Day 191: Unworthy Yet Welcomed - The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames)

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Transcript9 lines

[00:00]
A
Foreign.
[00:05]
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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
[00:15]
A
a source of grace for the whole world.
[00:17]
B
The Rosary in a Year is brought to you by Ascension.
[00:20]
A
This is day 191.
[00:23]
B
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
[00:33]
A
a great way to track your progress.
[00:34]
B
The best place to listen to podcasts 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. 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 support 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
[01:01]
A
today we will be meditating upon and praying with the third joyful mystery, the Nativity. So again today we will begin with a bit of review, calling to mind some of what we've covered up to this point. Now, if you recall one of our meditations, our early meditations on the Nativity, where we're looking at Luke, chapter 2, verses 1 through 20. I shared the story of the man named Fitz. Fitz, who had come to the homeless shelter just getting out of prison after a number of years. And it's the evening that we are having our Christmas party and he comes in that night and he joins us. And slowly but surely he kind of sees everything happening. And then it's his opportunity to go and to get a couple of gifts. And he comes back and the brothers work in the shelter. They find him with his head in his palms, like in tears. And as the brother goes up and says, hey, Fitz, are you okay? He says, it's just too much. It's just too much. And we saw our brother there, our brother Fitz, overwhelmed with joy, overwhelmed by the heaviness of the gift, so aware of his unworthiness, but experiencing so deeply the gift and how right this response is before the Nativity, where we encounter, where we receive the gift par excellence, the gift of Jesus, my brothers and sisters. It's a joyful gift, but it is a heavy gift. And I can't help but think that Fitz's response to what he received is right. And just for us. It is a fitting response before the gift of God, before our Savior Jesus, born in Bethlehem. And in some ways consistent with this theme is the writing specifically from St. Leo the Great, where he, our Savior, dearly beloved, was born today. Let us be glad, for there is no proper place for sadness when we keep the birthday of the life, which destroys the fear of mortality and brings us the joy of promised eternity. And I do believe there is this invitation to great joy. Joy on behalf of all of history, of all of humanity, but also joy for you and me. It is an invitation to a personal joy. And to each of us, St. Leo says these words. There's no proper place for sadness before the Nativity. But also we recognize we're all here on a journey, and that's the place, that's the invitation. That's where we're headed. Perhaps today we don't experience that joy, but can we receive the invitation to be drawn deeper and deeper into this joy of who Jesus is, of what he has come to do, and the joyful news of who he is, of what he has come to do, and that this is truly a cause and source of joy for all of us. And then, particularly with our artwork, we took a moment to kind of look at the eyes, to look at the people present. And we saw, for example, in the painting of the Nativity by the artist Pellegrini, we saw Joseph and Mary and their eyes on Jesus and the ways in which, for Joseph and Mary to Jesus, there is worship, there is adoration. They see before them in the manger their God, their Savior, but also their son, Joseph as foster father, Mary as mother, and then the Nativity, there's this beautiful union before worship and warmth, and that the one they worship, the one who is their God, as he grows, Jesus, he will receive their worship, but he will also offer them not just salvation, but also warmth, that he will deeply and dearly love them both, love their voices, love spending time with them. And that is Christians like here and now, particularly in prayer. We're offered the opportunity to enter into this place, the scene at the Nativity, to sit at the table in Nazareth to worship Jesus, to receive his salvation, but also to love God, to love Jesus with warmth and affection and to receive his love, his affection for us. Now we're going to slow down. We're going to take a moment. Resting here. And now I'll invite you to. First of all, from what we've reviewed today, or anything from your own personal prayer, like today, at this moment, What is the truth of God, what of the heart of God is being revealed that you are being invited to receive? How is God calling you to respond? Sam, What is the grace that you need to request. And then rejoice? Give thanks for this moment of prayer, for the truth revealed and the grace communicated and the share in Jesus own life that is offered. And now with Mary, let us pray. 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 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 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 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 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. Okay, so thanks so much for joining me and praying with me today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. Poco. Poco. Friends, God bless y' all.

