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

Episode: Day 33: Lost and Found

Date: February 2, 2026
Host: Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR
Presented by: Ascension

Overview

Day 33 of "The Rosary in a Year" centers on the fifth Joyful Mystery—The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52). Fr. Mark-Mary Ames walks listeners through this biblical event, unraveling its historical, theological, and spiritual significance. Drawing especially from Pope Benedict XVI's insights, Fr. Mark-Mary encourages listeners to see themselves as part of a pilgrim people, highlighting Mary’s spiritual journey and Jesus’ deep filial obedience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Pilgrimage Context (02:23)

• Importance of Passover Pilgrimage:

  • The episode begins by explaining why Jesus’ family travels to Jerusalem yearly.

  • Ancient Jewish Law prescribed three annual pilgrimages—Feast of Tabernacles, Feast of Weeks, and Passover.

  • Notably, the legal requirement began at age 13 for men, but Jesus, at 12, is being gradually introduced to religious obligations—a common Jewish practice.

    "The obligation to make this journey for men began actually at 13... there's actually like a phase in raising a young Jewish man in helping them get accustomed to the Law."
    – Fr. Mark-Mary (03:20)

• Mary’s Participation:

  • Debate existed whether women were obligated to go. Mary’s presence is highlighted as a sign of her profound faithfulness (03:18).

• The Pilgrimage as Living Memory:

  • Israel’s pilgrimages symbolize the spiritual journey and identity of the people—always in motion, always seeking deeper union with the Lord.

    "They are a pilgrim people, people always on the journey, always growing closer to the Lord, in intimacy with the Lord, in their identity with the Lord."
    – Fr. Mark-Mary (03:57)

• Mary as Icon of the Pilgrim Church:

  • Mary “kept all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:51), embodying the ongoing journey of faith that all Christians are called to embrace.

    "Mary... reminds us of what this pilgrimage is going to look like for all Christians. This ongoing deepening of journeying with the Lord, journeying in the mystery of what he's doing in our lives in the same way that Mary does, by pondering these in her heart."
    – Fr. Mark-Mary (04:45)

The ‘Lost and Found’ Experience (05:06)

• Ordinary Circumstances, Extraordinary Meaning:

  • Jesus’ temporary absence among the caravan was a normal possibility given communal travel customs.
  • What is striking is the anxiety upon discovering he isn’t present at night.

• Three Days of Searching:

  • The three days reflect the literal time spent searching, but also symbolically prefigure the three days from Christ’s death to his resurrection.

    "In this losing and finding of three days, we're also going to have a foreshadowing of Mary's losing Jesus at Calvary and then finding him receiving him again on the third day when he is risen from the dead."
    – Fr. Mark-Mary (06:01)

Jesus’ Response in the Temple (06:04)

• Mary’s Maternal Anguish and Jesus’ Reply:

  • Mary asks, “Son, why have you treated us so?...your Father and I have been looking for you anxiously.”
  • Jesus responds, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

• Theological Significance of "Must":

  • Drawing from Pope Benedict, Fr. Mark-Mary explains that Jesus’ use of "must" (Greek: dei) signals filial obedience—a recurring theme culminating in the Passion narrative.

    "This must is the must of filial obedience. And so it's out of filial obedience, not rebellion, that Jesus remained in the temple. And it's the same obedience that's going to take him to the cross into the resurrection."
    – Fr. Mark-Mary (07:02)

Fulfillment, Not Abolition, of the Law (07:06)

• Jesus’ Filial Freedom:

  • Jesus reveals the “freedom of the Son,” aligning perfect obedience to God with true spiritual liberty—not rebellion or lawlessness.

  • This marks the core theological message:

    "Jesus comes not to abolish, but to complete or to fulfill the law... He’s revealing to us the freedom of the Son."
    – Fr. Mark-Mary (07:06)

    "It's the freedom of Jesus, Jesus who is totally united with his Father's will and who helps mankind attain the freedom of inner oneness with God."
    – Fr. Mark-Mary quoting Pope Benedict (07:35)

• Radical Newness and Faithfulness:

  • The episode concludes this theological reflection with a direct quote:

    "The link between radical newness and equally radical faithfulness rooted in Jesus’ sonship is the actual theological content that this story is intended to convey."
    – Pope Benedict XVI, quoted by Fr. Mark-Mary (07:54)

Spiritual Application & Exhortation (08:07)

• Imitating Mary’s Interior Pilgrimage:

  • Listeners are invited to ponder life’s mysteries in faith, even amidst uncertainty.

  • The concept of Christian life as an ongoing pilgrimage is reemphasized.

    "There’s a really beautiful and deep invitation to join Mary in our own pilgrimage of faith. Continuing to ponder the mysteries of life in our heart that we don't understand or see at all, we too remain a pilgrim people."
    – Fr. Mark-Mary (08:07)

• Sharing Christ’s Freedom:

  • The prayer intention is to experience the liberating obedience Jesus models.

    "Let's pray for a greater share in Jesus’ own freedom. A freedom which again doesn't push back, doesn't fight against our moral obligations... but understands these as both a means and an expression of the freedom that we experience as sons and daughters in the Son, Jesus Christ."
    – Fr. Mark-Mary (08:42, 08:53)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Jesus’ filial obedience:

  "Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"
  – Jesus, as emphasized by Fr. Mark-Mary (06:04)

• On pilgrimage as Christian life:

  "We too remain a pilgrim people."
  – Fr. Mark-Mary (08:17)

• On Mary’s example:

  "Mary, the icon of the church, reminds us of what this pilgrimage is going to look like for all Christians."
  – Fr. Mark-Mary (04:39)

• Pope Benedict’s synthesis:

  "The link between radical newness and equally radical faithfulness rooted in Jesus’ sonship is the actual theological content that this story is intended to convey."
  – Pope Benedict XVI, quoted by Fr. Mark-Mary (07:54)

Key Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------|-------------| | Episode Introduction | 00:04 | | Reading: The Finding in the Temple (Luke) | 01:20-02:18 | | Pilgrimage context & Mary’s faithfulness | 02:23-03:35 | | The meaning of pilgrimage | 03:35-04:51 | | The "Lost and Found" explanation | 05:06-06:04 | | Jesus’ response; theological depth | 06:04-07:06 | | Fulfillment of Law; newness & faithfulness| 07:06-07:54 | | Application for listeners | 08:07-08:57 | | Closing prayers & final blessing | 08:59-10:24 |

Tone and Language

Fr. Mark-Mary adopts a gentle, encouraging, and insightful tone, thoughtfully guiding listeners deeper into scripture and tradition. References to Pope Benedict lend depth without academic distancing, making profound theology accessible and immediately relevant.

Conclusion

Day 33 of "The Rosary in a Year" is a contemplative dive into the loss and joyful rediscovery of Jesus in the temple, inviting listeners to embrace their own pilgrimage of faith. By meditating on Mary’s ponderous heart and Jesus’ profound obedience, Fr. Mark-Mary encourages trust, reflection, and a growing intimacy with God—hallmarks of true discipleship.