Day 189: Beginning Our Meditation

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames)

Episode: Day 189: Beginning Our Meditation
Release Date: July 8, 2025

In this pivotal episode of Ascension’s Rosary in a Year podcast, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR, ushers listeners into Phase Four: Finding Focus of their Rosary journey. This phase marks a significant transition from building a foundational meditative archive to actively applying these insights into daily prayer practices. Through thoughtful guidance, Fr. Mark-Mary leads the congregation in a deeper, more personalized meditation on the Annunciation, enriching their spiritual lives and fostering a closer relationship with Jesus and Mary.

Phase Four: Finding Focus

At the outset of the episode, Fr. Mark-Mary celebrates the listeners’ progression to Phase Four, emphasizing its importance:

"The fourth phase is called Finding Focus. Up to this point, we've been doing quite a bit of work to build up our mental meditative archive with a variety of teachings about the Mysteries with reflections, lectio divinas, Saint writings, artwork, etc. And now we're going to be applying these very deeply into prayer."
— Mark Mary [01:11]

Finding Focus is likened to academic midterms or finals, where learners move from absorbing information to deeply integrating and transforming that knowledge. The aim is for each individual to take ownership of their prayer life, using the accumulated meditations and insights as a lasting resource.

Deepening the Meditation: Annunciation

The core of this episode centers on meditating upon the First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation. Fr. Mark-Mary provides a comprehensive framework to guide listeners through this meditation:

"Mary dialogues with the angel. She honestly shares her heart, but with this openness. So we all have these experiences happening, which, again, are mysterious. Where there can be the question of, how can this be? How could good come from this situation?"
— Mark Mary [07:55]

Listeners are encouraged to reflect on Luke 1:26-38, contemplating Mary's unexpected encounter with the angel Gabriel and her faithful response. The meditation emphasizes themes such as trust in God's plan, openness to the divine will, and the transformative power of saying "yes" to God's unexpected call.

Key Themes Explored:

1. Unexpected Divine Encounters:
   Mary’s surprise at Gabriel’s message serves as a reminder that God often works in mysterious and unexpected ways.

   "Mary didn't expect it to be her. She didn't expect the timing to be this way."
   — Mark Mary [03:04]

2. Faith and Trust:
   The assurance that "Nothing is impossible with God" reinforces the importance of trusting God’s plan, even when it diverges from personal expectations.

   "Nothing is impossible for God. He's going to give us the grace we need. We, like Mary, just say yes."
   — Mark Mary [07:30]

3. Reverence and Humility:
   Drawing inspiration from Fra Angelico's artwork, the meditation highlights the profound humility and mutual respect between Mary and the angel Gabriel.

   "Gabriel knows Mary is the Immaculate Conception, and although she is a lowly handmaiden, he bows before her with reverence."
   — Mark Mary [07:45]

4. Joyful Acceptance:
   St. Gregory the Wonder Worker’s reflection underscores the joy inherent in the Annunciation, celebrating the miraculous nature of Christ’s incarnation.

   "Today is the glad springtime. Allow your mind to recall our meditation on the wonder that is announced at the Annunciation."
   — Mark Mary [07:50]

Engaging the Meditative Archive

Fr. Mark-Mary guides listeners to utilize their "meditative archive," a repository of teachings, reflections, and spiritual insights amassed over the previous phases. This archive serves as a foundation for deeper, more individualized prayer:

"There's a way in which at this point, like, each individual praying on this journey, like, takes the reins... the work now is for the individual at the service of again, like, receiving this deeply so that for the next 5, 10, 15, 20, 50 years of your life, you have this meditative archive to pull from."
— Mark Mary [02:26]

Listeners are encouraged to allow the Holy Spirit to guide their focus during meditation, selecting themes, words, or images that resonate personally. This personalized approach ensures that the meditation remains meaningful and transformative.

