The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) - Day 123: She Magnifies Him

Episode Date: May 3, 2025

St.  Bridget's Revelations tells us of the crucifixion through Mary’s eyes. Fr. Mark-Mary explains that by meditating through Mary, we see Our Lord’s passion magnified, expressing the true depth of the sorrow in this moment. However, not only is our sorrow magnified, but our gratitude too can be magnified as we see through Mary’s eyes. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Crucifixion and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

Hi, I'm Father Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars with Renewal and this is the Rosary in a 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 123. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a Year, visit ascensionpress.com forward slash rosaryinayear or text R-I-Y 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 the podcast 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. 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, St. 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 fifth sorrowful mystery, the crucifixion of our Lord.

With help from a reading from St. Brigid's Revelations. The focus of our meditation is going to be Mary's soul always magnifies the Lord. All right, so today's reading is from St. Brigid and her work, The Revelations, reminded that St. Bridget received revelations, locutions, like a vision from Jesus that the church continues to offer to us as being helpful for our prayer and meditation. And this revelation is going to actually come through Mary's eyes and Mary's experience of our Lord's crucifixion. And now our reading. Now as my son was led away like a robber, he wiped away the blood from his eyes.

And when he was condemned, that they gave him his cross, the bear. When he had carried it a short way, one came up and assumed it. Meanwhile, as my son was going to the place of his passion, some smote him on the back. Others struck him in the face. And so violently and rudely was he struck, that though I did not see the person striking, I distinctly heard the sound of the blow. And when I came with him to the place of the passion, I there beheld all the instruments prepared for his death. And my son himself coming thither divested himself of his clothes, the attendants saying to each other,

These vestments are ours, nor can he have them again that is condemned to death. Now, while my son stood as naked as when he was born, one running up handed him a cloth with which exultingly inwardly he covered him. Then his cruel executioners seized him and stretched him on the cross. First, they fixed his right hand to the beam, which was pierced for nails, and they transfixed his hand in the part where the bone was firmest. Then drawing his other hand with a rope, they fixed it in like manner to the cross. Then they crucified his right foot and over at the left with two nails,

so that all the nerves and veins were extended and broken." The end of the reading. Thanks be to God. Again, the focus of our meditation is going to be that Mary's soul always magnifies the Lord. When speaking about Our Lady and the Catholics relationship with Mary, especially to non-Catholic Christians, the question they kind of often ask or always ask really is like, why?

Like, what's the point? And there's a variety of answers that are given often harking back to Jesus' words from the cross in the Gospel of John, son, behold your mother, mother, behold your son. And there's many reasons why. Catholics have the devotion to Mary that we do. And ask her intercession why Catholics have the devotion to Mary that we do, and ask her intercession the way we do and honor her the way we do.

More and more I'm convinced of this. If we boiled all down, like why Mary? And why does Jesus want us to have relationship with his mother the way that we do? I think what it all comes down to is this, is Jesus is Himself even more glorified when we love Mary and come to Mary and have devotion to Mary and have relationship with Mary and ask for her intercession. Because it's absolutely strictly necessary, okay, technically, no, but because Jesus himself is actually even more glorified

when we have a relationship with Mary and take her to be our mother. In Mary's Magnificat, right, she opens with these beautiful words, My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord. My spirit rejoices in God, my Savior. One of the other translations often for my soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord is my soul magnifies the greatness of the Lord. And I think here we see this, like there's a certain way in which the glory of God, it becomes magnified.

certain way in which the glory of God, it becomes magnified in a new way, in an even more beautiful way by Mary and through Mary. And I do believe that in our prayer today, you know, again, taken from St. Bridget's revelations, we see this happening. We see a way in which like Mary is magnifying the Lord and our Lord's passion in this context is actually magnified. If you will, enhanced when we come to it through the eyes of his mother.

There's a way in which the sorrow. The pain, the sadness is accentuated, right? When we look at it through the experience of Mary. And I think that as you paid attention to the reading and to the experience of Mary, right? Like how are our hearts not moved? Are hearts broken again? One of the refrains that stands out to me is Mary referring to Jesus again and again as like my son.

My son was led away like a robber as my son was going to the place of his passion. And my son himself coming hither, divested himself of his clothes. And for me, where it hits a tie point is this. Now, while my son. Stood as naked as when he was born. I know I don't have the internal experience of this, but my understanding is this, is like, for a mother, her son always remains like her little boy.

And Mary is looking at Jesus, her son, you know, as a 33 year old man here. Jesus, her son, you know, as a 33 year old man here. But also when she sees him in a real way, she sees her baby. The babe born in Bethlehem. And how quickly she sees him here stripped naked and what comes to mind is how he came into the world and how she first saw him and first held him in the manger. And how even more painful is it for the heart of Mary to witness all of these things? To see her son crucified.

There's this other detail from St. Bridgette, right? And so violently and rudely was he struck that though I did not see the person striking, I distinctly heard the sound of the blow. How painful was this to the heart of Mary? With what grief was she filled, seeing her son mocked so? And certainly my experience of this is it enhances it magnifies my own sorrow as I come

and look at our crucified Lord through the eyes of Mary and with Mary. And the invitation is just to remain here. To contemplate Jesus with his arms stretched out on the cross being pierced by the nails. But also to contemplate Mary and to continue to look at all that happens in his passion through the eyes of Mary and with Mary. And I do believe that as we do this, not only is our Lord's pain and the tragedy of this moment, the sorrow of this moment magnified. But so can be magnified our gratitude. So can be magnified our response. So can be magnified our own contrition in the face of our own sin.

contrition in the face of our own sin. And as we conclude in prayer, continue to meditate upon and contemplating the passion of our Lord through the eyes of Mary, let us ask for this grace that our contrition may be magnified, that our trust in him may be magnified and that our love of him may be magnified. 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 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. Hail Mary, full of grace, 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 Spirit. Amen. Alright, thanks so much for joining me and praying with me today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. Alright, poco a poco, friends. God bless you all. Thank you for listening to this episode of the Rosary in the Year. If you've been enjoying this journey with me, I encourage you to check out my new book,

Eight Promises of God, Discovering Hope Through the Beatitudes. We all want to know, like, what can I expect my life to look like when I'm following Jesus? How do I know I'm doing it right? My brothers and sisters, I believe that the answer to these questions is found in the Beatitudes. In this book, we'll learn from the example of the truly blessed ones, our Lord and our Lady, and how they practiced and lived the Beatitudes. And all this is going to bear fruit with the deepening of our trust in God's promises in any and all circumstances. You can get your copy today at ascensionpress.com forward slash promises.