Day 208: Mary is With Us

Summary

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

Episode: Day 208: Mary is With Us

Date: July 27, 2026
Host: Ascension, featuring Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, Fr. Francis, and Fr. John

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Episode Overview

This episode meditates on the Fifth Glorious Mystery—the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth. The friars explore Mary’s role as both Queen and Mother, offering encouragement to approach her as a source of protection and grace. Drawing on scripture, sacred art, and saintly writings, the discussion investigates the meaning and implications of Mary's queenship, her tender and powerful intercession, and the invitation to rest in awe before this sacred mystery.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mary as Queen and Mother (Coronation in Revelation 12)

• Scriptural Foundation:
  The friars reflect on Revelation 12:1-5, where Mary is depicted in the heavens as Queen.

  • "We have... the best of friends in the highest of places, that in Mary, like we have access to the Queen and the Queen is our mother."
    — Fr. Francis [01:17]

• Practical Implication:
  Mary’s authority is not distant; it’s maternal and affectionate.

  • "What she loves to do from this place of authority... is to pour out grace upon grace upon grace upon her children."
    — Fr. John [01:41]

• Encouragement to Approach Mary:
  The friars urge listeners to approach Mary with confidence and speed, especially when in spiritual need.

  • "We want to have this confidence to come to Mary and to come to her often and come to her quickly and come to her with the highest of confidences."
    — Fr. John [01:55]

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2. Heavenly Treasures and Mary’s Gifts

• What Mary Offers:
  The greatest treasure Mary wishes to give is God’s grace—a share in divine life that deepens our intimacy with Jesus and fidelity to the Father.
  • "The number one treasure that Mary wants to pour upon us is grace—is a share in God's own life at the service of our intimacy with her Son and our fidelity to the Father's will."
    — Fr. Francis [02:19]

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3. Mary as Warrior and Protector

• Motherly Protection:
  Drawing on the writings of St. John Henry Newman, the episode highlights Mary as the Queen of angels—a mother both consoling and strong.

  • "Part of the maternal heart of a mother is one of consolation... but also there’s, like, the whole Mama Bear thing is real... she deeply desires and is willing to, like, fight for her children."
    — Fr. Francis [03:00]

• Mary Fights Spiritual Adversaries:
  Her key concern is our safety from sin and Satan.

  • "What is the number one danger that Mary is concerned about in our lives? It is the danger of Satan. It is the danger of sin."
    — Fr. John [03:28]

• Invitation to Seek Help:
  When faced with temptation or discouragement, the friars encourage asking Mary for angelic protection.

  • "Let us come to Mary and let us with confidence and boldly ask her to send hosts and hosts of angels to come and fight for us and protect us, protect us and deliver us from all temptation and all torments of Satan and the fallen angels."
    — Fr. John [03:55]

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4. Meditating on Mary’s Coronation with Art (Velazquez’s Painting)

• Trinitarian Love:
  Inspired by Diego Velazquez’s "Coronation of Mary," the friars explore how Mary’s crowning is an act of love by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

  • "We see these identities of Mary: spouse of the Spirit, daughter of the Father, Mother of the Son... at its core, [the coronation] is a mystery of the most profound loves and joys and intimacies."
    — Fr. John [04:35], [04:54]

• Invitation to Adoration:
  Instead of rushing to action, the friars invite listeners to rest and marvel at this beautiful moment, simply receiving and rejoicing in it.

  • "A just response to a beautiful thing is simply to sit in awe and to wonder and to appreciate the beautiful thing."
    — Fr. John [05:15]

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5. How to Pray With This Mystery (The Four R’s of Prayer)

• Reflect, Receive, Respond, Request:
  The friars lead listeners through a brief period of silent reflection, encouraging them to:
  • Recognize the grace offered in Mary’s coronation.
  • Receive this truth and let it touch their hearts.
  • Respond with love and gratitude.
  • Request the specific grace needed to deepen this response.
    [05:44–07:40]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Mary... desires to love her children and to take all of the treasure she has and put them at our service, put them at our disposal."
  — Fr. John [01:51]

• "She deeply desires and is willing to, like, fight for her children and to put all of her resources at the service of the safety and the protection of her children."
  — Fr. Francis [03:24]

