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

Episode Title: Day 72: You Don’t Wait in Vain
Host: Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR (Ascension)
Date: March 13, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Fr. Mark-Mary leads listeners through a meditative reflection on the Fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary—The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:22–39). The episode centers on the theme “You Don’t Wait in Vain,” drawing spiritual insight from the patient hope of Simeon and Anna and how God fulfills His promises in His time. Fr. Mark-Mary guides listeners through prayerful reading, meditation, personal response, and intercessory prayer, emphasizing that waiting on the Lord is never fruitless.

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

1. Scripture Reading: The Presentation (00:55-04:16)

Fr. Mark-Mary reads Luke 2:22–39, focusing on Mary and Joseph’s faithfulness in presenting Jesus according to Jewish law, and introducing Simeon and Anna, who awaited the Messiah.
Notable verse highlighted:
- Simeon’s proclamation (Luke 2:29–32):
  “Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation…”

2. Meditatio: Meditating on Faithfulness and Waiting (04:17-08:15)

Mary & Joseph’s Humility and Faithfulness
- Mary and Joseph offer the poor's sacrifice (a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons) (04:30), showing their humble status and commitment to the Law.
Simeon and Anna’s Perseverance in Waiting
- Both elderly figures exemplify patient, prayerful waiting. Simeon was promised he’d see the Messiah before death; Anna devoted her life in the temple.
- “For years in their waiting, not having the promise fulfilled, not having the answer. But they waited. They trusted, with prayer and worship, day and night. And then what happens? The Lord keeps his promise.” (05:30)
Joyful Revelation
- The joy of the mystery consists in Simeon and Anna’s fulfillment—the promise is kept. Their perseverance is rewarded.
- “We’re seeing this theme of trusting the word: ‘Let it happen according to your word’. We trust…” (06:38)

3. Lectio: Seeing God’s Salvation (08:16-09:25)

Focus on Simeon’s words:
“For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples…” (08:24)
Fr. Mark-Mary draws listeners into personal desire:
- “Perhaps this brings up a rising desire of your own heart: ‘I want to see your salvation. I want to see your goodness, Lord. But I wait…’ But you will never wait in vain. You don’t wait in vain.” (08:55)

4. Oratio: Receive, Respond, Request, Rejoice (09:26-15:20)

Receive—Good News

God always keeps His promises and has a plan.
- “The Lord keeps his promises. The Lord has a plan. He has prepared the way for us to come to him and him to come to us…” (09:35)

Respond—Invitation to Trust

Call to adoration and gratitude.
Encouragement:
- “We are heirs of your promises… If we persevere in hope, if we wait with you, we will experience your salvation.” (10:20)
Growing in trust and patience is highlighted—not gritting teeth, but deepening hope.

Request—Grace for Perseverance

Prayer for grace to wait and surrender desires to God’s timeline.
- “Lord, so many of us experience deep desires… that just haven’t been fulfilled. So Lord, teach us how to wait. Give us the grace to allow you to fulfill these promises according to your word and according to your timeline.” (12:02)
Invitation to surrender not just the outcome, but our expectations about how God’s salvation should appear.

Rejoice—Thanksgiving

Thanking God for His fidelity, as seen in Simeon and Anna’s stories.
Encouragement to rest in the assurance that “we never wait alone and we never wait in vain.” (14:50)

5. Contemplatio: Final Exhortation (15:21-16:10)

Fr. Mark-Mary urges listeners to bring their desires to God with both “confidence and boldness, but also absolute surrender.” (15:25)
Reiterates:
- “When we wait on the Lord, we never wait alone, and we never wait in vain.” (15:40)

Notable Quotes

“For my eyes have seen your salvation… Perhaps this brings up a rising desire of your own heart: ‘I want to see your salvation… But I wait. But you will never wait in vain.’” — Fr. Mark-Mary, (08:24)
“The Lord keeps his promises… The Lord has a plan. He has prepared the way…” — Fr. Mark-Mary, (09:35)
“Lord, so many of us experience deep desires… that just haven’t been fulfilled. So Lord, teach us how to wait.” — Fr. Mark-Mary, (12:02)
“When we wait on the Lord, we never wait alone, and we never wait in vain.” — Fr. Mark-Mary, (15:40)

Important Timestamps

00:55–04:16: Scripture reading of the Presentation of Jesus (Luke 2:22-39)
04:17–08:15: Meditation on the faith and perseverance of Mary, Joseph, Simeon, and Anna
08:16–09:25: Reflection on longing and waiting for God’s salvation
09:26–15:20: Oratio (personalized prayer response, invitations to trust, request for perseverance)
15:21–16:10: Final encouragement and invitation to deep surrender

Episode Tone & Style

Fr. Mark-Mary speaks with warmth, pastoral gentleness, and encouragement, using simple language with spiritual depth. He guides listeners patiently through the steps of biblical meditation, empathizing with personal longing and struggles in waiting for God’s answers.

Summary Takeaway

This episode is a tender and hope-filled meditation on God’s faithfulness to His promises, illustrated through the biblical characters of Simeon and Anna. Through guided prayer and reflection, listeners are assured that, though waiting can be challenging, it is never in vain when it is in God. The call is to wait with hope, surrendering our desires and expectations, and to trust that “we never wait alone, and we never wait in vain.”