Summary4 min read

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

Episode: Day 191 — Unworthy Yet Welcomed

Date: July 10, 2026

Main Theme:
Fr. Mark-Mary Ames invites listeners to meditate on the third Joyful Mystery — the Nativity — reflecting on the gift of Jesus’ birth, the experience of unworthiness in receiving such a gift, and the deep invitation to joy offered to all believers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reflecting on Unworthiness Before the Nativity

Fr. Mark-Mary frames the Nativity as a time when profound gifts are received by those who may feel unworthy, yet are deeply welcomed by God.
He revisits an earlier meditation, recalling a powerful real-life story:
- Story of Fitz (02:00): A man named Fitz, just released from prison, arrives at the friars’ Christmas shelter. Overwhelmed by the generosity he receives, Fitz breaks down in tears, saying,
  
  “It’s just too much. It's just too much.”
  (02:31)
- Fitz’s response embodies the mix of unworthiness and gratitude in the face of freely given love.

2. The Heaviness and Joy of God’s Gift

The Nativity reveals Jesus as the “gift par excellence,” simultaneously joyful and weighty.
Fr. Mark-Mary emphasizes how the proper posture before such a gift is deep humility, awe, and adoration:

“It is a joyful gift, but it is a heavy gift.”
(03:00)

3. Saint Leo the Great’s Invitation to Joy

Quoting St. Leo the Great, Fr. Mark-Mary highlights the essential Christian response to Christ’s birth:

“Our Savior, dearly beloved, was born today. Let us be glad, for there is no proper place for sadness when we keep the birthday of the life, which destroys the fear of mortality and brings us the joy of promised eternity.”
(04:15)
This underscores that the Nativity is an invitation not just to corporate, historical joy, but to personal joy.

4. Artistic Meditation: Pellegrini’s Nativity

Fr. Mark-Mary references meditation on sacred art, focusing especially on a Nativity painting by Pellegrini:
- Joseph and Mary’s eyes fixed on Jesus signify worship and warmth.
- The scene invites believers to imagine themselves present, sharing in adoration and familial love.
“For Joseph and Mary to Jesus, there is worship, there is adoration...but also warmth, that he will deeply and dearly love them both...”
(06:29)

5. Practical Application: Entering the Nativity Scene

Listeners are encouraged to imagine themselves in Nazareth, worshipping Jesus with affection and allowing themselves to be loved in return.
Fr. Mark-Mary offers a process for personal prayer:
- Pause and Reflect: Ask, “What is the truth of God being revealed to me right now? How is God calling me to respond?”
- Request Grace: Identify and ask for the specific grace needed in this moment.
- Rejoice: Give thanks for the truths and graces received.
- (08:02)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Fitz’s tears:

“He says, 'It’s just too much. It’s just too much.' Overwhelmed with joy, overwhelmed by the heaviness of the gift, so aware of his unworthiness but experiencing so deeply the gift.”
(02:31)
On our own response:

“I can’t help but think Fitz’s response to what he received is right and just for us. It is a fitting response before the Nativity, where we encounter the gift of Jesus.”
(03:12)
From St. Leo the Great:

“There is no proper place for sadness when we keep the birthday of the life, which destroys the fear of mortality and brings us the joy of promised eternity.”
(04:15)
On entering the scene:

“We’re offered the opportunity to enter into this place, the scene at the Nativity, to sit at the table in Nazareth to worship Jesus, to receive his salvation, but also to love God, to love Jesus with warmth and affection and to receive his love, his affection for us.”
(07:15)

Important Timestamps

01:00 – Episode focus and review of the third Joyful Mystery: the Nativity.
02:00 – Story of Fitz at the Christmas shelter.
03:12 – Reflection on the “heaviness” of receiving the gift of Jesus.
04:15 – Quoting Saint Leo the Great on Christian joy.
06:29 – Meditation on Pellegrini’s Nativity artwork.
08:02 – Guidance for personal prayer and reflection.
08:45 – Transition into communal prayer of the Rosary.

Tone and Language

Fr. Mark-Mary speaks with gentle warmth, deep reverence, and a pastoral spirit, inviting listeners to see themselves as both unworthy and yet deeply welcomed by God through the mystery of Christ’s birth.

Summary

Day 191 of the “Rosary in a Year” podcast immerses listeners in the third Joyful Mystery — the Nativity — focusing on the paradox of being unworthy yet deeply welcomed into God’s love. Through storytelling (notably Fitz’s powerful reaction to unexpected generosity), the wisdom of St. Leo the Great, reflection on sacred art, and guided prayer, Fr. Mark-Mary encourages listeners to humbly receive the gift of Jesus, cultivate joy and gratitude, and allow themselves to be transformed by divine affection.