Guided Prayer and the Rosary

The episode transitions into a guided prayer session, adhering to the traditional structure of the Rosary. Fr. Mark-Mary revisits the Four R's of lectio divina—Receive, Respond, Request, and Rejoice—to structure the meditation:

1. Receive:
   Understanding the grace and truth being revealed through the mystery of the Annunciation.

2. Respond:
   Reflecting on how one can act upon the revelation received.

3. Request:
   Asking for the grace to live out the insights gained.

4. Rejoice:
   Giving thanks for the time of prayer and the graces received.

This methodical approach ensures a comprehensive and heartfelt engagement with the Rosary, deepening the spiritual experience.

Following this structure, Fr. Mark-Mary leads the listeners through a complete decade of the Rosary, focusing exclusively on the Annunciation. Each prayer is recited with intentional pacing, allowing participants to meditate deeply on the words and their meanings.

Conclusion and Encouragement

As the episode draws to a close, Fr. Mark-Mary encourages listeners to continue their journey with renewed dedication:

"All right, friends, thanks so much for joining me and praying with me again today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow."
— Mark Mary [15:35]

He emphasizes the ongoing nature of their spiritual journey, inspiring listeners to maintain consistency in their prayer practices and to remain open to the transformative power of the Rosary.

Notable Quotes

• On Phase Four's Significance:

  "The fourth phase is called Finding Focus... we're going to be applying these very deeply into prayer."
  — Mark Mary [01:18]

• On Personal Transformation:

  "It's not just owning the information, but actually being transformed and changed by the truth that we have meditated upon."
  — Mark Mary [02:25]

• On Reverence in the Annunciation:

  "Gabriel bows before her with reverence. And Mary returns the gesture, bowing before God's work in this moment."
  — Mark Mary [07:45]

• On Joy in the Annunciation:

  "St. Gregory the Wonder Worker can illustrate the beauty of the Annunciation, not just an unexpected moment, but one of great joy."
  — Mark Mary [07:50]

Final Thoughts

Episode Day 189 serves as a cornerstone in the Rosary in a Year series, empowering listeners to internalize and personalize their prayer practices. Through Fr. Mark-Mary Ames' insightful guidance, the podcast deepens the understanding of the Rosary's mysteries, particularly the Annunciation, and fosters a sustainable, enriching prayer life.

For those embarking on this spiritual journey, Day 189 offers both structure and freedom—providing the tools to engage deeply with the Rosary while allowing personal reflection and growth. This episode exemplifies the transformative potential of consistent, focused prayer, aligning listeners closer to the divine mysteries they seek to understand and embody.

Transcript

[Unknown Speaker]

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.

[Unknown Speaker]

This is day 189.

[Mark Mary]

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.

[Unknown Speaker]

A great way to track your progress.

[Mark Mary]

The best place to listen to the podcast is in the Ascension app.

[Unknown Speaker]

There are special features built just for.

[Mark Mary]

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.

[Unknown Speaker]

We will be meditating upon and praying with the first joyful mystery, the Annunciation.

[Mark Mary]

Well, friends, welcome.

[Unknown Speaker]

We've made it to phase four, which.

Is a big deal.

Give yourselves a round of applause, little clap for everybody.

[Mark Mary]

The fourth phase is called Finding Focus.

[Unknown Speaker]

And so up to this point, we've been doing quite a bit of work to build up our mental meditative archive with a variety of teachings about the Mysteries with reflections, lectio divinas, Saint writings, artwork, etc. And now we're going to be applying these very deeply into prayer. We're just going to be pulling from what we have received and going deeper. I think a very natural sort of common analogy would be like studying. You go to class, you receive all the material, and then there's a point where it's midterms or it's finals where you really do, like, a deep dive. The end being, like, assimilating, really owning the information. In this case, not just owning the information, but actually being transformed and changed by the truth that we have meditated upon and that have been revealed through these mysteries. And in certain sense, like, there's a way in which at this point, like, each individual praying on this journey, like, takes the reins. There's a part where in many ways I've been leading and I'm going to continue to be there, but there's a way in which the work now is for the individual at the service of again, like, receiving this deeply so that for the next 5, 10, 15, 20, 50 years of your life, you have this again, what we've been calling a meditative archive to pull from and to.

Apply in your praying.

