Day 28: Be Joyful, Be Free - The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames)

Day 28: Be Joyful, Be Free

Tue Jan 28 2025

Do you fully believe in the forgiveness of sins professed in the Creed? Fr. Mark-Mary tells us that so often we receive forgiveness but continue to carry the internal burden of sin. Drawing from the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, Fr. Mark-Mary encourages us to recall that we have been freed from sin. In praying the Rosary, we can set down our burdens as the Father accepts us into his home. Today’s focus is “The forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen,” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Rosary in a Year – Day 28: Be Joyful, Be Free

Host: Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR
Hosted By: Ascension
Release Date: January 28, 2025

In the 28th episode of Ascension’s The Rosary in a Year podcast, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames delves deep into the transformative power of embracing joy and freedom through the forgiveness of sins. Titled "Be Joyful, Be Free," this episode offers listeners profound insights into integrating faith with daily life, emphasizing the significance of joy as an authentic expression of belief.

I. Embracing Faith Through Works

[02:15] Introduction to Faith and Works

Fr. Mark-Mary begins the episode by exploring the relationship between faith and works, drawing inspiration from James 2:18:

“But someone will say, you have faith and I have works. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. And then going down for as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead.” ([02:15])

He underscores that genuine faith manifests through tangible actions, asserting that faith without works is akin to a body without spirit—essentially lifeless.

II. Personal Commitment to the Apostles' Creed

[04:30] Affirming Belief in the Catholic Teachings

Fr. Mark-Mary poses a personal reflection, questioning his own embodiment of faith:

“Do you believe and everything the Catholic Church teaches? Heck yeah, I do.” ([04:45])

He affirms his unwavering belief in the core tenets of the Apostles' Creed, particularly emphasizing:

“Do you believe in the forgiveness of sins? 100%.” ([05:10])

By affirming his belief, he sets the stage for discussing how this faith translates into daily actions.

III. The Joyful Expression of Forgiveness

[06:00] Smiling as a Sign of Faith

Transitioning from belief to action, Fr. Mark-Mary introduces the concept that one of the external manifestations of faith in the forgiveness of sins is a genuine smile:

“One of the works proper to our faith is to smile. To smile, my brothers and sisters, an authentic sign of our faith, an authentic work of our faith and the forgiveness of sins is to smile is to stand upright, to be joyful, and to be free.” ([06:00])

He emphasizes that smiling is not merely a physical act but a profound acknowledgment of God's mercy and forgiveness.

IV. The Parable of the Prodigal Son: A Deeper Understanding

[09:20] Illustrating Forgiveness with Scripture

To elucidate his point, Fr. Mark-Mary recounts the parable of the prodigal son from Luke 15:

“The father sees him at a distance and is moved and runs and embraces him, kisses him and has the fatty cast slaughtered. And then it says, and they begin to make merry.” ([09:20])

He visualizes the son returning, burdened by his past, and the father’s unwavering mercy that ultimately frees him from his sins.

V. Carrying the Burden of Sins

[12:45] The Weight of Unforgiven Sins

Fr. Mark-Mary paints a vivid image of the prodigal son still burdened despite forgiveness:

“I just see like the son still bent over and still with both of his hands together, kind of over his shoulders, carrying this imaginary weight.” ([12:45])

He uses this metaphor to highlight how individuals may continue to feel weighed down by their sins, even after receiving divine forgiveness.

VI. Embracing Mercy and Letting Go

[15:30] Receiving and Letting Go of Forgiveness

Encouraging listeners to fully embrace their forgiveness, Fr. Mark-Mary advises:

“Let the Father come to us again. Say, hey, the sins are gone, you are forgiven. Stand upright, my son. Stand tall, my daughter. Smile, Rejoice, be joyful, be free.” ([15:30])

He calls for a conscious release of the burdensome feelings associated with sin, advocating for a life lived in joyful freedom.

