Day 168: Our Shared Inheritance

Summary

Title: In-Depth Summary of "Day 168: Our Shared Inheritance" from The Rosary in a Year Podcast

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Introduction

In "Day 168: Our Shared Inheritance" of Ascension’s The Rosary in a Year podcast, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, a member of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFR), leads listeners through a profound meditation on the fifth Glorious Mystery—the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth. This episode intertwines sacred art, scripture, and theological reflection to explore the deep spiritual inheritance shared by believers and Mary, emphasizing themes of faith, suffering, and the fulfillment of God's promises.

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Today's Mystery and Sacred Artwork

Fr. Ames begins by introducing the focus of the day: the fifth Glorious Mystery of the Rosary, which celebrates Mary's coronation in heaven. He presents the artwork accompanying the meditation, "Glory of Mary in Heaven" by Giuseppe Mattia Bargnini, an Italian painter and architect from the 18th century.

“Among blue and silver clouds, with thick clusters and rows of angels, the Virgin Mary beams a wide smile to God...” [00:00]

He provides historical context about Bargnini, detailing his artistic journey from his humble beginnings to his work across Bologna, Venice, Paris, and London. The fresco, likely created around 1725, adorns the central dome of the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta, serving as a focal point of divine and artistic harmony.

Fr. Ames offers a vivid description of the fresco:

• Virgin Mary: Radiates joy as she receives a crown from the Holy Trinity.
• Holy Trinity: Depicted with Jesus as a youthful figure, God the Father as an older man, and the Holy Spirit as a dove.
• Surrounding Saints: Includes St. Joseph holding lilies, St. John the Baptist, St. Anne, and others, symbolizing the intertwining of the spiritual and earthly realms.

“The harmonious composition conveys a sense of divine order and holiness as the spiritual and earthly realms beautifully intertwine.” [00:00]

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St. Joseph and Our Shared Inheritance

Transitioning to a deeper meditation, Fr. Ames focuses on St. Joseph’s role and presence during Mary's Visitation. He posits that St. Joseph was present when Mary sang her Magnificat and heard Simeon’s prophecy, emphasizing Joseph’s faith amidst suffering.

“He placed always his ultimate hope in God… loving and honoring Mary as best he could.” [05:25]

Fr. Ames reflects on Joseph’s emotional resilience:

• Suffering with Faith: Joseph experiences the pain of Simeon’s prophecy but counters it by recalling Mary’s Magnificat, maintaining his trust in God’s promises.
• Enduring Suffering: Like St. Joseph, believers face hardships but are called to sustain their faith and honor God through their trials.

He draws parallels between St. Joseph, St. Anne, and St. John the Baptist, highlighting their shared experiences of suffering and steadfast faith, ultimately culminating in heavenly reward.

“She is home. She's with the Most Holy Trinity forever.” [06:19]

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The Beatitudes and Divine Promises

Fr. Ames delves into the Beatitudes, referencing Pope Benedict XVI’s commentary on their promise-driven nature. He underscores that the Beatitudes are not merely aspirations but divine promises that believers share through baptism.

“The meek will inherit the earth… those who hunger and thirst for righteousness… will be satisfied.” [07:30]

He emphasizes that these promises are partially fulfilled in the present through the life of Christ and fully realized in the afterlife. This dual fulfillment provides hope and encourages believers to persevere through present sufferings.

“We are all ready now, right? Sharing in this blessing by sharing in the life of Christ that we receive in baptism. So even now we are blessed.” [08:09]

Fr. Ames encourages listeners to adopt St. Joseph’s practice of recalling God’s promises when facing hardships, fostering a resilient and hopeful faith.

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Encouragement and Application for Listeners

Moving towards practical application, Fr. Ames invites listeners to internalize the joy depicted in the fresco and to seek the grace to experience similar joy and hope in their own lives.

“Let us ask for the grace to experience joy even now, and to receive the grace of hope that one day we too will receive our crown.” [11:48]

He reinforces that believers share in Mary’s inheritance—the promise of God—and are blessed in their spiritual journey despite current struggles. This shared inheritance assures believers of ultimate victory and fulfillment in heaven.

“Like St. Joseph, we too are blessed here and now. Our inheritance is the promise of God.” [11:33]

Fr. Ames emphasizes perseverance in faith, drawing strength from Mary’s example and the fulfilled promises of God, encouraging listeners to remain steadfast despite present challenges.