• "And how beautiful is Our Lady? And how beautiful is this intimate moment, how beautiful is this expression of love from the heart of the Trinity toward Our lady..."
  — Fr. Francis [05:21]

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Key Timestamps

• 00:53–01:14 — Introduction to the Fifth Glorious Mystery: The Coronation
• 01:11–02:35 — Reflection on Revelation 12; Mary’s role as Queen and Mother
• 03:00–04:08 — Mary as Queen of Angels and protector from sin and Satan
• 04:08–05:43 — Meditation on Mary’s coronation as an act of Trinitarian love
• 05:44–07:40 — Guided period of reflection (the four R’s)
• 07:40–12:35 — Communal prayer: Our Father, Hail Marys, Glory Be
• 12:56–13:05 — Closing thanks and encouragement

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Episode Takeaways

• Mary’s reign is both majestic and maternal: She offers grace and protection with a mother’s heart.
• When discouraged or tempted, go to Mary quickly and confidently.
• Her coronation is not just an event, but a mystery of love to be pondered and received in prayer.
• Listeners are invited to both ask for Mary’s help and simply rest in awe of her beauty and the Trinity’s love.

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Faithful to the original tone, this episode blends catechesis, practical spirituality, and contemplative prayer—serving as a gentle, uplifting guide for deepening devotion to Mary.

Transcript

[Sam]

Foreign.

[Friar 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

[Friar Francis]

a source of grace for the whole world.

[Friar John]

The Rosary in the Year is brought

[Friar Mark Mary]

to you by Ascension.

[Friar Francis]

This is day 208.

[Friar Mark Mary]

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 gonna 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.

[Friar John]

Today we will be meditating upon and

[Friar Francis]

praying with the fifth glorious Mystery, the

[Friar John]

coronation of Our lady as Queen of Heaven and Earth. Now, before we get into our time

[Friar Mark Mary]

of prayer, just a review of some

[Friar Francis]

of what we have discussed and prayed with up to this point.

[Friar John]

So in our reflection on Revelation chapter

[Friar Francis]

12, verses 1 through 5, where we see Our lady depicted kind of in

[Friar John]

the heavens as Queen, we were reminded that we have, like, if you will, the best of friends in the highest

[Friar Francis]

of places that in Mary, like we have access to the Queen and the Queen is our mother.

[Friar John]

And what she loves to do from this place of authority, this privileged place

[Friar Francis]

given to her by God, is to pour out grace upon grace upon grace upon her children.

[Friar John]

Mary, who is the best of mothers

[Friar Francis]

like, she, desires to love her children

[Friar John]

and to take all of the treasure she has and put them at our service, put them at our disposal. So we want to have like this freedom. We want to have this confidence to come to Mary and to come to her often and come to her quickly and come to her with the highest of confidences. But it's important for us to remember, like, what are in fact heavenly treasures

[Friar Francis]

and what are not.

[Friar John]

And the number one treasure that Mary

[Friar Francis]

wants to pour upon us is grace

[Friar John]

is a share in God's own life at the service of our intimacy with

[Friar Francis]

her Son and our fidelity to the Father's will.

[Friar John]

And so first and foremost, what we're

[Friar Francis]

asking for is grace for more of God's life alive and at work within us.

[Friar John]

Secondly, for today, looking at a writing of St. John Henry Newman, we looked at Mary again as the Queen of Angels, and we remind her that certainly Mary is mother to us, but also she is a Queen of angels and part of the maternal heart of a mother is one of consolation, of comfort, of care. But also there's, like, the whole Mama Bear thing is real. Like, there's a way in which for her children, a mother becomes a warrior. And that Mary is this kind of perfection of a motherly heart, which also means that, like, she deeply desires and is willing to, like, fight for her children and to put all of her

[Friar Francis]

resources at the service of the safety and the protection of her children.

[Friar John]

And what is the number one danger that Mary is concerned about in our lives? It is the danger of. Of Satan.

[Friar Francis]

It is the danger of sin.

[Friar John]

And my invitation for our prayer today

[Friar Francis]

with this is just this reminder of who she is, of how much she cares for us, of the resources at her disposal.

