a perfect comparison, but, like, let's look at the details. We have St. Joseph, the best of men, a righteous man who had an angel appear to him and told him to take Mary as his wife. Okay? And then we have Mary, this very young woman who was recently with child. Right again. Who's so vulnerable in the world, who's going to make about an 80 mile journey. You think St. Joseph's just going to say, like, see you later, just going.

[Franciscan Friar]

To let her go alone?

[Mark Mary]

Like, I think him traveling with Mary, loving her, protecting her, providing for her, guiding her, making her, like, feel and in fact be safe, I think that's just the most obvious thing in the world. And I realized the goal of the artist in today's painting, like, it's to highlight the presence of Jesus, the presence of the long form Messiah in the womb of the Blessed Mother. That's where the focus is. Certainly I acknowledge that, but I'd also like to spend some time with St. Joseph and his presence there today as it's not a detail that we've discussed or prayed with to this point on our journey. And I find it so profoundly moving. And again, such a beautiful insight into the heart of God, particularly the fatherly heart of God for Mary and like the heart of St. Joseph for her and for us. And so this is a theme that we're going to come back to a couple times in these next couple of episodes as we journey through the joyful mysteries again. So as we pray today, I'll invite you to reflect on perhaps the journey that Joseph and Mary made together. And so if you can, enter into a space of imaginative prayer, reflecting on how they interacted, how safe Mary felt.

[Franciscan Friar]

In his presence, how grateful to God.

[Mark Mary]

She felt for St. Joseph being with.

[Franciscan Friar]

Her, this icon of his fatherly care.

[Mark Mary]

And let ourselves also be moved to worship God, to give thanks to God for his goodness and for this insight into his heart. Then lastly, let us be moved and feel confident to request St. Joseph's protection for us as well, particularly any areas in our lives where we currently feel vulnerable and unsafe, that we too may experience his protection and care.

[Franciscan Friar]

And now with Mary, let us pray in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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 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.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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.

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan 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]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

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

[Unknown]

Amen.

[Franciscan Friar]

All right.

[Mark Mary]

Thanks so much for joining me and.

[Franciscan Friar]

Praying with me again today.

[Mark Mary]

I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. Poco. Poco. Friends. God bless y' all.