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

Episode: Day 83: Father, Forgive Them
Date: March 24, 2026
Host: Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR
Produced by: Ascension

Episode Overview

In Day 83 of The Rosary in a Year, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames centers the prayerful meditation on the Fifth Sorrowful Mystery—the Crucifixion—focusing especially on Jesus’s words from the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Through Lectio Divina, he guides listeners to a deep encounter with Christ’s mercy and the transformative power of forgiveness, inviting them to place themselves at the foot of the cross and receive the fullness of Jesus’ love.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Proclaiming the Gospel: The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery (00:55–03:20)

• Scriptural Focus: Luke 23:33–46, the crucifixion of Jesus.
• Key Moments Highlighted:
  • Jesus is crucified alongside two criminals.
  • The crowd mocks, soldiers gamble for his garments, and yet Jesus prays for forgiveness.
  • The good thief (Dismas) expresses repentance and faith, receiving Jesus’s promise: “Today you will be with me in paradise” (02:52).
  • Darkness covers the land; the temple curtain is torn, symbolizing open access to God.

2. Meditatio: Encountering the Heart of Jesus (03:21–09:15)

• Public Spectacle and Divine Mercy:
  Fr. Mark-Mary draws attention to the irony of the spectacle:

  “There’s all these witnesses to the most beautiful manifestation of the heart of Jesus... and they just miss it.” (04:10)

• The Mockery and True Identity:
  The scoffing inscription “King of the Jews” is met with quiet truth—Jesus is, in fact, the King.
• The Good Thief’s Conversion:

  “Here, in his last moments, [Dismas] notices Jesus, sees him... and Jesus receives the gift of his repentance at the cross.” (05:40)

• Veil Torn, Access Restored:
  The temple curtain rending shows “no more divide between man and God.” (06:13)
• Fatherhood at the Cross:
  Jesus’s first and last words from the cross are directed to the Father, modeling trust, obedience, and rooting identity even amid suffering.

3. The Words of Forgiveness: Piercing Beauty (09:16–12:12)

• Jesus Makes Excuse for His Killers:

  “Jesus makes an excuse for all of these people who have just done such harm to him... ‘they don’t know what they’re doing’… Father, forgive them.” (10:08)

• An Invitation to Place Ourselves at Calvary:
  Listeners are invited to recognize their own part in Christ’s crucifixion—through sin, blindness, or indifference—and to receive mercy.
• Personalizing the Prayer:

  “Perhaps you could even place your own name here: Father, forgive [your name]… for he knows not what he does.” (11:05)

4. Oratio: Receive, Respond, Request, Rejoice (12:13–15:20)

• Receiving Mercy:

  “What is God revealing about himself? We just see such a beautiful manifestation of the heart of mercy, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pierced for our transgressions.” (12:45)

• Response in Adoration and Repentance:
  Abide in gratitude and praise for Jesus’s goodness and obedience, letting his mercy lead us to repentance.
• Resolution for Future Prayer:

  “With God’s help, make a firm resolution to come more again and again… in prayer to Calvary, to behold our God, to receive again the gifts poured out—particularly the gift of his mercy.” (14:28)

• Petition for Mercy and Union:
  Prayers for the grace to receive deeply of Jesus’ mercy and to share that mercy with the world, particularly amidst our own crosses.

5. Contemplatio: Abiding in the Mystery (15:21–End)

• Remaining at the Foot of the Cross:
  A time of quiet presence, letting Jesus’s words echo in our hearts:

  “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Repeated throughout)

• Personalizing Forgiveness (Prompt):
  Encouraged again to insert our names, receiving Jesus’s mercy personally.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Jesus’s Intercession:

  “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34, 02:15; emphasized throughout)

• On Mercy and the Cost of Salvation:

  “The fullness of the heart of God is revealed... through all of this, Jesus is in dialogue with his Father, in trust of his Father... teaching us how to suffer, teaching us how to carry the cross.” (06:45)

• On Making the Prayer Personal:

  “Perhaps you can even place your own name here... and hear Jesus say this to the Father, ‘for he knows not what he does.’” (11:05)

• On a Firm Resolution:

  “With God’s help, make a firm resolution to come more again and again... to receive again the gifts poured out, particularly the gift of his mercy.” (14:28)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment / Topic | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:55 | Gospel Reading: Luke 23:33-46 (Fifth Sorrowful Mystery) | | 03:21 | Meditatio: Reflection on the Scene of the Crucifixion | | 09:16 | “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”—Explored | | 12:13 | Oratio: Personal Response, Repentance, and Resolutions | | 15:21 | Contemplatio: Abiding in Silence at the Cross, Rosary Decade |

The Decade of the Rosary

After the meditation, Fr. Mark-Mary leads a prayerful decade of the Rosary, remaining spiritually at the foot of the cross and letting the words of Jesus wash over listeners, surrendering personal failures to his mercy.

Conclusion

This episode gently but powerfully leads listeners into the very heart of Christian prayer—pardon, surrender, and love—by rooting all reflection and petition in Jesus’s own words and example from the cross. Fr. Mark-Mary encourages all to place themselves in the Gospel scene, to receive and give mercy, and to remain rooted in dialogue with the Father no matter the suffering.

Noteworthy Takeaway:
The invitation to insert one’s own name into Jesus’s prayer at Calvary is a profound opportunity for personal encounter:

“Father, forgive [your name], for he/she knows not what he/she does.” (11:05)

For more resources and the full prayer plan:
Visit ascensionpress.com/riy.