The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) - Day 160: Choose Your Side

Episode Date: June 9, 2025

We are in a war with darkness, and we must choose to take up the side as sons and daughters of God. Fr. Mark-Mary describes Caravaggio’s painting, The Flagellation of Christ, relating each of Jesus��� assailants to a personification of sin. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Scourging at the Pillar 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 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 160. 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 podcasts 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. No matter what app you're listening in, remember to tap follow or subscribe for your daily notifications. Today we will be meditating upon and praying with the second sorrowful mystery, the scourging of our Lord at the pillar, with help from a painting entitled The Flagellation of Christ

by the artist Caravaggio. Now introduction to our artist and artwork. Caravaggio was born in the year 1571. He died in the year 1610. And he was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the final four years of his life, he moved between Naples, Malta and Sicily until his death. And his paintings have been characterized by art critics as combining a realistic observation of the human state, both physical and emotional,

with a dramatic use of lighting, which had a formative influence on Baroque painting. This painting was done in the year 1607. Just a quick note on its style. The style is Baroqueoque and Caravaggio employed close physical observation with dramatic use of chiaroscuro that came to be known as tenebrism. And he made the technique a dominant stylistic element, transfixing subjects in bright shafts of light in darkening shadows. Now a description of the painting.

The muscular form of Christ's body leans and twists as he pushes to remain upright. Light reflects starkly off his bare skin as three tormentors fling him. A simple white cloth is wrapped around his loin. Behind him, his arms are bound with ropes to a sturdy marble column that rises up and out of the frame. The painting has a striking contrast

between light and dark areas, emphasizing the conflict between goodness and evil. One man holds Jesus's hair in his hand, a swatch of branches in the other. His face contorts and his layers of clothing fall from his shoulder due to his vigor as he prepares to flog Christ. Another man stripped down to his waist presses his foot against Christ's legs as he reaches for Christ's bound hands. The third prepares his weapon as he binds another switch for the flogging.

I am yet to see a Caravaggio painting that I didn't love. You know, I certainly haven't seen them all, yet to see a Caravaggio painting that I didn't love. You know, I certainly haven't seen them all, but he is definitely one of my favorites and probably my favorite artist. In the next couple of episodes, we're going to come across his work a couple more times. We see here in his work entitled, The Flagellation of Christ, his expert use, right, of chiaroscuro, light and darkness and contrasting of it. And I do think it's perfect for communicating visibly

what is in fact happening here. There is a battle taking place between good and evil, light and darkness, God, and Satan and his host of fallen angels. And I must say that what stands out to me immediately, even more so than the beautiful lamb of God being led to the slaughter is the darkness. Lamb of God being led to the slaughter, is the darkness,

the evil depicted in the anger, hatred, violence, and tragic intentionality of the Roman soldiers scourging the Lord. Now firstly, notice the hatred on the face on the man to Jesus' right, the viewer's left. This man who almost certainly up to this point had never met Jesus. This man who most certainly does not act to protect peace or to honor Caesar. There's no noble intention here. He acts from vengeance, giving expression to the darkness within. Just behold the depths to which humanity can fall. And I see him kind of as a personification of sins of the flesh, of the passions, right?

He's vengefully acting out, seeking blood for blood's sake. On the opposite side of Jesus is a Roman soldier, and he's holding behind his back the tied hands of Jesus. Now, it doesn't look like he's necessarily acting in violence. He's not directly attacking the Lord or spitting upon him. But he is enabling it and in a very real way, assenting to it. This man who is not corrupt enough to strike Jesus is also not courageous enough to intervene.

And I can see in him the sins of indifference, of cowardice, of an idolized self-preservation. His goal is to save himself at all cost. But in doing so, he will lose his very self. And he here ties up Jesus' body, Jesus' hands, just as his self-will and fear ties up Jesus' ability to speak to him, to guide him. He is bound by cowardice and fear as Jesus' hands are bound by rope. And then lastly, we have the Roman soldier at the bottom of the painting whose back is to us. But he alone faces Jesus. meticulously, knowingly preparing his weapon of torture, while looking at Jesus dead in the face.

It's almost as if he is stooping low because he wants Jesus to see him. He wants to see what he is doing. It's personal. It's intentional. Like it's not just a passive ascent to evil. see what he is doing. It's personal. It's intentional. Like it's not just a passive ascent to evil. Again, he is intentional and he is knowing. And he was said to not just personify like sins of weakness in the flesh, but rebellion and blasphemy and direction of truth and light and goodness and God.

He Himself is a proud rebel, a son of Satan Himself. And then we see Jesus, courageous enough, free enough, strong enough, humble enough, to freely stand in their midst, to receive their fury and their blows. My brothers and sisters, we cannot compromise with darkness. We cannot shake hands with sin. There is a war in our midst and we must choose sides. Are we sons and daughters of the proud demon, the prince of darkness? Or are we sons and daughters of the humble king? Light from light and true God from true God. Now with Mary's help as we pray, let us ask for the grace to repent of our sins,

to leave the darkness and to truly live as sons and daughters of light. 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 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 Poco, friends. God bless y'all.