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

Episode: Day 358: The Glorious Mysteries
Date: December 24, 2025
Host: Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR
Produced by: Ascension

Overview

In this episode of "The Rosary in a Year," Fr. Mark-Mary Ames leads listeners in praying the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary, interspersing each decade with reflections grounded in Scripture, the lives of the saints, and Church teaching. His meditations invite listeners to encounter the profound hope, joy, and transformative promise found in each mystery. This episode fosters a deeper relationship with Jesus and Mary and helps listeners open their hearts to God's grace through Marian devotion.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Introduction and Prayer Setup

[00:04-03:09]

• Fr. Mark-Mary explains the purpose of the Rosary in a Year journey: to grow in love with the Rosary and to become “a source of grace for the whole world.”
• He provides instructions on obtaining the prayer plan, accessing the app, and preparing hearts for prayer.
• The episode begins with the Apostles' Creed, prayers for the Pope, and an invocation for the virtues of faith, hope, and charity.

The First Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection

Reflection Segment [03:09-04:54]

• Scriptural Foundation:
  Fr. Mark-Mary quotes St. Augustine and St. Paul, discussing the link between baptism and resurrection:

  "Through the resurrection, Jesus brings a newness of life. And as St. Augustine mentions, by baptism we share in his death ... and we already share in his resurrection as we rise ..." ([03:34])

• Theme:

  • Baptism isn’t just symbolic—it’s an actual participation in Christ’s resurrection, giving believers a "foretaste of the Resurrection" now.
  • Christians are called to live joyfully, confident in victory because of the Resurrection.

• Prayer Intention:

  • "Let us pray for this grace ... to live according to the newness of this life, to live according to our destiny as those who already have a foretaste of the Resurrection." ([04:06])

The Second Glorious Mystery: The Ascension

Reflection Segment [08:33-10:48]

• Deeper Meaning of the Ascension:

  • The Ascension is not about Jesus “leaving us,” but encountering us in a new, more intimate way.
  • Citing Pope Benedict XVI, Fr. Mark-Mary shares:

    "Jesus becomes present to us in a new way ... totally and completely present, available to each of us." ([09:03])

  • The imagery of the throne room invites listeners to place themselves before Jesus, who is attentive to and personally knows each one of them.

• Prayer Invitation:

  • "Let's pay him homage in this way as we pray." ([10:24])

The Third Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the Holy Spirit

Reflection Segment [14:04-15:57]

• Scripture Meditation:
  Ezekiel 36:26: “A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you.”

• Transformation by the Spirit:

  • The Holy Spirit replaces hearts of stone with hearts of flesh—softening hardened, wounded, or fearful hearts.
  • Fr. Mark-Mary encourages openness and docility to the Holy Spirit’s ongoing work:

    "We ask that the Holy Spirit may be a balm, an anointing, an oil where we are wounded. Come, Holy Spirit." ([15:16])

• Prayer Focus:

  • Begging for deeper outpouring and transformation by the Holy Spirit, that hearts may become like the heart of Jesus.

The Fourth Glorious Mystery: The Assumption of Mary

Reflection Segment [19:36-21:37]

• Suffering and Hope:

  • Following Jesus does not mean escape from suffering, but suffering does not have the last word.
  • Mary’s perfect discipleship modelled trust amid deep suffering; in her Assumption, God’s promise of life and joy is fulfilled.

• Reflection:

  "Those of us who trust Jesus and follow him will never trust him in vain ... But life and joy and glory will have the final word in our life as they do in the life of Mary." ([20:58])

• Prayer Intention:

  • For the virtue of hope in hardship, drawing strength from Mary's example and destiny.

The Fifth Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of Mary

Reflection Segment [25:18-27:07]

• Visio Divina – Sacred Art:

  • Fr. Mark-Mary references a painting by Diego Velasquez depicting Mary’s coronation with the presence of the entire Trinity.
  • Describes the unique, intimate relationship Mary shares with each Divine Person: Daughter of the Father, Mother of the Son, Spouse of the Holy Spirit.
  • The Coronation is not an impersonal reward, but an act of deep familial love:

    "Mary has a unique relationship to each of the persons of the Trinity ... It's a gift given by a father to a daughter, a son to his mother, the Holy Spirit to Our Lady, the Immaculate Spouse." ([26:09])

• Invitation to Participate:

  • Praying to share in the beauty and intimacy of Mary’s glorification and relationship with God.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Resurrection and Baptism:

  "We already experience the life of God in us ... we already are tasting the first fruits of the resurrection here and now."
  – Fr. Mark-Mary ([04:04])

• On the Ascension:

  "Jesus is totally and completely present, available to each of us ... attentive to you, knowing you, listening to you ... giving all of his love, all of his power, all of his grace, like to you as an individual."
  – Fr. Mark-Mary ([09:26])

• On the Holy Spirit’s Healing Work:

  "We ask that the Holy Spirit may be a balm, an anointing, an oil where we are wounded. Come, Holy Spirit. Come, Holy Spirit."
  – Fr. Mark-Mary ([15:16])

• On Hope and Suffering:

  "She who most deeply mourned was comforted. She who hungered and thirsted for righteousness is satisfied. She who is the most pure of heart sees God."
  – Fr. Mark-Mary, on Mary’s Assumption ([20:42])

• On the Coronation as a Work of Love:

  "This is an event ... a gift given to her, an honor bestowed by God, by the most Holy Trinity, who she loves above all other things and who is loved so profoundly, so deeply, so totally by God."
  – Fr. Mark-Mary ([26:39])

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------| | 00:04 | Opening introduction & purpose | | 03:09 | First Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection | | 08:33 | Second Glorious Mystery: The Ascension | | 14:04 | Third Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the Holy Spirit | | 19:36 | Fourth Glorious Mystery: The Assumption | | 25:18 | Fifth Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of Mary | | 30:30 | Concluding prayer |

Tone & Language

Fr. Mark-Mary’s reflective and warmly pastoral tone pervades the episode. He gently invites, encourages, and consoles listeners, emphasizing the nearness of God’s love, the reality of grace, and the practical, daily implications of the Rosary’s mysteries.

Summary

This episode encourages listeners to prayerfully enter into the Glorious Mysteries with deeper understanding, openness, and hope. Through scriptural and spiritual reflections, Fr. Mark-Mary reveals how these mysteries are not distant historical events, but living realities meant to be experienced and embodied today. Listeners are assured that by trusting Jesus and meditating with Mary, “life and joy and glory will have the final word.”

Ideal for: Anyone seeking to deepen their prayer life, understand the Rosary, or find comfort and hope in the Glorious Mysteries.