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

Episode: Day 22: Lead Souls to Heaven
Date: January 22, 2026
Host: Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR (Ascension)

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the meaning and spiritual power of the Fatima Prayer in the Rosary: “Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.” Fr. Mark-Mary explores the Christian virtues of hope and gravitas (spiritual seriousness), discussing how these should shape our perspective on salvation, prayer, and our mission to help lead souls to heaven—beginning with ourselves and extending to all people.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Fatima Prayer’s Origin and Purpose

• [01:08] The Fatima Prayer was given by Our Lady of Fatima in her apparition to visionaries Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta, emphasizing the necessity of praying the Rosary for the conversion of sinners and salvation of souls.
• The prayer is now commonly recited at the end of each decade of the Rosary.

2. Balancing Hope and Gravitas in the Life of Faith

• [02:13] Fr. Mark-Mary introduces two principles:
  • Authentic Christian Hope: A gift and work from God, grounded in confidence in God’s desire and action for salvation.
  • Authentic Christian Gravitas: A serious and sober awareness of the realities of death, judgment, heaven, and hell (the “four last things”).

“Christians are people of hope. It is a work of grace within us... It is a hope for our salvation. It is a hope for the salvation of our brothers and sisters.”
— Fr. Mark-Mary, [03:00]

• [03:55] Spiritual hope is not “levitas,” or careless optimism; gravitas keeps us grounded in reality and moved by what is truly at stake.

3. Biblical Foundations for Hope

• [04:18] Fr. Mark-Mary references key scripture passages:
  • Romans 8:28: “For God is at work for the good in all things, for those who love Him.”
  • Matthew 18:14: “It is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”

“…when we’re praying the Fatima prayer, we’re praying with hope and we’re bringing to God those we love, knowing that no matter how much we love them, He who is God loves them even more.”
— Fr. Mark-Mary, [05:01]

4. Personal Conversion and Mission

• [07:25] Fr. Mark-Mary calls for personal repentance and increased zeal:
  • Our own sanctification comes first; prayer for the conversion of others flows from this.
  • He warns not to be distracted by trivial matters, but to focus time and energy on eternal realities.

“…how often we can kind of get caught up, spending so much time and energy and emotion... worrying about little things, passing things, and how often we don’t give enough… concern about heavenly things, about eternal things such as salvation.”
— Fr. Mark-Mary, [08:35]

5. Healthy Approach to Judgment and Salvation

• [09:30] Fr. Mark-Mary addresses the danger of excessive fear of hell, especially for those sincerely following Christ:
  • Advocates trust in God’s mercy, aware of justice but rooted in hopeful confidence and surrender.

“When we are in right relationship with the Lord, when His life is alive in us, we do look at these things with hope, with a certain confidence and a certain surrender and entrustment of all of these things to Him.”
— Fr. Mark-Mary, [10:09]

6. Praying the Fatima Prayer with Intention

• [11:05] The Fatima prayer should be offered for ourselves and all souls, especially those in greatest need.
• Collaboration with Mary and an increase in zeal for evangelization are key takeaways.

Notable Quotes

• On Hope:

  “Christians are people of hope. It is a work of grace within us... It is a hope for our salvation. It is a hope for the salvation of our brothers and sisters.”
  — Fr. Mark-Mary, [03:00]

• On God's Love:

  “When we’re praying the Fatima prayer, we’re praying with hope and we’re bringing to God those we love, knowing that no matter how much we love them, He who is God loves them even more.”
  — Fr. Mark-Mary, [05:01]

• On What Matters:

  “How often we can kind of get caught up, spending so much time and energy and emotion... worrying about little things, passing things, and how often we don’t give enough… a concern about heavenly things, about eternal things such as salvation.”
  — Fr. Mark-Mary, [08:35]

• On Confidence in God's Mercy:

  “When we are in right relationship with the Lord... we do look at these things with hope, with a certain confidence and a certain surrender and entrustment of all of these things to Him.”
  — Fr. Mark-Mary, [10:09]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:00] Introduction and context for the day
• [01:08] Explanation of the Fatima Prayer and its Marian source
• [02:13] The harmony of hope and gravitas
• [03:55] Danger of ‘levitas’ vs. call to mature seriousness
• [04:18] Biblical foundations for hope: Romans 8:28 and Matthew 18:14
• [07:25] Call for personal conversion and evangelization
• [09:30] On right fear and trust, especially for those in a state of grace
• [11:05] Praying the Fatima Prayer intentionally, for all souls

Episode Flow and Tone

The episode is compassionate, encouraging, and grounded in deep Catholic teaching. Fr. Mark-Mary combines gentle exhortation with pastoral realism, inviting listeners into a prayerful and hopeful seriousness about their spiritual journey and their role in the salvation of souls.

Conclusion

Fr. Mark-Mary concludes by praying the Our Father, Hail Marys, Glory Be, and the Fatima Prayer, inviting listeners to bring themselves and all souls—especially those most in need of mercy—to the Lord through the Rosary. He encourages maintaining hope, seriousness, and zeal in the call to help lead souls to heaven.