Day 54: My Beloved Son - The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames)

Day 54: My Beloved Son

Sun Feb 23 2025

The waters of the Jordan in our lives must always precede the sands of the desert. Fr. Mark-Mary explores the mystery of Jesus’ Baptism, highlighting that Jesus’ baptism immediately precedes his temptation in the desert. We are invited to recall our own baptisms and the gifts we received as we meditate on the Rosary and face difficulties in our lives. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Baptism of Jesus and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Rosary in a Year (Day 54: My Beloved Son with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames)

Episode Overview

In Day 54 of Ascension’s Rosary in a Year podcast, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR delves into the first Luminous Mystery of the Rosary: The Baptism of Jesus. Released on February 23, 2025, this episode offers a profound exploration of baptism's significance, its biblical foundations, and its practical implications for believers seeking to deepen their prayer life and relationship with Jesus and Mary.

Introduction to the Luminous Mysteries

Fr. Mark-Mary begins by providing historical context for the Luminous Mysteries, which were introduced by Pope John Paul II in his apostolic letter On the Most Holy Rosary in 2002. He highlights two primary aspects:

Public Life of Jesus: All five Luminous Mysteries encompass significant events from Jesus' public ministry.
Revelation of the Kingdom: Each mystery unveils the presence of God's kingdom embodied in Jesus.

Notable Quote:
“At the very core, all five mysteries reveal the kingdom now present in the person of Jesus.” – Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [04:30]

In-depth Reflection on Day 54: My Beloved Son

a. Significance of the Baptism of Jesus

Fr. Mark-Mary reads and reflects on the passage from Matthew 3:13-17, emphasizing the divine affirmation of Jesus as the Beloved Son. He underscores the scene where the heavens open, the Spirit descends like a dove, and God's voice proclaims, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

Notable Quote:
“When Jesus was baptized, the heavens were rent open, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove.” – Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [03:15]

b. The Connection between Baptism and the Wilderness

Transitioning from the baptism to the subsequent temptation in the wilderness, Fr. Mark-Mary draws a parallel between baptismal grace and the daily spiritual battles believers face. He posits that baptism equips Christians with the necessary strength and identity to withstand temptations and remain steadfast in faith.

Notable Quote:
“The waters of the Jordan in our lives must always precede the sands of the desert.” – Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [10:45]

He explains that just as Jesus was fortified by His baptism before facing Satan's temptations, Christians must regularly revisit and reinforce the graces received at baptism to navigate life's challenges effectively.

c. Personal Application for Christians

Fr. Mark-Mary emphasizes the importance of daily reflection on baptismal vows. He suggests practical methods to internalize baptismal grace, such as:

Prayer and Meditation: Engaging in focused prayer to reaffirm one's identity in Christ.
Sacred Art and Scripture: Utilizing sacred imagery and biblical passages to meditate and deepen understanding.
Baptismal Rite: Repeating the renunciation of sin and profession of faith to reinforce spiritual armor.

Notable Quote:
“This needs to be our shield and our sword as we go and do battle each and every day.” – Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [15:20]

Practical Applications for Listeners

Fr. Mark-Mary offers actionable steps for listeners to incorporate the lessons from the Baptism of Jesus into their daily lives:

Daily Revisiting of Baptismal Grace: Set aside time each day to meditate on the words of baptism, reaffirming one’s commitment and identity.
Utilize the Baptismal Rite: Print and recite the baptismal vows regularly to keep the foundational promises alive in one’s heart.
Engage with Sacred Practices: Incorporate practices like visio divina (meditation with sacred art) and lectio divina (scripture meditation) to enhance spiritual growth.
Embrace Sacred Objects: Use items like a crucifix as tangible reminders of God’s love and presence.

Notable Quote:
“For example, it could be going back to the Gospel, it could be going to a particular parable... really asking the Father to speak these words over you again.” – Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [18:50]

Conclusion

Fr. Mark-Mary concludes the episode by reiterating the transformative power of the Rosary and the importance of baptismal grace in fostering a resilient and intimate relationship with Jesus and Mary. He encourages listeners to continue their journey with daily prayers, emphasizing perseverance with the heartfelt exhortation:

Notable Quote:
“Poco a poco, friends.” – Fr. Mark-Mary Ames [25:30]

Closing Prayers

The episode concludes with the Baptismal Rite, the Our Father, multiple Hail Marys, and the Glory Be, serving as a spiritual anchor for the reflections shared.

Key Takeaways:

Baptism as Foundation: Baptism is not just a one-time event but a continual source of strength and identity for Christians.
Daily Spiritual Warfare: Every believer faces daily temptations and challenges, akin to Jesus' wilderness experience.
Reaffirmation of Faith: Regularly revisiting baptismal promises and engaging in sacred practices fortifies one’s faith.
Practical Steps: Incorporating prayer, meditation, and sacred rituals into daily life deepens the relationship with God and Mary.

Resources Mentioned:

Complete Prayer Plan: Available at Ascension Press.
Ascension App: For accessing special features and full Rosary recordings.