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Conclusion and Prayers

The episode concludes with a guided prayer session, fostering a communal and meditative prayer experience. Fr. Ames leads the Hail Marys and the Glory Be, reinforcing the themes of joy, hope, and divine promise.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• “Among blue and silver clouds, with thick clusters and rows of angels, the Virgin Mary beams a wide smile to God...” [00:00]
• “He placed always his ultimate hope in God… loving and honoring Mary as best he could.” [05:25]
• “The meek will inherit the earth… those who hunger and thirst for righteousness… will be satisfied.” [07:30]
• “We are all ready now, right? Sharing in this blessing by sharing in the life of Christ that we receive in baptism. So even now we are blessed.” [08:09]
• “Let us ask for the grace to experience joy even now, and to receive the grace of hope that one day we too will receive our crown.” [11:48]

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Final Thoughts

Fr. Mark-Mary Ames skillfully intertwines art, scripture, and personal reflection to guide listeners through a deep theological meditation on Mary’s Coronation. By exploring the roles of St. Joseph and other saints, and by reflecting on the Beatitudes, he encourages a resilient and hopeful faith grounded in the fulfillment of God's promises. This episode serves as a beacon of hope and an invitation to embrace the shared spiritual inheritance with Mary, fostering a deeper relationship with Jesus and Mary through the Rosary.

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Additional Resources

For those interested in following along with the prayer plan, daily readings, and accessing the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, visit Ascension Press.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign 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. This is day 168. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a year, visit ascensionpress.com forward/rosaryinayear 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 will be reflecting on Today. We'll be meditating upon and praying with the fifth glorious mystery, the coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth, with help from a painting entitled Glory of Mary in Heaven by the artist Giuseppe Mattia Borginis. Now a little word on our artist and artwork. Giuseppe Mattia Borgenis was born in the year 1701. He died in the year 1761. He was an Italian painter and architect. He was born to a family of limited means, but he would become an apprentice with a painter from the year 1710 to 1716. He was then sent to Bologna, then Venice, and from 1752 to 1755 he searched for work in Paris and London. Soon after, in 1761, he died in London of unknown causes. This particular piece of art, which is a fresco, was probably done around the year 1725. This fresco is located in the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta and it's situated in the central dome of the church, making it a focal point of the interior decoration. Now a description of our painting. Among blue and silver clouds, with thick clusters and rows of angels, the Virgin Mary beams a wide smile to God, depicted as the Holy Trinity, with Jesus as a youthful man in God the Father as an older man and a dove of the Holy Spirit, who together lower a crown onto the joyful Mother of God. In semicircles around her are heavenly attendees eagerly watching, including her spouse, St. Joseph Holding Lilies, St. John the Baptist, her nephew, St. Anne, her mother, who look back to others to point them to the coronation the family of saints rejoices among the luminous clouds of heaven. With the symmetry of the Godhead, the ordered rows of angels, and the placement of the saintly family. The harmonious composition conveys a sense of divine order and holiness as the spiritual and earthly realms beautifully intertwine. So I am quite excited about our painting today, and we're not going to spend a ton of time here. But first, we do have to note Mary's smile. Just take it in. And I do love the idea that she is smiling as she's being crowned. But now let's go ahead and, like, look around the edges of the painting. And who do we see there? We see John the Baptist. We see a woman presumed to be St. Anne, her mother. And then we see St. Joseph. And I'd like us to begin by spending some extra time with St. Joseph here and in a sense, bring our meditation that we did with St. Joseph through the joyful mysteries to completion. Now, I really do believe that St. Joseph was there present at the visitation. And therefore I do believe that St. Joseph both witnessed Mary's Magnificat, right?

[B]

A song full of promises that will.

[A]

Be fulfilled as well as, as we noted, Simeon's prophecy, the harsh reality about the road that would be traversed, and in particular, what struck me during that time of meditation was how St. Joseph suffered hearing Simeon's words, like, how much the idea of Mary's soul being pierced by a sword really did pierce his own heart. And I imagine, like, how often was he at work in his workshop in Nazareth? And he remembered this, right? He remembered the words of prophecy, and he'd feel the pain anew. And I like the idea that he'd quickly combat that by calling to mind, like, Mary's Magnificat, right, the reminder of how the story would end, of how God would take care of Mary, would bless Mary, and that that is how it would all come to a conclusion. And so after this, he'd again surrender.

[B]

And he would be faithful.

[A]

And he placed always his ultimate hope in God. And while so much was out of his control, he gave himself wholeheartedly to that which was within his influence, namely, loving and honoring Mary as best he could, right?

[B]

And being the best of fathers to.

[A]

Jesus, into all of this, he was faithful until he received the grace of a happy death. Now, today, like, we see St. Joseph seeing his beloved Mary being made the queen of heaven and earth, in a sense, like, he sees that his job was fulfilled. She made it to heaven, to this place where protection is no longer needed, because threats no longer exist.

[B]

She is home.