Particularly, you're meditating upon the mysteries of the rosary. So what I do is I'm going to give a brief, like, introduction, some reminders of what we've talked about. And then, like, for this next phase, we're going to just pray one decade. Not super slow, but with a little.

Bit more of a lingering pace.

And what I'll encourage you to do is if you recall back to our time of lectio divina, we practiced these four R's, receive, respond, request, and then rejoice, like, receive what is being revealed.

So, like, we're just going to take.

A moment to ask that, like, what's being revealed?

How can I respond?

Then we're going to, like, ask for.

The grace to respond and then close.

Up our time, kind of like with this rejoicing, thanking God for the time of prayer, what's been revealed, the invitation, the graces that have been communicated.

And then we'll pray the decade of the Rosary and begin again tomorrow.

[Mark Mary]

Today, as we pray, our decade just focused on the Annunciation. We'll start with some reminders of a few of the themes helping us as we move into more independent meditation. So we're just going to touch on a few themes, but pay attention to the movement of your heart. Do you feel particularly drawn to just remain with any of them, to perhaps, like, rest with any of them? Or do you already have a previous theme on your heart that you'd like to meditate on? We can bring to mind our meditation on Luke, chapter 1, verses 26 to 38, dwelling on how unexpected the mystery of the Annunciation was. In this passage, Mary asked the angel Gabriel, how can this be? And the response of the angel. Nothing is impossible with God. Mary didn't expect it to be her. She didn't expect the timing to be this way, really. Like, nobody did. Nobody understood at least the fullness of how the Messiah would come. And how often does God come to us in unexpected ways? And often the experience is okay, like, we're going deeper than I thought. We're looking for something fuller, richer than I thought that I planned on. Mary says yes to the unexpected and mysterious. How can this be? Mary dialogues with the angel. She honestly shares her heart, but with this openness. So we all have these experiences happening, which, again, are mysterious. Where there can be the question of, how can this be? How could good come from this situation? How can there be resurrection, new life here and we. We can honestly bring that question to the Lord. But then we also, particularly right in the context of the Annunciation, we have this response. Nothing is impossible for God. Nothing is impossible for God. He's going to give us the grace we need. We, like Mary, just say yes. We give our fiat because nothing is impossible with God. Or maybe, like one of the sacred art pieces, resonated with you. So as we pray, you can bring that to mind, perhaps, right. Fra Angelico's painting that led us to meditate on the humility and reverence of Mary and the angel as they bow to one another. Allow your mind to rest on the tone of this mystery depicted with greatest respect and reverence. Gabriel knows Mary is the Immaculate Conception, and although she is a lowly handmaiden, he bows before her with reverence. And Mary returns the gesture, bowing before God's work in this moment. And how might this moment of the Annunciation be drawing you into a greater reverence before the mystery of God at work in your own life? And finally, you could bring to mind one of our Saint Reflections, perhaps St. Gregory the Wonder Worker. St. Gregory said of the Annunciation. Today are strains of praise sung joyfully by the choir of angels and the light of the Advent. Christ shines brightly upon the faithful. Today is the glad springtime. Allow your mind to recall our meditation on the wonder that is announced at the Annunciation. God is becoming man to save us. The Wonder Worker can illustrate the beauty of the Annunciation, not just an unexpected moment, but one of great joy. So now we'll just take a moment to, if you will, sift through your mental archive that we've been building up through our phases of meditation.

[Unknown Speaker]

And allow the Holy Spirit to draw you to.

[Mark Mary]

A particular subject, particular theme, particular word or image. And what aspect of the Annunciation might God be calling you to step deeper into? If you feel called to meditate longer on any specific question or mystery, feel free to pause the episode and continue your time of meditation. So we'll just take a little moment of stillness here to go through the four Rs. What is the grace, the truth being revealed that you are being invited to receive? How can you respond, what's the grace you'd like to request? And then rejoice. Give thanks to to the Lord for this time of prayer and the grace given and his life shared. And now, together with Mary, let us pray.

[Unknown Speaker]

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, 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, Holy, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

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.

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, 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. All right, friends, thanks so much for joining me and praying with me again today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. Poco poco.

Friends.

God bless you all.