Listeners are reminded that true Christian joy is not just a historical reality, but a living invitation — one that welcomes even those who feel unworthy into the warmth and embrace of God's love, especially made manifest in Jesus at the Nativity.

Loading summary

Transcript9 lines

[00:00]
A
Foreign.
[00:05]
B
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
[00:15]
A
a source of grace for the whole world.
[00:17]
B
The Rosary in a Year is brought to you by Ascension.
[00:20]
A
This is day 191.
[00:23]
B
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
[00:33]
A
a great way to track your progress.
[00:34]
B
The best place to listen to podcasts 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. 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 support 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
[01:01]
A
today we will be meditating upon and praying with the third joyful mystery, the Nativity. So again today we will begin with a bit of review, calling to mind some of what we've covered up to this point. Now, if you recall one of our meditations, our early meditations on the Nativity, where we're looking at Luke, chapter 2, verses 1 through 20. I shared the story of the man named Fitz. Fitz, who had come to the homeless shelter just getting out of prison after a number of years. And it's the evening that we are having our Christmas party and he comes in that night and he joins us. And slowly but surely he kind of sees everything happening. And then it's his opportunity to go and to get a couple of gifts. And he comes back and the brothers work in the shelter. They find him with his head in his palms, like in tears. And as the brother goes up and says, hey, Fitz, are you okay? He says, it's just too much. It's just too much. And we saw our brother there, our brother Fitz, overwhelmed with joy, overwhelmed by the heaviness of the gift, so aware of his unworthiness, but experiencing so deeply the gift and how right this response is before the Nativity, where we encounter, where we receive the gift par excellence, the gift of Jesus, my brothers and sisters. It's a joyful gift, but it is a heavy gift. And I can't help but think that Fitz's response to what he received is right. And just for us. It is a fitting response before the gift of God, before our Savior Jesus, born in Bethlehem. And in some ways consistent with this theme is the writing specifically from St. Leo the Great, where he, our Savior, dearly beloved, was born today. Let us be glad, for there is no proper place for sadness when we keep the birthday of the life, which destroys the fear of mortality and brings us the joy of promised eternity. And I do believe there is this invitation to great joy. Joy on behalf of all of history, of all of humanity, but also joy for you and me. It is an invitation to a personal joy. And to each of us, St. Leo says these words. There's no proper place for sadness before the Nativity. But also we recognize we're all here on a journey, and that's the place, that's the invitation. That's where we're headed. Perhaps today we don't experience that joy, but can we receive the invitation to be drawn deeper and deeper into this joy of who Jesus is, of what he has come to do, and the joyful news of who he is, of what he has come to do, and that this is truly a cause and source of joy for all of us. And then, particularly with our artwork, we took a moment to kind of look at the eyes, to look at the people present. And we saw, for example, in the painting of the Nativity by the artist Pellegrini, we saw Joseph and Mary and their eyes on Jesus and the ways in which, for Joseph and Mary to Jesus, there is worship, there is adoration. They see before them in the manger their God, their Savior, but also their son, Joseph as foster father, Mary as mother, and then the Nativity, there's this beautiful union before worship and warmth, and that the one they worship, the one who is their God, as he grows, Jesus, he will receive their worship, but he will also offer them not just salvation, but also warmth, that he will deeply and dearly love them both, love their voices, love spending time with them. And that is Christians like here and now, particularly in prayer. We're offered the opportunity to enter into this place, the scene at the Nativity, to sit at the table in Nazareth to worship Jesus, to receive his salvation, but also to love God, to love Jesus with warmth and affection and to receive his love, his affection for us. Now we're going to slow down. We're going to take a moment. Resting here. And now I'll invite you to. First of all, from what we've reviewed today, or anything from your own personal prayer, like today, at this moment, What is the truth of God, what of the heart of God is being revealed that you are being invited to receive? How is God calling you to respond? Sam, What is the grace that you need to request. And then rejoice? Give thanks for this moment of prayer, for the truth revealed and the grace communicated and the share in Jesus own life that is offered. And now with Mary, let us pray. 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 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 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 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 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. Okay, so thanks so much for joining me and praying with me today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. Poco. Poco. Friends, God bless y' all.