The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) - Day 163: Through His Eyes

Episode Date: June 12, 2025

What did Jesus see when He looked down from the cross? And what does He see in us now? Fr. Mark-Mary contemplates James Tissot’s painting, What Our Lord Saw from the Cross, which invites reflection on what Jesus might have seen and felt as He gave His life. Fr. Mark-Mary contrasts the indifference and mockery of some in the crowd with the sorrowful devotion of Mary, St. John, and Mary Magdalene. We are invited to place ourselves at Calvary and examine how we respond to Christ's sacrifice. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Crucifixion 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 163. 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 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. 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 fifth sorrowful mystery, the crucifixion of our Lord with help from a painting entitled What Our Lord Saw from the Cross

by the artist James Tissot. Now an introduction to our artist and artwork. James Tissot was born in the year 1836. He died in the year 1902 and he was a French painter, illustrator, and caricaturist. He was born to a drapery merchant and milliner and decided to pursue a career in art at a young age, coming to incorporate elements of realism, early impressionism, and academic art to his work. He is best known for a variety of genre paintings of contemporary European high society produced during the peak of his career

which focused on the people and women's fashions of the Belle Epoque and Victorian England. But he would also explore a number of other subjects, including biblical ones. Tissot's painting that we're looking at today that's entitled, What Our Lord Saw from the Cross, was done between the years 1886 and 1894. And it's part of his extensive series of 350 watercolors depicting the life of Christ, which he undertook after experiencing a revival of faith in 1885. Okay, now a description of our painting. Scattered across the rocky hills of a mountainside, dozens of faces look up, depicted in a vibrant

and impressionistic style. The people are all dressed in draping robes and are seized in shades of expressive harrowing emotion. Roman soldiers, rabbis, foreigners, commoners, distinguished men on horseback, groups of men and groups of women share a common focal point to their fixated gaze, which is directly at the viewer. On white rock a group gathers in the foreground. Three women, modestly veiled, and a young man with clasped hands mourn the subject of

everyone's gaze. At the very bottom, two pierced and bloody feet protrude from the bottom edge of the painting. A woman with her hands folded, head covered, with flowing auburn locks leans up to them, eyes wide open and sorrowful devotion. Olive trees line the perimeter of the scene. all of trees line the perimeter of the scene. In the back behind much of the crowds is an open tomb. So I'm gonna start with something with a little bit more maybe levitas,

moved to that which is of the most, the highest level of gravitas. So Tissot's painting, it has a unique approach. It's a painting where the viewer is in the place of Jesus and you're looking out and so it's what would he see? What would our Lord have seen? And it's an experience that maybe a lot of people have, certainly have it as a priest preaching from the pulpit,

where you're aware of others looking at you. You're the one speaking in this case, and all eyes are kind of on you, or at least most of the eyes are at you. You're the one speaking in this case and all eyes are kind of on you or at least most of the eyes are on you. And so I'm just keenly aware, for example, my first year of priesthood, I just remember very clearly like making people fall asleep three homilies in a row. It was a friar, it was a missionary of charity

and then it was one of our homeless men at a mass at the homeless shelter. And it's not the best feeling in the world, right? You're up there and you spent time putting together this homily, and you understand people are tired, whatever's going on, or maybe you're just going too long, and people are just falling asleep. You know, not the best. Or in New York, we run an event, like an evangelization event called Catholic Underground. And the first part of Catholic Underground is a holy hour. And then we come downstairs and we go to the basement,

which is the underground part. And there's often a musical performance. And there's probably three or 400 young adults that come down to the basement. And really so many of them are there to like hang out. They're there to connect and to see their friends and spend time together. But we also always have some sort of musical guests,

some sort of musical performer who's up on stage and playing and it's really difficult for them because they're up there like burying their souls, playing their music and people are chatting and they're talking and you can hear them up on the stage. And so we always kind of have to like prep them like, hey, if you're going to do this, here's what's going to happen. You're going to be up there and you're going to be vulnerable

and you're going to be playing. But a lot of people like they're not just here for the concert, they're really here to like sort of hang out and socialize. And I start here because I think that's something that we can relate to. Like we can understand how it would be painful, hurtful for you to be playing your original song, again, burying your soul, giving this gift of yourself. And other people aren't interested. They're not receiving it. And I'm sure many of us have a lot of different ways in which we've experienced this. And now, let's apply this and look at this in Jesus' experience.

As He's there crucified, and He looks down from the cross, there He is, like not just sharing His music, but there He is giving Himself, giving His entire life for all of those who are there at Calvary. And Tissot's painting has most of the people there paying attention to Jesus. There's a couple who aren't paying attention. There's some who are mocking.

And we of course know there's the one thief who mocks Jesus and so many of the soldiers who mock Jesus. Like here he is like giving his life for them. Here he is dying for their sins. And he can see them being disinterested. He can see those who are not paying attention, and he can hear those who are mocking him. What does this do to Jesus? How does he experience this?

But then on the other hand, we have Mary, his mother. We have St. John. We have Mary Magdalene. And what does He experience when He looks at them? I'm going to invite you to spend some time praying with this, to reflect on that. In one hand, seeing them before Him, seeing them drink deeply of what He is offering, seeing them receive totally what He is giving, perhaps that's some source of consolation. Perhaps that's some source of consolation. And at the other hand, in seeing his mother, and seeing her heart being pierced by the sword,

and seeing her tears, does this not pierce him with a greater pain and a greater depth than the thorns on his head, the nails through his hands and feet? And we're invited today to place ourselves before Jesus, to place ourselves on Calvary. This painting is like a window to the past, but also like a mirror. We can reflect on all of those and how they interacted there at Calvary. The soldiers, St. John, Our Lady, the good thief. But also it offers us a window to reflect. Are we receiving this gift here and now?

Are we indifferent? Do we care? Does the fact that we have been purchased by the blood of the Lamb, does that like define us? Does that speak to us like our worth, our dignity, our identity? So my brothers and sisters, we pray today, let's go to Calvary and let's be aware of Jesus on the cross being aware of us.

He's able to see you and to hear you. What will He see as He looks upon you? What will He hear as He looks upon you? What will He hear as He listens to you? Look at Him and speak to Him. I love you, Jesus. I adore you, Jesus. I receive this gift, Jesus. I adore you, Jesus. I receive this gift, Jesus. 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, how though it be thy name,

Mother, who art in heaven, how though it 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 you all.