The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) - Day 111: Manifest in Humility

Episode Date: April 21, 2025

God so profoundly wants us to have confidence to approach him, that he veils his glory and clothes himself in humble humanity, saying, “Come to Me.” Fr. Mark-Mary meditates on a reading from St. Bernard, observing the grandeur of God’s creation and the humility of his Incarnation. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Nativity and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

I'm Father Mark Mary with the Franciscan Friars with 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 source of grace for the whole world. The Rosary in the Year is brought to you by Ascension. This is day 111. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in the Year, visit ascensionpress.com forward slash rosary in the year or text R I Y 233777. You'll get an outline of how we're going to praise month and it's a great way to track

your progress. The best place to listen to podcasts in the Ascension app. There are special features, build just for this podcast and also recordings of the full Rosary. 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 arts we'll be reflecting on.

Today we will be meditating upon and praying with the third joyful mystery, the Nativity, with help from a writing by Saint Bernard on the miraculous nature of the Nativity. And the focus of our emphasis is going to be, in him dwells the fullness of the Godhead. We've already had a chance to introduce our author, so we'll go ahead and get right into our reading. Again, this is from Saint Bernard and his work on the miraculous nature of the nativity. He who is the delight and glory of the angels has become the salvation and the consolation of all who suffer. He who is glorious and transcendent in his own city and beatifies its citizens by his presence became little and humble when in exile that he might rejoice the exiles.

He who in the highest heavens is the glory of the Father became as a child on earth, peace to men of goodwill. A little one is given to little ones that the great one may be given to the great, and that those whom the little one justifies, the great and mighty one, may afterwards magnify and render glorious. Hence without doubt, St. Paul, the vessel of election, pours out to us the treasures which he had received from the fullness of this child. For Christ, though a child, is full of grace and truth.

In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead corporally. Hence I repeat, St. Paul utters that good word, which you have heard so often during these past days. Rejoice in the Lord always again, I say rejoice. Of the showing forth of the mystery, he says rejoice of the promise of it, he adds again, I say rejoice for both the mystery and its promise are causes of great joy. Rejoice that you have received the gifts of the left hand. rejoice. For both the mystery and its promise are causes of great joy. Rejoice that you have received the gifts of the left hand. Rejoice in the expectation of the rewards of the right. His left hand is under my head and his

right hand shall embrace me. For the left hand raises, the right hand receives, the left hand heals and justifies, the right embraces and blesses. In the left hand are contained his merits, in the right his rewards. In the right embraces and blesses. In the left hand are contained His merit, in the right His rewards. In the right are delights, in the left are remedies. But see how gentle the physician is, behold how wise. Consider diligently the novelty of these remedies that he brings. See how they are not merely precious, but beautiful as well. They are fruits beneficial for our healing, and at the same time, they are charming to the spiritual eye, sweet to the spiritual taste. The end of the reading. Thanks be to God.

Alright, again, we're going to be looking at the Nativity with this particular emphasis in Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead. I'd like to begin by taking a look at the sun. The S-U-N. It's a reminder of the sun and like the size of the sun, the vastness of the sun, right? So the sun, it's 93 million miles from the earth. But without its energy, life couldn't exist on earth. It's 100 times wider than our planet with a diameter of 865,000 miles. And its gravity keeps the whole solar system together. At its core, the Sun reaches a temperature of 27 million degrees Fahrenheit and it's

moving at about 483 miles an hour. In other words, the sun is huge and it's hot. And it holds the whole solar system together. But it's only considered a medium-sized star. There are stars apparently a hundred times larger than our sun out in the universe. And it's one of about 200 billion stars in our galaxy. And that's just one galaxy with the nearest star, other star, I guess, being trillions of miles away. And I fact check this all number of times because just seems like too big to be true.

But apparently, there's an estimated like trillion galaxies. And remember, just our galaxy has 200 billion stars. So I don't know, like, I don't know any of this stuff. This is what I found online from really good sources. So but but the point of it is this is like all to emphasize, like it's mind blowing, the vastness and the greatness of the created world. In some ways, it's really too big to like believe. It's definitely too big to begin for me, at least like wrapping my head around.

And yet all of it is being held in being by God. All of the stars, galaxies and entire universe. They can't even begin to contain the fullness of God. But through the sublime mystery of the incarnation, God becomes man, and the fullness of the Godhead came to be contained in a little baby. Godhead came to be contained in a little baby, born in Bethlehem, small enough and light enough to be held in the arms of the Blessed Mother. To quote St. Bernard, right, he who in the highest heavens is the glory of the Father became a child in Christ, though a child comprehension, yet God is greater, infinitely greater.

And this God became a child. And the fullness of this God dwells in the little humble child of Bethlehem. My brothers and sisters, I hope you enjoyed this video. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you enjoyed it. and this God became a child and the fullness of this God dwells in the little humble child of Bethlehem. My brothers and sisters, let us be moved with awe, wonder and worship at the greatness of our God manifest in His humility. How profoundly He wants us to receive him

and to have confidence to approach him that he veils his grandeur in glory, clothes himself in humble humanity and says, come to me. It's just good to sit here for a moment. To rejoice here for a moment. But I'd also like to offer like one other reminder that the fullness of the Godhead also is present to the Most Holy Eucharist. And this fullness we receive whenever we receive Holy Communion. We receive the beauty, goodness and power of Almighty God, whom the heavens and earth cannot contain.

Today, let us contemplate the humility of God, but let us also be filled with the highest confidence, because the power of God beyond our understanding is received by us each and every time we receive Holy Communion. So my brothers and sisters, if God is for us, if He is with us, the One who created the heavens and the earth, who can be against us? What shall we fear? Before this mystery, before our God, my brothers and sisters, let us rejoice. As we pray today, let us worship the babe of Bethlehem

and be renewed in confidence that He is with us and in Him is all of our hope. And now with Mary 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 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, 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 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 thee Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus Holy Mary mother of God pray for us sinners noun at the hour of our death. 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 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 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 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 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 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. 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 end. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Thanks so much for joining me and praying with me today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. All right, Poco Poco friends. God bless y'all.