Episode Overview

Episode: Day 43: The Veil is Torn
Podcast: The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames)
Host: Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR
Date: February 12, 2026

This episode centers on meditating the Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion, focusing on Luke 23:33-46 and exploring its deeper meaning alongside cross references from Matthew and Mark. Fr. Mark-Mary delves into the profound spiritual significance of Jesus’ cry on the cross, the tearing of the temple veil, and what these events mean for believers today.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Scripture Reading: The Crucifixion (Luke 23:33-46) [01:01]

• Fr. Mark-Mary begins by reading the crucifixion account from the Gospel of Luke, highlighting Jesus’ words from the cross—especially His prayers for forgiveness and the promise of paradise to the repentant thief.

Notable Quotes:

• “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Quoting Jesus, [01:20])
• “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Quoting Jesus, [02:08])

2. Meditation Point One: Jesus’ Cry of Abandonment [03:12]

• Fr. Mark-Mary highlights Jesus’ prayer from Psalm 22 as recorded in Matthew and Mark: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
• He draws from Pope Benedict XVI’s reflections to contextualize this intense cry of suffering and perceived abandonment.

Insights:

• Identification with Human Suffering:
  “Jesus is praying the great psalm of suffering Israel, and so he's taken upon himself all the tribulation, not just of Israel, but of all those in this world who suffer from God's concealment.” ([03:28])

• Transformation of Anguish:
  “He brings the world's anguished cry at God's absence before the heart of God himself. He takes their cry, their anguish, all their helplessness upon himself, and in so doing, he transforms it.” ([04:00])

• Certainty of God’s Response:
  “The cry of extreme anguish is at the same time the certainty of an answer from God, the certainty of salvation not only for Jesus himself, but for many.” ([04:32])

• Suffering, as Jesus experiences on the cross, is not the final word; resurrection and hope follow.

3. Meditation Point Two: The Tearing of the Veil [06:00]

• Focuses on Luke 23:45: “While the sun's light failed and the curtain of the temple was torn in two.”

Theological Meaning:

• The Veil Explained:
  The curtain or veil separated the Holy of Holies, entered only by the high priest once a year (the Day of Atonement), symbolizing separation between God and humanity.
• Significance of the Tearing:
  “The tearing of this curtain means that the era of the old temple and its sacrifices are over. Symbols and rituals are now overtaken by the reality.” (Quoting Pope Benedict, [06:34])
• Pathway to God:
  “This means that the pathway to God is now open. God himself has removed the veil and revealed himself in the crucified Jesus as the one who loves to the point of death.” ([07:05])
• Connecting to the Repentant Thief:
  “Truly, I say to you today you will be with me in paradise. The pathway to God, the pathway to salvation, is now open.” ([07:18])

4. Invitation to Interior Response [08:06]

• Fr. Mark-Mary encourages listeners to personally resonate with both the anguish of abandonment (Psalm 22) and the joy that comes from the open pathway to God.

Memorable Exhortations:

• “Let us already be moved with gratitude, in joy and thanksgiving that the veil of the temple is torn and the pathway to God is now open.” ([08:25])
• “God himself has removed the veil and revealed himself in the crucified Jesus as the one who loves to the point of death... The pathway to God is open.” ([08:40])

5. Praying the Decade of the Rosary [09:02]

• Fr. Mark-Mary leads listeners through the prayers for the Fifth Sorrowful Mystery, inviting participation in the Our Father, Hail Marys, and Glory Be.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Fr. Mark-Mary (on suffering and hope):
  “He takes your cry, your anguish, your helplessness upon himself and transforms it.” ([04:17])

• On the grand promise for all believers:
  “Every wrong will be made right, where every promise will be fulfilled, and where every tear will be wiped away.” ([05:30])

• On access to God through Christ’s sacrifice:
  “The pathway to God, the pathway to salvation is now open.” ([07:18])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Scripture reading and scene setting: 01:01
• First meditation: Jesus’ cry and Psalm 22: 03:12
• Pope Benedict XVI quotation and reflection: 03:28–04:32
• Second meditation: Tearing of the veil: 06:00
• Meaning and implications of the torn veil (Pope Benedict): 06:34–07:05
• Consequences for us today (certainty of access to God): 07:18–08:10
• Invitation to interior gratitude and prayer: 08:06–08:40
• Rosary prayers for the Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: 09:02

Tone and Style

Fr. Mark-Mary’s reflections are warm, pastoral, and contemplative, aimed at encouraging deep interior participation and gratitude. He consistently uses inclusive language, addressing listeners as “my brothers and sisters” and emphasizing shared human experience.

Summary

In this episode, Day 43: The Veil is Torn, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames draws listeners into the depths of Christ’s crucifixion, focusing on the agony of abandonment (Psalm 22) and the radical hope unleashed by the tearing of the temple veil. Drawing on Pope Benedict XVI, he emphasizes that Jesus, through his suffering, unites himself to all those who feel abandoned or anguished and transforms their suffering into hope. The tearing of the veil signifies immediate and personal access to God—the old divisions are gone, and the pathway to salvation is open through Christ.

Listeners are invited to meditate in awe and gratitude on the full accessibility of God’s love and the certainty of salvation, joining in prayer as the episode concludes.