Day 200: Glory Hidden in Suffering

Summary

Episode Summary: Day 200 - "Glory Hidden in Suffering"

The Rosary in a Year podcast, hosted by Fr. Mark-Mary Ames of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, delves deeply into the spiritual journey of the Rosary, guiding listeners through prayer and meditation to foster a profound relationship with Jesus and Mary. In Day 200: "Glory Hidden in Suffering," Fr. Mark-Mary Ames explores the second sorrowful mystery—the Scourging at the Pillar—and its profound implications on understanding sin, suffering, and divine glory.

---

1. Introduction to the Second Sorrowful Mystery

Fr. Mark-Mary Ames begins the episode by introducing the second sorrowful mystery of the Rosary, the Scourging at the Pillar. This event, part of Jesus Christ’s Passion, serves as a focal point for understanding the depth of sin and the extent of Jesus’s sacrifice.

---

2. Sin and Its Consequences: A Comparative Insight

Fr. Mark-Mary draws a parallel between Jesus’s scourging and the Parable of the Prodigal Son. He states:

“In the Prodigal Son, after the Son takes his inheritance and squanders it… he ends up like bent over, beat up alone… And I propose that Jesus in his scourging is saying, like look at me… this is what sin does to your soul.”
— [02:15]

This comparison underscores the external and internal ramifications of sin, illustrating how sin can lead to fragmentation and suffering within the soul, much like the physical and emotional torment experienced by the Prodigal Son and Jesus.

---

3. Revealing the True Nature of Sin through Christ’s Sufferings

Fr. Mark-Mary emphasizes that through Jesus’s suffering, believers can witness the true nature of sin:

“Jesus is saying like, look at me… This is what sin does to the world. This is what sin does to your own soul, to relationships.”
— [04:30]

He highlights that sin may appear attractive and harmless, but it leads to deep spiritual harm. Jesus's scourging is a vivid demonstration of sin's destructive power, serving as a stark reminder of its reality.

---

4. Reflection from Saint Faustina’s Diary

Referencing a previous episode, Fr. Mark-Mary shares a poignant excerpt from Saint Faustina’s diary:

“Jesus gave to me to know in detail the gravity of the malice of these ungrateful souls… I see the sincere pain of your heart, which brought great solace to my heart.”
— [05:45]

This reflection illustrates the intimate connection between Jesus’s suffering and the believer’s heart, fostering empathy and a deeper understanding of his passion.

---

5. The Invitation to Be a Grateful and Consoling Soul

Fr. Mark-Mary extends an invitation to listeners to embody gratitude and remain present with Jesus during his suffering:

“Be the one… the grateful soul who remains with Jesus, who receives the fullness of the gift, of the shedding of his precious blood.”
— [07:10]

This call encourages believers to actively participate in Christ’s passion by cultivating gratitude and steadfastness, thereby consoling Jesus through their devotion.

---

6. Artistic Representation and the Glory of Jesus

Discussing the fresco by Agostino Giampelli, Fr. Mark-Mary points out how art captures the essence of Jesus's holiness amidst suffering:

“The fresco had somewhat muted colors, but this was broken by Jesus's halo… which showed the holiness of our Lord and the glory of our Lord, which will only shine brighter and brighter.”
— [09:00]

The halo symbolizes Jesus’s enduring glory and divinity, affirming that no amount of suffering can diminish his divine essence or the ultimate victory over sin.

---

7. Assurance of Victory through Faith

Drawing from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, Fr. Mark-Mary reassures listeners of Jesus's triumph over all adversities:

“If God is for us, who is against us?… Nothing can diminish or dim or conquer Jesus’s fidelity to the Father and Jesus’s love for you.”
— [09:45]

This affirmation serves to strengthen the believer’s faith, emphasizing that divine support and Christ’s unwavering love ensure victory over temptations and trials.

---

8. Moment of Reflection and Personal Invitation

Fr. Mark-Mary invites listeners to pause and reflect on the grace and truths discussed:

“What is the grace, the truth being revealed that you are being invited to receive?”
— [10:30]

This quiet reflection encourages personal application of the episode’s teachings, allowing listeners to internalize and seek specific graces in their spiritual journey.

---

9. Concluding Prayer

The episode culminates in a heartfelt Rosary prayer, guiding listeners through the Our Father, multiple Hail Marys, and the Glory Be, fostering a meditative and contemplative state as the episode closes.

---

10. Closing Remarks

Fr. Mark-Mary concludes the session with gratitude:

“Thanks so much for joining me and praying with me again today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow.”
— [13:00]

He reaffirms the communal aspect of the Rosary journey, encouraging ongoing participation and support.

---

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding Sin: Jesus’s scourging vividly demonstrates the destructive power of sin, serving as a wake-up call to recognize and resist its allure.

• Gratitude and Companionship: Emulating the grateful and consoling soul fosters a deeper connection with Christ’s suffering, enhancing spiritual resilience.