[Friar John]

And that when we are facing temptation towards sin, when we are facing temptation

[Friar Francis]

towards discouragement or despair, like, let us come to Mary and let us with confidence and boldly ask her to send

[Friar John]

hosts and hosts of angels to come

[Friar Francis]

and fight for us and protect us, protect us and deliver us from all

[Friar John]

temptation and all torments of Satan and the fallen angels. And then lastly, for today, kind of a different direction, different way in which we can pray with Mary's coronation is prompted by Diego Velazquez's painting of the Coronation of Mary, where we saw the coronation depicted as a work of the

[Friar Francis]

Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

[Friar John]

And we see these identities of Mary,

[Friar Francis]

spouse of the Spirit, like daughter of the Father, Mother of the Son, Mary's

[Friar John]

coronation as Queen of Heaven and Earth, like, it is glorious and it's powerful and it's theologically rich. But what I propose is that at

[Friar Francis]

its core, it is a mystery of the most profound loves and joys and intimacies, as she's made Queen of Heaven and Earth by the Father, by the Son, and by the Holy Spirit. And a just response to a beautiful

[Friar John]

thing is simply to sit in awe and to wonder and to appreciate the beautiful thing.

[Friar Francis]

And how beautiful is Our Lady? And how beautiful is this intimate moment, how beautiful is this expression of love from the heart of the Trinity toward Our lady, and that there's this invitation just to sit before this truth, this beauty, to receive it, to ponder it, and to rejoice in it.

[Friar John]

So now let's just go ahead and

[Prayer Leader]

take a moment of prayerful lingering and resting here,

[Friar Francis]

and then we'll move through our roadmap of prayer, our four R's today. Like, what is the grace being offered, the truth being revealed, that you are invited to receive? How can you Respond. What is the grace that you would like to request, particularly at the service of this response,

[Sam]

Sam?

[Friar Francis]

And then rejoice. Give thanks to the Lord for this time of prayer, for the grace given and the divine life shared. And now, together with Mary, let us pray.

[Prayer Leader]

In the name of the Father and

[Friar Francis]

of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

[Congregation Member 1]

Amen.

[Friar Francis]

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.

[Prayer Leader]

Amen.

[Congregation Member 2]

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord

[Friar Francis]

is with the blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Prayer Leader]

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for

[Friar Francis]

us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[Prayer Leader]

Amen.

[Congregation Member 2]

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord

[Friar Francis]

is with the blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Prayer Leader]

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for

[Friar Francis]

us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[Prayer Leader]

Amen.

[Congregation Member 2]

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord

[Friar Francis]

is with the blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Prayer Leader]

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for

[Friar Francis]

us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[Prayer Leader]

Amen.

[Congregation Member 2]

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

[Friar Francis]

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed

[Congregation Member 1]

is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Prayer Leader]

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for

[Friar Francis]

us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[Congregation Member 1]

Amen.

[Congregation Member 2]

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord

[Friar Francis]

is with the blessed art thou among

[Congregation Member 1]

women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Prayer Leader]

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for

[Friar Francis]

us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[Prayer Leader]

Amen.

[Congregation Member 2]

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord

[Friar Francis]

is with the blessed art thou among

[Congregation Member 1]

women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Prayer Leader]

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for

[Friar Francis]

us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[Congregation Member 1]

Amen.

[Congregation Member 2]

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

[Friar Francis]

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed

[Congregation Member 1]

is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Prayer Leader]

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for

[Friar Francis]

us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[Prayer Leader]

Amen.

[Congregation Member 2]

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

[Friar Francis]

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed

[Congregation Member 1]

is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Prayer Leader]

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for

[Friar Francis]

us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[Congregation Member 1]

Amen.

[Congregation Member 2]

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

[Friar Francis]

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed

[Congregation Member 1]

is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Prayer Leader]

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for

[Friar Francis]

us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[Congregation Member 1]

Amen.

[Congregation Member 2]

Hail Mary, full of grace.

[Friar Francis]

The Lord is with the Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the

[Congregation Member 1]

fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[Prayer Leader]

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for

[Friar Francis]

us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

[Prayer Leader]

Amen.

[Friar Francis]

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.

[Prayer Leader]

Amen. In the name of the Father and

[Friar Francis]

of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

[Congregation Member 1]

Amen.

[Friar John]

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

[Friar Francis]

with you again tomorrow.

[Friar John]

Poco, Poco.

[Friar Mark Mary]

God bless y'.

[Sam]

All.