VII. Practical Application: Daily Reflection and Release

[18:10] Self-Examination and Confession

Inviting listeners to introspect, Fr. Mark-Mary prompts:

“Let us just be honest with ourselves. Firstly, do we have unrepentant sins? Do we have unconfessed sins? If we believe in the forgiveness of sins, like, let's take this to the sacrament. Let's take it and give it to Jesus.” ([18:10])

He encourages utilizing the sacrament of confession as a means to cleanse and liberate oneself from lingering sins, reinforcing the theme of joyous freedom.

VIII. Leading the Prayer

[21:00] Guiding the Congregational Prayer

Fr. Mark-Mary transitions into leading a prayer, embodying the principles discussed:

“Father, come to us. Lift our eyes to yours. Lift our heads. Free our hands from the fake burden, the fake weight. Teach us to rejoice. Teach us to do the work of smiling as we celebrate and live in and swim in the waters of your mercy.” ([21:00])

This prayer serves as a communal affirmation of forgiveness and the pursuit of joy.

IX. Concluding Prayers and Reflections

[23:30] Recitation of Traditional Prayers

The episode concludes with Fr. Mark-Mary guiding listeners through the Our Father, three Hail Marys, and the Glory Be, reinforcing the devotional practices central to the Rosary.

[28:00] Final Thoughts and Encouragement

In his closing remarks, Fr. Mark-Mary reiterates the importance of internalizing the forgiveness received:

“If we have confessed sins, let's let them go. Let it go. It's gone, it's forgiven. The burden you're carrying, it is not real.” ([28:00])

He expresses gratitude for the shared prayer experience and looks forward to continuing the spiritual journey with his audience.

Key Takeaways

Faith Manifested Through Joy: True faith in the forgiveness of sins naturally leads to a joyful and free disposition, exemplified by the act of smiling.
Forgiveness Liberates: Embracing God's mercy allows individuals to release the burdens of past sins, fostering a life of celebration and freedom.
Active Reflection: Regular self-examination and participation in the sacrament of confession are essential for maintaining spiritual well-being and joy.
Communal Prayer Strengthens Faith: Engaging in shared prayers like the Rosary reinforces personal faith and connects believers with the broader faith community.

Quote Highlights

Faith and Works Connection:
“Faith apart from works is dead.” ([02:15])
Joy as a Sign of Faith:
“An authentic sign of our faith...is to smile, to stand upright, to be joyful, and to be free.” ([06:00])
Embracing Forgiveness:
“The burden you're carrying, it is not real.” ([28:00])

Conclusion

Day 28 of The Rosary in a Year podcast serves as a poignant reminder of the profound joy and freedom that come from embracing the forgiveness of sins. Fr. Mark-Mary Ames expertly intertwines scripture, personal reflection, and practical guidance to inspire listeners to live out their faith with authenticity and joy. By fostering a deeper relationship with Jesus and Mary through the Rosary, listeners are encouraged to become living testimonies of God's mercy and grace, radiating joy and freedom in their daily lives.

For those seeking to embark on or continue their journey with the Rosary, additional resources and the complete prayer plan are available at Ascension's Rosary in a Year.

Transcript

A (0:00)

