The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) - Day 135: Miracles of Love

Episode Date: May 15, 2025

Why does Jesus perform miracles? Fr. Mark-Mary, meditating with help from a painting by Carl Bloch, says that Jesus doesn’t just do miracles as a sign or as a magician. Jesus does miracles as acts of love, motivated by true compassion. We take a moment to rest in this sign of love at the Wedding Feast with Jesus and Mary. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Wedding Feast at Cana and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary. All of the Sacred Art we’ll be meditating with can be found in the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, for free linked in the complete prayer plan, or for free in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

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 135. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a Year, visit ascensionpress.com forward slash rosary in a year 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, Saint reflections, and beautiful images of the sacred art we'll be reflecting on. Today we will be meditating upon praying with the second Luminous Mystery,

The Wedding at Cana, with help from The Painting Wedding at Cana by Karl Block. So brief introduction to our painter Karl Block. He lived from the years 1834 to 1890. He lived in Denmark and was profoundly influenced by Rembrandt's work and also by the time he spent living and studying in Italy, Bloch was married and had eight children. This particular painting is oil on canvas and its style is called classical realism. Now a description of the painting. A luminous blue sky fills a grand classical archway, with daylight flooding along a banquet table where wedding guests, men and women sit in conversation,

with servants buzzing around them. In the foreground, a group of four servants are gathered. One bent over a large stone jar, carefully pours out the newly transformed wine. His expression is a mix of focus and astonishment. Another standing by looks on with wide eyes, as if just beginning to understand what has happened. A third servant dressed in simple garments is kneeling over a vessel. His arm is raised up and pointed directly to the banquet table.

And there at the table said Jesus and Mary, as well as the bride and bridegroom, the bride and the bridegroom who are gazing at each other, unaware of the unfolding drama. who are gazing at each other, unaware of the unfolding drama. So I got to be honest, I'm really loving putting together these Vizio Divina episodes, praying with the artwork as part of the Rosary in a Year journey. And so far, basically every episode as I'm praying with the artwork, I get some new insight. I'm just like, ooh, ooh, that is good.

That is good. I get excited and I start talking to myself. And today the streak continues. When I was praying with Karl Bloch's painting of the wedding at Cana at first, I kind of naturally assumed that Jesus was in the foreground, in the front left of the painting, right? Because it seems to be where much of my attention was drawn. So I just kind of figured that's where Jesus was.

But then I realized, no, like that's not Him at all. The foreground, it shows the interaction between the servants and the steward who was tasting the wine. Jesus, to find Jesus, you actually have to search for Him. And we find Him, we find Jesus and Mary as noted at the banquet table, seated to the right of the bride

and the bridegroom. And in the scene, Jesus is keeping a pretty low profile. And I think this reveals like a really beautiful truth about Jesus's actions and his motivation at the wedding feast of Cana, but also in many of his other miracles. Jesus doesn't come as some sort of magician or jester or showman, right? He's not trying to just do tricks to draw attention. At the wedding feast, right, Jesus doesn't turn the water to wine

just to do a miracle. He does the miracle, right, because they were out of wine. He does the miracle as an act of love and concern, and for this wedding to be celebrated with the fullness of joy possible. Certainly, He understands the consequence of this miracle. It's the first of his public signs. He understands that it's going to get people's attention

and it's going to elicit a variety of reaction. But he does it first and foremost with a heart filled with love and moved with compassion. And we see this often in his miracles. He gives sight to the blind because he wants them to see, because he loves them. He's invested in their good and their wellbeing. He heals lepers because he loves them

and he wants them to be well. Like he raises Lazarus from the dead out of love. Even like the multiplication of the loaves and the fish, like he doesn't just do this to do a sign. He does this as the scripture says, because He moves with compassion for them. He wants them to be fed. Like He loves them. He cares about them. And so that's why He does the miracle. Like Jesus, He's come to draw all men to Himself. And this will require His self manifestation, the manifestation, the revelation of his glory, of his identity. But when he's here, like he comes and he works as one who loves, right, as the divine bridegroom,

who loves his bride, whose desires provide for his bride to protect his bride, to care for his bride, and who will freely lay down his life for his bride. Like why? Because he loves his bride, because he freely lay down his life for his bride. Like why? Because he loves his bride, because he loves his body, the church, and because he loves you and he loves me. Like this is why. This is why. For God so loved the world.

As we pray today, let's place ourselves at the table with Jesus. We hear behind us the commotion of the servants and the steward and the little dashes of excitement as a few people know what really happens and as the news begins to spread. But look at him and notice his tender and gentle smile as he grabs and he squeezes his mother's hand. And they share a knowing glance that they are both keenly aware that everything's about to change. And filled with love and compassion, he squeezes her hand just a little tighter. And Mary leans her head on his shoulder.

and Mary leans her head on his shoulder. And they linger. In this moment together. Yes, Jesus works miracles, and yes, Mary is the most powerful of intercessors. But even more importantly, they love each other. And they love each of us so well. Let us too find rest in their love.

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, 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. 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. All right, thanks so much for joining me and praying with me today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. Poco a Poco, friends. God bless y'all.