• Divine Glory Prevails: Despite immense suffering, Jesus’s holiness and glory remain unblemished, assuring believers of ultimate victory through faith.

• Personal Reflection: Engaging in moments of quiet contemplation allows believers to internalize the teachings and seek personal graces.

Notable Quotes:

• “Look at me… this is what sin does to your soul.” — Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [02:15]

• “Be the one… the grateful soul who remains with Jesus, who receives the fullness of the gift.” — Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [07:10]

• “If God is for us, who is against us?” — Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [09:45]

---

This episode serves as a profound exploration of suffering and glory within the Christian faith, encouraging believers to deepen their prayer life through the Rosary and to find strength and inspiration in the Passion of Christ.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign 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.

[B]

This is day 200.

[A]

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 [e-mail] support.

[B]

Today we will be meditating upon and praying with the second sorrowful mystery, the scourging at the pillar. And to aid today's prayer and meditation, a reflection on some of what we have discussed up to this point. Begin by going back again to the series of episodes, comparing and in some ways contrasting our Lord and the journey he goes on in His Passion and the parable of the Prodigal Son. And if you recall, in the Prodigal Son, after the Son takes his inheritance and he squanders it and there's a famine, how does he end up? He ends up like bent over, beat up alone, fighting at the trough for some portion of the food of swine. And we see like an insight there, like into externally like the effects of sin, the consequences of sin, beat up, bent over alone. And I propose that Jesus in his scourging is saying, like look at me, look at me and see like what is being done to me as I am being scourged, as I am beat up, scourged, stripped, mocked as Jesus, if you will, to quote St. Paul, takes upon himself sin like he is revealing to us both the nature and the heart of God, which we'll talk about, but also the reality of sin. And Jesus, as if he's saying, like, look at me like this is what sin does to your soul. This is the true nature of sin. It appears like shiny and bright. There can certainly be a lot of temptations to watering down sin, the effects of sin, being indifferent towards sin. And Jesus is saying like, look at me, look at me. This is what sin does. This is what sin does to the world. This is what sin does to your own soul, to relationships. This is what sin did to the innocent Lamb of God. So we see our Lord scourged as an invitation to be reminded of the great horror of sin. And can this be a source of light, courage, perseverance for us when we are tempted? Okay, next we'll review. Today, during one of our episodes on the Lord scourged at the pillar, we had a reading from Saint Faustina. And if you recall, in her prayer and then in her diary, Saint Faustina wrote this experience of the Lord. And this is what she wrote. And Jesus gave to me to know in detail the gravity of the malice of these ungrateful souls. Then the Lord said to me, I see the sincere pain of your heart, which brought great solace to my heart. And the invitation offered in that episode and renew today is to be the one, be the grateful soul who stays with Jesus, who, if you will, consoles the heart of Jesus by being with him in his passion, who sees him scourged, remains with him scourged, and says, I receive this gift. I receive this gift. I am grateful. Thank you, Jesus. So there's this invitation to be the one, be the grateful soul, be the one who remains with Jesus, who receives the fullness of the gift, of the shedding of his precious blood. And then lastly, for today, if you recall, when we looked at the fresco of the flagellation by the artist Agostino Giampelli, if you recall, the fresco had somewhat muted colors, but this was broken by Jesus's halo. No one else in the scene had a halo except him. And it still shone bright even though he was undergoing his passion. And in this halo we saw the artistic sign of the holiness of our Lord and the glory of our Lord, which will only shine brighter and brighter and brighter. Because the worst betrayal of man, scourging of man, tortures of man, can do nothing to dim or to extinguish the glory of Jesus, the holiness of Jesus. And we call to mind the words of St. Paul in his letter to the Romans. If God is for us, who is against us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecute or famine or nakedness or peril or sword, like we recall the glory of Jesus, the strength of Jesus, the divinity of Jesus. Yes, he freely undergoes this scourging, this passion, but he will be victorious. But even now, here he's on the road to Victory, like Jesus says yes to the Father's will and his glory shines. And Jesus says yes to saving you and his glory shines. He fights for you, he loves you, he pushes forward. Nothing can diminish or dim or conquer Jesus's fidelity to the Father and Jesus love for you and his fight for you. So now we'll take just a moment to be still, to perhaps go deeper, remain with the invitation to see the nature of sin, the truth about sin being revealed through our Lord's scourging. Perhaps what has called you is this invitation to be the one, be the grateful soul, the consoling soul who receives the gift of Jesus passion. Or perhaps the invitation is to focus on, to remain with the glory of Jesus, the love of Jesus that endures all and conquers all. So for you, at this moment, what is the grace, the truth being revealed that you are being invited to receive? Sam, how can you respond? What is the grace that you would like to request? And now rejoice. Give thanks to the Lord for this time of prayer. The grace given in the life of shared. And now, together with Mary, let us pray. In the name of the Father and of 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. And lead us not into temptation, but 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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]

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. 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 y'. All.