Final Encouragement:

Fr. Mark-Mary invites listeners to persist in their prayer journey, assuring them that gradual and consistent effort leads to profound spiritual growth and a more intimate union with Jesus and Mary.

Transcript

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Foreign Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and this is the Rosary in Here 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 54. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a year, visit ascensionpress.comrosaryinayear or text RIY to 33777. You'll get an outline of how we're going to pray each month, and it's a great way to track your progress. The best place to listen to podcasts 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 First Luminous Mysteries the Baptism of Jesus Matthew 3:13 17 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him saying, I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? But Jesus answered him, let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he consented, and when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And behold a voice from heaven saying, this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Before diving in specifically with our reflection on the first line, Luminous Mystery, I just wanted to share a little bit of background on the luminous mysteries and give them a little bit greater context. They were introduced as Mysteries of the Rosary or Mysteries to be Prayed with the rosary back in 2002 with Pope John Paul II's apostolic letter on the Most Holy Rosary. And I think there's two things worth highlighting that all five of these mysteries have in common. The first is that they are all significant moments during the public life of Jesus. So all five of these are going to be part of the public life of Jesus. And secondly, as John Paul II says, each of these mysteries is a revelation of the kingdom now present in the very person of Jesus. So all five are going to be a revelation of the kingdom now present in the person of Jesus. And we see this really clearly in the first luminous mystery, the baptism of our Lord. He enters into the water, he goes down into the Jordan waters, the heavens are rent open, the Spirit in the form of a dove descends upon him, and Jesus is revealed to be the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Son of God, in whom the Father is well pleased. And this is so rich, and there's so much to look at for this mystery. I'm going to take a particular approach. I believe that Jesus, particularly when he is being baptized, its broader context in his life, I think is deeply pedagogical. There's something profound and foundational that Jesus is teaching us, right? So what we just read, right, is the last verse of Matthew, chapter three, and it is this again. And behold, the voice from heaven saying, this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. The very next verse is a new chapter. The very next verse, the first verse of chapter four of Matthew's Gospel is, then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. My friends, I can't emphasize enough how important this order is for all of us Christians. The waters of the Jordan in our lives must always proceed the sands of the desert. It is at our own personal waters of the Jordan that we are equipped, that we are strengthened, that we are prepared and given what we need to go into the desert to do battle with Satan and all of his lies and to exit victorious. My brothers and sisters, I don't think it's going to take much convincing for y'all to agree with me that the. The wilderness experience and they going into the desert and being tested and tried by Satan and all of his lies, like, that's just a real ongoing experience that most of us have every day. Like every day we're going out into the world and things are happening that are attacking our identity, that are attacking. This ultimate foundational question is like, is God good? Is he trustworthy? Does he see you? Does he care about you? Like, every day we're doing battle and we're often beat up every day as well. Then we need to be revisiting the graces of our baptism. We need to be going back to our own personal Jordans. And what is the grace that we receive? What are the weapons that we receive at our baptism? We are reminded of our identity that you and I, that through our own baptism, we share in Jesus own relationship with the Father. So it's at our own baptism that we experience the Father speak this truth to us. Like, you are my beloved son, you are my beloved daughter. It's also at the Jordan that we are reminded of who the Father is like. The Father is good. The Father is faithful. The Father is trustworthy. The Father sees you. He knows you. He is fighting for you. He has a Good plan for your life. And if we look at all of the temptations that Jesus experiences in the wilderness, so many of them, right? Really, what's at its core is this question. Can you trust the Father? Can you really trust Him? Or do you need to take care of yourselves? Jesus arises victorious out of the wilderness because he is perfectly rooted in his own identity and in the Father's goodness. These are the weapons by which Jesus does battle in the wilderness, my brothers and sisters. These are the weapons given to us at our own baptism. What does visiting our own personal Jordans every day with the Lord actually look like? It can look like a couple of things. The core of it is this. It's getting back to this foundational, like relationship, this moment of prayer where we look at the Father, we allow him to look at us and to speak this truth again to our lives. Like, you are beloved, you are chosen, you are seen, you are known, you are mine. This is what we need to be equipped with. This needs to be our shield and our sword as we go and do battle each and every day in the wilderness of this world, this valley of tears. For me, it is the crucifix, where I hear the Lord speak again like, I know you, I love you. I want to be with you forever. For different people, it could be going back to the Gospel. It could be going to a particular parable. It could be coming to Matthew, chapter 3, verse 13, and just sitting with that for a moment and through imagination and prayer, really asking the Father to speak these words over you again. This is my beloved Son, this is my beloved daughter, in whom I am well pleased. Also, I think there's great value to actually finding the baptismal rite and printing out part of it. The paragraph title is Renunciation of Sin and Profession of Faith. And so that's what we'll go ahead and do here as we prepare for our closing prayers. Do you renounce Satan? I do. And all his works? I do. And all his empties show? I do. Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and Earth? I do. Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered death and was buried, rose again from the dead, and is seated at the right hand of the Father? I do. Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting? I do. 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 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. 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 and 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. Thanks for joining me and praying with me again today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. Poco a poco, friends. Bye now.