The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) - Day 166: Ordinary, Yet Called

Episode Date: June 15, 2025

Titian’s Renaissance painting, Pentecost, focuses on St. Peter kneeling beside Mary with the keys of the Kingdom in hand. Fr. Mark-Mark contemplates Peter’s transformation from a flawed man to the first pope to highlight the power of the Holy Spirit working through ordinary people. We are reminded that despite our limitations, each of us carries a mission and is invited to entrust it to the Holy Spirit. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Descent of the Holy Spirit 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.

Hi, I'm Father Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars of the 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 166. 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 this 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. 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 third glorious mystery, the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, with help from a painting entitled Pentecost by the artist Titian. This is our second painting from Titian, so just a brief reminder,

he was born around the year 1488 or 1490, and he would die in the year 1576. He was a leading artist of the Italian Renaissance and the most important member of the 16th century Venetian school. Our painting of Pentecost was done in the year 1545, and it is an oil painting, and its style is Renaissance art. Now a description of our painting.

A white dove beats its open wings high up beneath the arch of a grand room. Behind it emerges beams of blindingly white light. The burst of light, almost like a divine flame, radiates from above, symbolizing the Holy Spirit descending upon those present. Below in its center, the Virgin Mary, serene and calm, gazes upwards. She sits surrounded by the twelve apostles and a few devout women. Their faces marked with awe and wonder. She sits surrounded by the twelve apostles and a few devout women. Their faces marked with awe and wonder. Some are shaken, some fall. Several reach up their arms, reaching towards the Spirit.

Each of them receives an orange flame hovering above their heads. The apostles' garments are rich in color, deep reds, purples and blues. The celestial light above stands out against the rich earthly tones of the room they occupy. To the left of Mary kneels Peter, holding prayerfully in on the keys, the keys in the hand of St. Peter and Titian's painting of Pentecost. And let us begin by remembering who this man is kneeling next to Our Lady and holding the keys of the kingdom and receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This is Simon, right? And he's a first century fisherman. And he's the guy who really messed up and Jesus had to say to him, get behind me, Satan.

And already, like after being told he was Peter and the rock, he would be one of the three, right? The privileged three, the chosen three invited invited into the garden of Gethsemane, where he'd fall asleep. And just a few hours later, when we could say Jesus needed him and his fidelity the most, he publicly denied him, not just once, not just twice, but three times. He's Simon, right? He's a man, an imperfect man, even a sinner. Yet, he's the one chosen by Jesus to be the first pope, to lead the church after his ascension.

And to him, Jesus said, And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." So here he is. We encounter him as Simon, but we also encounter him as Peter, right? And after Pentecost, when he receives the

Holy Spirit, he's going to go out and he's going to proclaim Christ risen from the dead. And after this very first homily, 3,000 souls will join the church. 3,000 souls will be baptized. And he'd still, throughout his life, he'd make some mistakes. but it would end with him being faithful unto death, receiving a martyr's crown. And I know that I'm leaving out a lot about Peter in his story and some of his virtues for sure. But the major theme that I want to get at is this, it's like Simon became Peter

and there would be something operating in Peter That's more than just himself his own intelligence his own ability or strength or leadership or eloquence and this something more is the Holy Spirit Now recently I'm sure you are with me as the whole world set its eyes on the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square as we were all waiting to see and hear for the first time our new Holy Father, the successor of St. Peter, Pope Leo XIV. And my first impression seeing him, encountering him, hearing him out in that balcony was man. He looks like a pope. And he sounds like a pope.

And he's acting just like a pope, like it just fit. There was something more here. He was Peter. Eventually, and I'm sure some of you have come across these as well, like I came across some videos of interviews with his brothers. I really came to appreciate the fact that our Holy Father was born in the US, and his US siblings. Like I just kind of understood them and got them and kind of could place them.

It made sense of a lot of stuff. And just looking at them and listening to them, the brothers, they're just normal guys, right? Ordinary guys who I'd feel very comfortable like sitting down and chatting with, watching a game with. If we cross paths in the street or at a market or something like that, like I wouldn't flinch. I wouldn't double-take.

I wouldn't think twice. I just kind of get who these guys are. And what's interesting to me, just thinking about it, like if Pope Leo was back home with them, dressed like them, right? And I didn't already know he was the Pope and I saw them all hanging out. Like I'm sure they would be calling him like Bob or Robert.

And he'd just be part of the conversation. It helped me kind of like get him. Like he's just a man as well. But, right? Like Peter was made from Simon, Leo the 14th, he's made from Robert. And there's more like to each Christian, right? Not just the Holy Father, there's more to each Christian,

including the Pope's brothers, than meets the eye. The Holy Spirit is present and alive and at work in us. And yes, Pope Leo XIV, he will serve and he will speak to us with his own intelligence and his own insights. And he'll share with us from his own heart. Like Robert is still there. But he won't just be giving us himself,

something more as at work, the Holy Spirit. He will speak and he will govern as Leo. He will speak and govern as Peter. He will speak and govern as Peter. And we know this, like our hope is not in great men and holy leaders. Even holy leaders, like they're not enough to keep the gates of hell from prevailing against the church. Our hope is in God.

And that is a work of God Himself. And the point is this, it's not about the papacy necessarily, though it applies there. The point is this, that God is at work, and our faith and our hope is in God. And I'm sure if we were in the midst of those first apostles, if we spent a couple of years with them, even after Pentecost, we'd be very aware of their humanity and their limitations. But we can't let that blind us from their dignity as those chosen instruments of God through whom the Holy Spirit is working. And in a real way, the same can be said about you and I. We don't have a role in the hierarchy like the apostles and their successors do.

But we do have a role to play in proclaiming Christ and evangelizing the world. And I know how keenly we are aware of our humanity, of our limitations. But also, likewise, similarly, we can't let that blind us from the Lord's capacity and His desire to work through us. And one little thing that is kind of fun to me that you might appreciate, if we go to the book of Revelation, Revelation chapter 2 verse 17, this is what it says, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

To him who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone with a new name written on the stone, which no one knows except him who receives it." All right, like Simon got the name Peter, and Robert got the name Leo the 14th, and in my own religious profession, I got a new name as well. But I kind of like that we who all have a mission from God, like the God wants to work through as well, also have like the special name. And there's a time, right, as we are victorious with Him, that we too will

receive a new name. Now, in closing here, right, we don't have the keys to the kingdom like St. Peter holds there at Pentecost in this painting to bring to the Holy Spirit and ask His blessing upon. But we do all have our unique mission, vocations, families, ministries, sufferings, gifts. And let us bring all of these before the Holy Spirit again today. Let's entrust them to Him. And let's ask His blessing, His boldness, His wisdom, His grace, His strength to anoint them so that we may move in these gifts and live out our mission.

And in doing so, like not placing our confidence in ourselves and not only giving ourselves, but placing our confidence and giving the Holy Spirit to the world who is alive and at work through you and me. Asking for this anointing and trusting in it, let us with Mary now 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 again today. And I look forward to continuing and praying with me again today, and I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow.

Poco Poco, friends. God bless y'all.