Transcript

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Foreign. Mark Murray with Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and this is the Rosary in the 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 72. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a year, visit ascensionpress.com rosary in a year or text RIY to 3 3. 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 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. I encourage you to pick up a copy of the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, a book published by Ascension that was designed to complement this podcast. You'll find all the daily readings from Scripture, saint reflections and beautiful full page images of the sacred art we'll be reflecting on Today we'll be doing our Alexio Divina with the fourth Joyful Mystery, the Presentation of Jesus in the temple. Luke chapter 2, verses 22 through 39 and the theme we'll be focusing on is they didn't wait in Vain. We'll begin with our reading or Lectio and when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, and they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord, every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel. And the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And inspired by the Spirit, he came into the temple. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, lord, now let your servant depart in peace according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel. And his father and mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel. And for a sign that is spoken against, and a sword will pierce through your own soul also, that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed. And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She was of great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity and as a widow till she was 84. She did not depart from the temple, worshipping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour, she gave thanks to God and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. Now we'll begin our time of meditatio. Engaging the Scripture. We have Mary and Joseph as faithful Jews, fulfilling the law, presenting Jesus in the temple at the time of his purification. We have them either offering a pair of turtle loves or two young pigeons revealing that they were on the economically poorer side. We have both Simeon and Anna, like older, waiting for the Lord, both through the Holy Spirit. Particularly, it's explicit with Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Christ. And this is written on Anna's heart as well. And for years in their waiting, not having the promise fulfilled, not having the answer, but they waited. They trusted with prayer and worship, they night and day. And then what happens? The Lord keeps his promise. They in fact see the Savior as Jesus is brought to the temple. And we have this beautiful prayer, these beautiful words of Simeon. Lord, now your servant depart in peace according to your word. This according to your word. Where else did we see this? We saw this with Mary and her fiat marrying her. Yes, let it be done unto me according to your word. We're seeing this theme of trusting the word, like, let it happen according to your word. We trust insofar as we are coming to the scripture passage in the context of praying the joyful mysteries. So we're looking for, like, what is. What is the joyful component, the joyful revelation here in this scripture? I would say it's found here in again, Simeon and Anna, like, not waiting in vain. Okay, now let's go ahead and engage again with the time of Lectio. We have Simeon's words here, verse 29. Lord, now let your servant depart in peace according to your word. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples. This word see, my eyes have seen, I have experienced for myself. It has become real, it's become experiential. Your salvation. Perhaps this brings up a rising and desire of your own heart. Like I want to see your salvation. I want to see your goodness, Lord, but I wait. Lord, but I wait. I wait, I wait. But you will never wait in vain. You don't wait in vain. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared. In the presence of all peoples, we move to our oratio. Receive, Respond. Request. Rejoice, Receive. What is the good news being offered to us? The Lord keeps his promises. The Lord has a plan. He has prepared the way for us to come to him and him to come to us. That we may see, that we may experience, that we may touch, that we may feel his salvation, his goodness, his providence in our lives. God invites us to wait, to wait in hope, to wait in relationship. But he has a plan. He knows what he's doing. He is at work. Respond. Okay, what's the invitation? Lord? Let's begin with adoration. Praise, Lord, we love you. We thank you, Lord. We see, Lord, your prophecy as promises, your prophecy as manifestations that you have a plan. And Lord, we know that we are heirs of your promises, that if we persevere in hope, that if we wait with you, we will experience your salvation. We thank you for the work you're already doing. And hopefully you're experiencing an invitation to a greater trust, an invitation to a greater patience. A patience which is not a greater white knuckling, but a greater hope in his promise and his goodness. Okay, so it's now let's move with to the time of request, asking for God's grace to be faithful to the response. Be faithful in our response to his invitation. So I'm gonna go ahead and make a prayer really asking for the invitation for all of us to be able to persevere in hope. Lord, so many of us experience deep desires, like really, really intimate and deep desires, Lord, that just haven't been fulfilled. So Lord, teach us how to wait. Give us the grace to allow you to fulfill these promises according to your word and according to your timeline. Lord, if we need to surrender, like the specifics, the particularities of what we think, like your salvation and seeing your salvation in our lives look like. Lord, give us the grace to surrender. But as we wait, Lord, may we not wait alone. And may we know through your grace that we do not wait in vain, that you are a good father, that you always keep your promises. Now let's Go ahead and move to concluding our time of prayer, our Oratzu, with rejoicing, with giving thanks. We thank you, Lord, for this example of your fidelity, of the way in which you keep your promise according to your word, in the life of Simeon, in the life of Anna, encouraged by what they themselves experience, and strengthened by their prayers. Lord, we just thank you. So, my brothers and sisters, as we conclude this episode with our contemplato and our praying of the rosary, I'm going to encourage you to really just look at the Lord in your heart and be renewed with hope to see him in his goodness, to share your desires with him with confidence and boldness, but also absolute surrender, knowing that when we wait on the Lord, we never wait alone, and we never wait in vain. Now with Our lady, 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 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. 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, 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. 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. 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. Thank you for joining me and praying with me again today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. All right. Poco poco. Friends, God bless you.