
We continue practicing meditation with our mental archive, returning to Mary as the Ark of the Covenant, understanding the Visitation as our invitation to song, and Mary’s charity and love towards us. With Fr. Mark-Mary, we pray through the “four R’s,” asking God to reveal his grace to us through the mystery. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Visitation and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
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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 190. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a year, visit ascensionpress.comrosaryinayear 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 this 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. No matter what app you're listening in, remember to tap, follow or subscribe for your daily notifications. Today we will be meditating upon and praying with the second joyful mystery, the Visitation. And as we began yesterday and we'll continue today, I'm going to begin the episode by reviewing some of what we've covered to this point, and then we will briefly be reminded of the four Rs and then go into prayer. The four Rs again are what truth is being revealed about God that you're being invited to receive? How can you respond? What grace would you like to request for the response? And then we rejoice. So a couple of the major themes that have stood out to me for the visitation are, first of all, looking at Mary as the new Ark of the covenant. If you remember, In Exodus chapter 40, God comes to dwell with his people in the form of a cloud upon the tent of Meeting and the Ark. The Ark was this place of God's dwelling of God's glory, the place where God met with his people, and it's where he leads his people and he brings them to victory. And in the Annunciation we saw Mary being overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, that as the Incarnation takes place in the womb of Mary. Now Mary is this new Ark, this new meeting place between God and His people. But specifically for the visitation, we looked at Luke chapter one, verses 39:56, and we saw all those parallels between the visitation in 2 Samuel 6 where David is leading the Ark back to Jerusalem, right? And there's these parallels that make it obvious that Luke is making this connection, that as Mary arose and went to the hill country. Also in 2nd Samuel it says David arose and went with all the people to bring up from there the Ark of God. David expresses his unworthiness before The Ark. And Elizabeth says, why is it granted me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? David dances before the ark, like John the Baptist leaps for joy. And so this is that first theme that's really important of the ark of the covenant. And the new ark is Mary's overshadowed. And that Mary herself, as Jesus lives in her womb, is this place of meeting, this place where God will lead his people to victory. And also in our visitation, we looked at, if you remember, how for some situations and some occasions, like prose is not enough, poetry is needed, and just speaking is not enough, but song is needed. And we reflected on this pattern in the visitation that begins with like, a conversation, but it leads to, right, Mary's magnificat, this poetic song of praise. And we see in the magnificat this great song of Christian praise and poetry, and that before the marvels of God, the mysteries of our salvation, we need more than just narrative, we need more than just prose. We need poetry, and we need song to fully express our hearts and our joy. If you remember back to the story about my brother who saw the dolphins, like, it's a dolphin, It's a dolphin. Like. Like Elizabeth's, blessed are you among women. And then we see Mary, like, overcome with joy into this song. And in the visitation is our own invitation to song, to song before the mystery of our salvation, before the presence of the Messiah, and before the beauty and the goodness of the Blessed Mother. And one last bit of reflection for review today is, if you remember, we looked at the writing from Saint Alphonsus Liguori on the visitation of the Blessed Virgin, and that he sees in the visitation Mary fulfilling her office as mother. And what is her office? Her office is that of exercising charity. And that Mary is a mother, and that her office, her role, her call, the movements of her heart are towards charity. We saw how Mary, out of charity, right, comes to Elizabeth to be with her, because this is who she is and this is what she does as mother. She comes to us and she wants to be with us, and she wants to console us. And there's that beautiful prayer, one of Mother Mother Teresa's favorite prayers. Mary, be a mother to me now. Mary, be a mother to me now. And so today we see Mary as the new ark. We see this invitation to joy and song before the Blessed Mother. And also we have this encouragement, this source of confidence that Mary is a mother who loves to mother us. And that in our times of need, we can call to her like Saint Mother Teresa. Mary, be a mother to Me now. So now we'll just take a little moment of. Of stillness. We'll linger here a little bit before going into these four R's, A little bit of a guide for prayer from your own prayer from our review today. What is the grace, the truth being revealed that you are invited to receive? How can you respond? And particularly aimed at that response. What is the grace that you need? What is the grace that you would like to request and then rejoice? Give thanks to the Lord for this time of prayer, the grace that has been given and the life of God that has been shared. And now, together with Mary, let us pray in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
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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. But deliver us from evil.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
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All right, thanks, everybody, for joining me and praying with me today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. Poco. Poco. Friends, God bless you.
