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Foreign.

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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.

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This is day 161.

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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 us@ascensionpress.com support.

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Today we will be meditating upon and praying with the third Sorrowful Mystery, the Crowning of Thorns, with help from a painting entitled Ecce Homo by the artist Caravaggio. So our artist, as we had yesterday, is Caravaggio and again he was born in the year 1571, died in the year 1610. This particular painting was done in the year 1605 and it was likely commissioned by Cardinal Massimo Massimi as part of a competition between Caravaggio and a couple other artists. It later became part of King Philip IV's private collection in Spain and it was misattributed for centuries. It resurfaced at a Madrid auction in the year 2021 and was authenticated after extensive study by experts at Museo del Prado. The art style is psychological realism. Caravaggio captures raw human emotions, Pilot's hesitation, the soldier's cruelty mixed with pity and Christ's serene acceptance, all contributing to the narrative's tension. And there's minimal background which is true to Caravaggio's mature style. This lack of context enhances focus on the figure's emotional weight. And now a description of our painting. Humble bare chested eyes cast down. Jesus stands wearing the crown of thorns as another man places a purple cloak over his undressed shoulders. His wrists are bound and crossed at his waist he holds a branch. His shoulder length brown hair is lined with drops of his precious blood. In his meekness and amidst the mockery, Jesus still presents a quiet dignity in his submission in front of him, an old man dressed as a Renaissance statesman wrinkles his forehead as he turns his gaze to the viewer. His gesture towards Jesus evokes the title Ecce Homo. Behold the man. What Pontius Pilate spoke as he put the fate of Jesus to the vote. A vindictive crowd behind Jesus. The man placing the cloak stands with his jaw ajar in a moment of reflection and perhaps of comprehension as he views up close the face of Jesus. His face communicates he may sense that there's something deep and consequential occurring in contrast to the subtle realization of that man. Pilate is brash. His eyes are knowing, piercing, yet detached, as he coarsely carries on the sentencing despite what he knows. I really believe, especially with today's painting, what's important for us is to try and create the time to really look at Jesus, take him in in our own personal prayer, and then respond from the heart as we're move as a step in the right direction and an aid to getting you started. I'll just share a few thoughts. I feel like the intention of Caravaggio and what he wants the viewer to do today is quite explicit through the gesture of Pontius Pilate, right? He says, like, look at him. I present to you your Lord. This is what Pilate's hands say. This is what I believe Caravaggio is saying. And this is what I'll say, like, let's look at him. And as I look at him personally, my immediate and deepest movement, actually a visceral movement, is to contrition and deep sorrow for the ways in which my own sin has made this moment necessary. And I move from this repetition of Jesus. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. What I might also propose is that this is a great painting to spend time with during an examination of conscience, perhaps like a daily one, your nightly one, but especially before going to confession. In an examination, we reflect not only on the particular sins that we need to confess, but it's important for us also to behold, if you will like, the consequence of our sin, which in a way, we see here, right, in the mockery, in the pain of our Lord crowned with thorns. And so we take a moment to just be still here, to look at him, to implore him, to console him. But even now, like, even today, we don't, if you will, like, set up our tent here, right? We don't make our home in darkness and shame. And as we leave, kind of like what I want you to do is to let the light reflecting off of Jesus own body be like the light of a flickering sanctuary candle in a dark church, the sensible reminder that light remains. Darkness is not victorious, because he is the Lord. So even in Jesus scourging, even in his crowning of thorns, there is light. And even in this darkness, there is hope. Because he who we behold is the Lord. And even this he will order, even this he will conquer for good. He will rise. And in his rising, we too will share in his victory. So today, like let us leave with the light and the hope of forgiveness of sins, of new life in Christ and in sharing in his ultimate and eternal victory. Behold the man. Behold the power of God. We who have shared, if you will, in his crowning of thorns, through his mercy, through his rising, through our repentance, will actually share in his victory, will actually share and his kingship. And so now, my brothers and sisters, with Mary, let us pray. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.