Day 152: St. Joseph’s Offering - The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames)

Day 152: St. Joseph’s Offering

Sun Jun 01 2025

We continue our series focusing on St. Joseph’s presence with the Presentation in the Temple. In today’s art, we see Joseph offering the turtle doves, artistically representing what also is happening interiorly, Fr. Mark-Mary says. St. Joseph’s heart was surely sorrowful when Simeon prophesied that a sword would pierce Mary’s heart, and yet he said yes to the Father alongside her. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Presentation in the Temple 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 in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

Summary

Podcast Summary: Day 152 – St. Joseph’s Offering

Introduction

In Episode Day 152: St. Joseph’s Offering of The Rosary in a Year podcast, hosted by Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR, listeners embark on a contemplative journey surrounding the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. Released on June 1, 2025, this episode delves deep into the role of St. Joseph during this pivotal moment in the Holy Family's life, drawing insights from a historical painting and reflecting on the profound implications of Simeon's prophecy.

Exploring the Sacred Art: The Presentation at the Church of St. Havel

Fr. Mark-Mary begins the episode by introducing a historical painting from the Church of St. Havel in Prague, likely dating back to the 17th or 18th century. He provides a vivid description of the artwork, emphasizing its intricate details:

"At the center of the painting, Mary in a fine blue toga bears in her arms the infant Jesus, who is sitting up, aware and present, and she offers him to a man in a priestly robe."
[00:00] Fr. Mark-Mary

Fr. Francis adds depth by identifying the priest as Simeon:

"This we know to be Simeon."
[02:02] Fr. Francis

The painting is depicted as bustling with onlookers, including St. Joseph in the background:

"Behind him, St. Joseph, cape billowing in the wind, passes two doves to an attendant at the temple."
[02:05] Fr. Mark-Mary

St. Joseph’s Role in the Presentation

The discussion shifts to St. Joseph's presence in the painting and his significance in the narrative:

"As we pray today with the fourth joyful mystery, the presentation of Jesus in the temple, we're going to keep with the theme of reflecting on St. Joseph and how he is taking part in and experiencing these different events in the life of the holy family."
[03:30] Fr. Mark-Mary

Fr. Mark-Mary emphasizes Joseph's active role:

"He is making the offering. What I believe here is that St. Joseph in the presentation is going to be invited to make another offering, a deeper offering."
[03:31] Fr. Mark-Mary

Reflecting on Simeon's Prophecy and Its Impact on St. Joseph

A significant portion of the episode focuses on Simeon's prophecy to Mary and its emotional and spiritual impact on St. Joseph:

"Like Jesus, like Mary, he says yes, he submits. So today, as we pray, I'll invite you to reflect on this reality, right? That today a loving husband who has embraced his God-given call to care for and to protect his wife... hears that her soul is going to be pierced by a sword."
[07:48 - 08:36] Fr. Mark-Mary & Fr. Francis

Fr. Mark-Mary poignantly describes Joseph's internal struggle:

"I imagine Joseph's hearing of these words being received like a blow to the stomach which knocks all the wind out of him. And how he, too, like Mary, would have to ponder this prayerfully in his own heart."
[04:37] Fr. Mark-Mary

This reflection illustrates Joseph's profound faith and obedience despite foreseeing future suffering:

"But he doesn't rebel. He remains faithful."
[08:36] Fr. Mark-Mary

Parallels Between St. Joseph and Mary

The episode draws parallels between St. Joseph's and Mary's roles within the Holy Family, highlighting their mutual support and unwavering faith:

"Like Mary's mission of mother who so desired to protect her son, she's not able to protect him from all harm... Joseph too, right? Joseph has been called to provide for Mary and to protect her."
[07:10 - 07:48] Fr. Mark-Mary

Fr. Francis underscores Joseph's steadfastness:

"St. Joseph, the righteous man, says yes."
[08:39] Fr. Francis

Surrendering to God's Will

Fr. Mark-Mary encourages listeners to emulate St. Joseph's example of surrendering to God's will:

"He has come to love and to delight in and to protect Mary... he says yes, he submits... he remains faithful."
[08:06 - 08:39] Fr. Mark-Mary & Fr. Francis

This surrender is portrayed as a model for personal spiritual growth and deeper relationship with God.

Concluding Reflections and Prayer

The episode culminates in a communal prayer, led by Fr. Francis and joined by Fr. Joseph, reinforcing the themes of faith, obedience, and trust in God's plan. This prayer serves as a practical application of the day's reflections, inviting listeners to integrate these spiritual insights into their daily lives.

Conclusion

Day 152: St. Joseph’s Offering offers a thoughtful exploration of St. Joseph's role during the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, enriched by artistic interpretation and theological reflection. Fr. Mark-Mary Ames guides listeners to a deeper understanding of faith, obedience, and the profound mysteries of the Rosary, fostering a more intimate relationship with Jesus and Mary. Through this episode, listeners are inspired to emulate St. Joseph's unwavering faith and commitment, making the Rosary a transformative source of grace in their spiritual journeys.

Transcript

Fr. Mark Mary (0:00)

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 152. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a year, visit ascensionpress.com forward/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 will be meditating upon and praying with the fourth joyful Mystery, the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, with help from a painting of the presentation at the Church of St. Havel in Prague. Now a brief introduction to our painting. The artist is unknown and the time period is actually uncertain. It's probably from the 17th or the 18th century. The church itself was built in the year 1232, but over its long history it's added a collection of sacred art, so we don't have much background actually for the painting today. So now we can go ahead and move into our description. At the center of the painting, Mary in a fine blue toga bears in her arms the infant Jesus, who is sitting up, aware and present, and she offers him to a man in a priestly robe.

Fr. Francis (2:02)

This we know to be Simeon.

Fr. Mark Mary (2:05)

One woman attends to the priest and even supports his arm, receiving Jesus from below. Another woman in a blue hood, crosses her arms and bends her knees in emotion and observance. Behind him, St. Joseph, Cape billowing in the wind, passes two doves to an attendant at the temple. Around them, the painting is brimming with onlookers. To the right, two young altar boys wear surpluses and carry poles with candles. From the far left, mothers and daughters in traditional European garb, as well as a man dressed as a cloaked sojourner stand in the temple and intently observe the scene through the classical arches. In the back, three heads pop in from a lower level, and many others. They watch in Light and in shadows. As Mary presents her son Jesus in the temple. As we pray today with the fourth joyful mystery, the presentation of Jesus in the temple, we're going to keep with the theme of reflecting on St. Joseph and how he is taking part in and experiencing these different events in the life of the holy family. And as I've been praying with the presentation in the Gospel of Luke and are painting today, my heart's deeply moved, right? We have St. Joseph in the back today.