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

Episode: Day 228: Lifted Up With Mary
Date: August 16, 2025
Host: Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR (Franciscan Friars of the Renewal)
Podcast by: Ascension

Episode Overview

In this episode, Fr. Mark-Mary leads listeners in meditating on the fourth and fifth Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary: the Assumption of Mary and her Coronation as Queen of Heaven and Earth. The focus is on praying with personal intentions for others, inviting listeners to bring the concerns of loved ones or troubling situations to Mary for her maternal intercession.

This is the final entry in a five-part series on "Praying with Intentions," emphasizing how the Rosary can be a channel of grace, both for oneself and the world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bringing Intentions to Mary

• Fr. Mark-Mary invites listeners to be intentional in their prayer:

  “We're going to bring our intentions to Our Lady today. The intentions for today are going to be something outside of us, another person or situation.” (01:06)

• Listeners are encouraged to pause and visualize themselves with Mary—whether “back in the home where she was with St. John,” or in their own personal space (01:26-01:33).
• Mary’s presence is described as “her maternal love, her maternal care for whatever the situation is” (01:45-01:47).

2. Meditating on the Glorious Mysteries

The Assumption (Fourth Glorious Mystery)

• The Rosary is prayed, inviting Mary’s intercession for the listener’s intention.
• A meditative atmosphere is created, with each Hail Mary offered for individual intentions.

The Coronation (Fifth Glorious Mystery)

• Fr. Mark-Mary encourages bringing a new intention in this next mystery, again focusing outward:

  “Call to mind another intention and bring it to Mary. Experience her maternal love, care, and response to the situation.” (06:02-06:07)

3. Experiential Prayer and the Power of Mary’s Intercession

• Throughout the episode, the structure is meditative and participatory; Fr. Mark-Mary frequently encourages listeners to “experience her love, her care” (01:42).
• The repetition of communal prayers (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be) reinforces the rhythm and depth of Marian devotion.
• The act of praying for others is framed as a concrete way to “become a source of grace for the whole world.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Invitation to Intentional Prayer:

  “Just to take a moment, take the time to imagine yourself with her... in your home, in your car, in your office.”
  (01:22-01:33, Fr. Mark-Mary)

• On Mary’s Maternal Presence:

  “Experience her love, her care. Her maternal love, her maternal care for whatever the situation is.”
  (01:42-01:47, Prayer Leaders and Participants)

• Instructions between Mysteries:

  “So we'll go ahead and call to mind another intention and bring it to Mary. Experience her maternal love, care, response to the situation.”
  (06:02-06:07, Fr. Mark-Mary)

• Closing Words:

  “Thanks, everybody, for joining me and praying with me again today. I look forward to continuing this journey tomorrow. Poco a poco, friends. God bless you all.”
  (10:13, Fr. Mark-Mary)

Important Timestamps

• 00:08-01:21 — Episode theme introduction and setting the intention for intercessory prayer.
• 01:22-01:47 — Guided visualization: “Imagine yourself with her... experience her love, her care.”
• 01:58-05:45 — Praying the Assumption (Fourth Glorious Mystery).
• 05:57-09:55 — Praying the Coronation (Fifth Glorious Mystery).
• 10:13 — Closing encouragement from Fr. Mark-Mary.

Tone and Style

The episode is calm, meditative, and focused on gentle encouragement. Fr. Mark-Mary’s language is warm and inviting, fostering a sense of spiritual intimacy and connection with Mary as a loving mother. Listeners are repeatedly reminded that their prayers, especially for others, are powerful and welcomed by both Jesus and Mary.

Summary

This episode of The Rosary in a Year centers on lifting others up in prayer with Mary’s maternal support during the Glorious Mysteries. By guiding listeners to intentionally offer the needs of others and experience Mary's caring presence, Fr. Mark-Mary deepens the spiritual practice of the Rosary, emphasizing its power as a source of grace for the world.

For more resources and the full prayer plan, listeners are encouraged to visit Ascension’s website.