[A]

She's with the Most Holy Trinity forever. And how much he delights in this moment, and what joy and like holy pride he experiences in seeing her so loved, so honored. Joseph's journey on earth, it was a tough one for many reasons, but he was faithful. And so he too, right, is victorious. And in many ways, I think a similar story could be told about the life of St. Anne and St. John the Baptist, who, as we know, was faithful to the truth before Herod, even though it led to his martyrdom. In all of their lives, there was deep suffering, but also deep faith. And now they share in the victory of Jesus. They have all received their reward. And this is true for all of us. It's a reason, I think, the Beatitudes are so important and so central to Jesus preaching. Pope Benedict XVI in his commentary on the Beatitudes, he points out that they are all in the form of promises. The meek will inherit the earth. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for holiness, they will be satisfied. Those who mourn will be comforted. The merciful will receive mercy, the poor in spirit. To them, the kingdom of heaven is theirs, right? And because of this, even though they're not fulfilled, yet, those who experience them are already blessed. Those who have received the promises of.

[B]

God, although they are not perfectly fulfilled, yet, they are already blessed.

[A]

We are all ready now, right? Sharing in this blessing by sharing in the life of Christ that we receive in baptism. So even now we are blessed. But yes, right, like the road we will travel, like the road traveled by Jesus And Mary and St. John the.

[B]

Baptist and St. Anne and St. Joseph.

[A]

Like, it won't be free of suffering, it won't be easy. But it all ends here.

[B]

It ends in heaven.

[A]

Right? So often, though, because of the immediacy and the tangibility of the sufferings that we are enduring now, like the privations we are experiencing. It's so easy to get stuck there and to be discouraged and to be tempted to doubt, to doubt God's promises and to doubt God's goodness. But we can't stay there. We can't get stuck there. Where I'll say, like, you have to see the comma, after the sufferings. Like, if you look at the Beatitudes, the period doesn't come until after the promises, the comma, after the prophecy of Simeon and the comma, after the sufferings of all of the great saints and those we just mentioned here above recently. Like the period, right? The end. The period doesn't come until after the promises of fulfillment in a way, like, if we can stick with this, like, you can almost see the comma after each of the mysteries. But now it's at the coronation of Mary, when we see the victory that she shares in and that we are already blessed by.

[B]

Like.

[A]

Now that there could be a period like this is where it ends. Joy, victory, glory, heaven, where every tear is wiped away and every promise is fulfilled.

[B]

Period.

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We can't miss this, and we can't give too much importance to the glorious mysteries in general. I think, like, humanly, the other mysteries.

[B]

The joyful mysteries, the sorrowful mysteries, the.

[A]

Luminous mysteries, like, they're so accessible, even, like, emotionally accessible. It's so easy to be moved by there being no room in the inn, or the prophecy of Simeon, or the.

[B]

Passion of our Lord.

[A]

But remember where the story ends, where it all is moving, to resurrection, victory, glory. And I'd encourage all of us to make it a practice of doing What I propose St. Joseph would do, like, when he experiences the sufferings found in the Valley of Tears, call to mind.

[B]

The promises of God.

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And we can do this too. Like, let us call to mind, like, the promises fulfilled in the life of Mary, these real reminders of the fulfillment.

[B]

Of God's promises to her.

[A]

She who experienced the fullness of, like the suffering mentioned in the Beatitudes, also experiences the fullness of their fulfillment. And that young, vulnerable girl that we saw in Nazareth, she is now the.

[B]

Queen of heaven and earth. And all generations call her blessed.

[A]

My brothers and sisters, we too are blessed here and now. Now, for we have the same inheritance as Mary. Our inheritance is the promise of God.

[B]

The promise of the Father.

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And so, as we pray today, let's take. Let's take our place around the painting, and let's look at the joy on.

[B]

The face of Mary as she receives her crown. And let us ask for the grace.

[A]

To experience joy even now, and to receive the grace of hope that one day we too will receive our crown, our reward, and our share in the.

[B]

Fulfilled promises of God.

[A]

Now, with Mary, let us pray in.

[B]

The name of the Father and of.

[A]

The Son and of the Holy Spirit.

[C]

Amen.

[B]

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.

[A]

And lead us not into temptation, but.

[B]

Deliver us from evil.

[C]

Amen.

[B]

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.

[A]

Us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[C]

Amen.

[B]

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.

[A]

Us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[C]

Amen.

[B]

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.

[A]

Us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[C]

Amen.

[B]

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[A]

Holy.

[B]

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for.

[A]

Us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[C]

Amen.

[B]

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.

[C]

Amen.

[B]

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.

[A]

Us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[C]

Amen.

[B]

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.

[A]

Us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[C]

Amen.

[B]

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.

[A]

Us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[C]

Amen.

[B]

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.

[A]

Us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[C]

Amen.

[B]

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.

[A]

Us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[C]

Amen.

[B]

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.

[C]

Amen.

[B]

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

[A]

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

[B]

I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. Poco.

[A]

Poco. Friends, God bless y' all.