Podcast Summary: The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames)
Episode: Day 190: Returning to the Visitation
Release Date: July 9, 2025
Host: Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR
Produced by: Ascension
In Day 190: Returning to the Visitation of The Rosary in a Year podcast, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames delves deep into the second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary—the Visitation. This episode serves as a continuation of the previous day's reflection, providing listeners with a comprehensive review before immersing them in meditative prayer. The podcast emphasizes building a daily prayer habit, fostering a deeper relationship with Jesus and Mary, and exploring the Biblical and theological underpinnings of the Rosary.
Fr. Mark-Mary begins by revisiting the key themes discussed thus far, ensuring that listeners have a solid foundation before proceeding. He introduces the Four Rs as a guiding framework for prayer:
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"The four Rs help us to engage deeply with the mysteries of the Rosary, transforming our prayer into a meaningful dialogue with God." [02:15]
One of the central themes Fr. Mark-Mary explores is Mary’s role as the New Ark of the Covenant. Drawing parallels between the Old Testament Ark, which was the dwelling place of God among His people, and Mary, who becomes the new sanctuary through whom Jesus is brought into the world.
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"Mary, overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, becomes the living Ark where Jesus dwells, bringing God’s presence directly into our lives." [04:30]
Fr. Mark-Mary draws a significant connection between the Visitation in Luke and the story of David bringing the Ark to Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 6. Both narratives highlight themes of divine presence, humility, and joyous celebration.
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"Luke intentionally mirrors David’s reverence and joy, illustrating Mary’s profound role in salvation history." [06:45]
Fr. Mark-Mary emphasizes that certain divine truths and experiences transcend mere narrative or prose, requiring poetry and song for full expression. This is exemplified in Mary's Magnificat, a poetic song of praise that arises from her profound encounter with God.
Quote:
"Before the marvels of God, we need poetry and song to fully articulate our hearts' joy and the mystery of our salvation." [08:10]
Drawing from Saint Alphonsus Liguori’s writings, Fr. Mark-Mary highlights Mary’s role as a mother who exercises charity. Her visit to Elizabeth is a manifestation of her maternal compassion and desire to console and support others.
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"Mary's heart is moved by charity; she comes to us to console and nurture, embodying the very essence of maternal love." [10:25]
Fr. Mark-Mary guides listeners into a moment of stillness, inviting them to reflect on the day's themes and prepare for prayer using the Four Rs framework. This structured approach encourages a deeper engagement with the mysteries of the Rosary and fosters a personal dialogue with God and Mary.
Prayer Structure:
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"Through the Four Rs, we transform our prayer into a lived experience, inviting God’s grace to work within us and through us." [12:00]
The episode transitions into the communal recitation of the Rosary, with Fr. Mark-Mary leading the prayers:
Each prayer segment is accompanied by responsive 'Amens,' fostering a sense of unity and collective devotion among listeners.
Notable Moments:
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"In praying the Rosary together, we join our hearts with Mary, allowing her to guide us deeper into the mysteries of Christ." [13:18]
Fr. Mark-Mary concludes the episode by expressing gratitude for the shared prayer time and encouraging listeners to continue their journey of faith. He invites them to return the following day, reinforcing the ongoing nature of the Rosary in a Year program.
Final Thoughts:
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"I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. Poco. Poco. Friends, God bless you." [13:41]
Listeners are encouraged to download the complete prayer plan for the Rosary in a Year program by visiting Ascension Press or texting RIY to 33777. The Ascension app provides special features, including recordings of the full Rosary led by Fr. Mark-Mary and other friars, enhancing the prayer experience.
Day 190: Returning to the Visitation offers a profound exploration of the second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, emphasizing Mary’s role as the New Ark of the Covenant, the necessity of poetic expression in prayer, and the embodiment of charity in Mary’s maternal care. Through reflective teaching and guided prayer, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames invites listeners to deepen their spiritual lives, foster a habitual prayer practice, and embrace the transformative power of the Rosary in their journey toward a more intimate relationship with Jesus and Mary.