Foreign Mark Mary with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and this is the Rosary New 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. This is day 28. 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. It's a great way to track your progress. The best place to listen to the 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. The forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and a life everlasting. Amen. I'm going to be a little creative in choosing our scripture passage by which we will approach these articles of the Creed. This comes From James chapter 2, verses 18 and some of the following. But someone will say, you have faith and I have works. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. And then going down for as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead. Sometimes I want to look in the mirror and ask myself this question. Oh, hey, Father Mark, Mary, can I ask you a question? Sure, go for it. Do you believe and everything the Catholic Church teaches? Heck yeah, I do. So you believe everything that's in the Apostles Creed, for example, like, yeah, absolutely. So you believe in the forgiveness of sins? 100%. Then I want to say, why don't you tell your face, you know, because here's my proposal. 1. If we say we have faith, we believe in the forgiveness of sins. One of the works proper to our faith is to smile. To smile, my brothers and sisters, an authentic sign of our faith, an authentic work of our faith and the forgiveness of sins is to smile is to stand upright, to be joyful, and to be free. Because what we're talking about here is like, so when we have received the forgiveness of sins, I'm talking about sins that have been where we've been washed clean, either through baptism or or through sacramental confession. It's no longer about the sin. Like, we no longer have to be bent over and sad and beating ourselves up. Like, it becomes about God's mercy. And the focus is on his mercy. I have been forgiven. I believe in the forgiveness of sins. And I believe in it so deeply. I experience it so deeply, I can't help but smile. I can't help but be joyful. Absolutely. There's other works appropriate to our faith and the forgiveness of sins, but this is the one I want to focus on today. And to help paint another picture, let's take a look at the parable of the prodigal son. So this is Luke, chapter 15, right? And so, you know, we all know the youngest son, he asked for his inheritance, he goes and squanders it and loose living and. And he's reminded like, I have a father, I have a father back home. And so he's going to go to his father, I'm going to go back to him. I'm going to say, I no longer be, you know, deserve to be called your son and I'll be your servant. And the father sees him at a distance and is moved and runs and embraces him, kisses him and has the fatty cast slaughtered. And then it says, and they begin to make merry. And I kind of have this image of pretend like there's the prodigal son and he's on his journey back to his father. And I'm thinking of like, sort of like a picture maybe you've seen of like a 16th century Franciscan monk who's like got the old burlap sack and he's going through town maybe begging bread. It's just like this big bag that he's. He's got two hands on it just kind of over his shoulder, next to his ear, and it's this big heavy bag and he's bent over. And I kind of have the image of the prodigal son being like that. And in the bag are all of his sins. And so he's coming back to the Father. And when the father comes and embraces him. And what does the father do? He just. He takes it. He takes all of the weight, he destroys all of the stones, he forgives all the sin. All of the debt is forgiven. You don't have to carry it anymore. It's gone. So imagine like the son believing in forgiveness of sins enough. Believing his father's mercy enough. Like he comes to the party and he's there and he's in it and they're singing and dancing all around. But now imagine I could. I just. I see like the son still bent over and still with both of his hands together, kind of over his shoulders, carrying this imaginary weight. Like he's just become so accustomed to it. And he still sort of feels it in his interior heart. So he's just going around this party in his honor, celib that the son who is dead is alive. Like, just bent over and like he's not. He's not joyful, he's not taking it in. His hands are both carrying this empty weight that's gone, but he's still acting like he's carrying it. And the father coming to him, right? And gently lifting his eyes, taking both his hands, saying, like, son, the burden is gone. The burden is gone. It is forgiven. Let it go. And the son can do this, right? The son can do this. And you and I can do this because it's forgiven. The Father took care of it. It's gone. I believe in the forgiveness of sins. And part of the work is letting go of the burden. And my brothers and sisters, I think so many of us, the sins are forgiven, but we remember them. We're still bent over, beat up, eyes to the ground, no smile, uncomfortable. Our hands not free for rejoicing because they're carrying this fake burden. Let's let the Father come to us again. Say, hey, the sins are gone, you are forgiven. Stand upright, my son. Stand tall, my daughter. Smile, Rejoice, be joyful, be free. Eat, drink and be merry. And celebrate with me that we are back together. As we pray, let us just be honest with ourselves. Firstly, do we have unrepentant sins? Do we have unconfessed sins? If we believe in the forgiveness of sins, like, let's take this to the sacrament. Let's take it and give it to Jesus. If we have confessed sins, let's let them go. Let it go. It's gone, it's forgiven. The burden you're carrying, it is not real. Father, come to us. Lift our eyes to yours. Lift our heads. Free our hands from the fake burden, the fake weight. Teach us to rejoice. Teach us to do the work of smiling as we celebrate and live in and swim in the waters of your mercy. 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 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. Glory be to the Father and to the Son, 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, everybody. I enjoyed that one. You believe in the forgiveness of sins? Tell your face. Oh, gosh. Got to put it in my mirror. All right. Anyway, thanks for joining me. Thanks for praying with me today. Thank you, Jesus, for your goodness and your mercy, Father. Look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. Poco, poco, friends. Bye now.