The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) - Day 183: Love Poured Out

Episode Date: July 2, 2025

Fr. Mark-Mary reflects on the Crucifixion through Rubens’ painting, The Descent from the Cross, emphasizing the raw humanity of Jesus as He is lovingly lowered by His followers. He meditates on the mystical union between Christ the bridegroom and the Church, inviting us to find rest in Christ’s pierced side, the source of love, mercy, and life. Finally, he focuses on Mary’s sorrowful but hope-filled presence, encouraging us to bring our own losses to her while clinging to the promise of resurrection and redemption. 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 am 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 183. 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, saint reflections and beautiful images of the sacred art we'll be reflecting on. Today, we will be meditating upon and praying with the fifth sorrowful mystery, the crucifixion and death of our Lord with help from a painting entitled The Descent From the Cross

by the artist Peter Paul Rubens. And now a brief introduction to our artist and artwork. Our artist Peter Paul Rubens was born in the year 1577 and he died in the year 1640. He was a Flemish Baroque painter celebrated for his dynamic compositions, vibrant color palette, and emotional intensity. Born in modern-day Germany, he trained in Antwerp and later absorbed Italian Renaissance influences during his travels to Italy. Rubens became one of

the most sought-after painters in Europe producing religious works, mythological scenes, portraits, and landscapes. His prolific career also Italy. Rubens became one of the most sought after painters in Europe producing religious works, mythological scenes, portraits, and landscapes. His prolific career also included diplomatic missions for the Spanish Netherlands. Our painting today, The Ascent from the Cross, was done around the year 1617. And for this painting Rubens worked in the Baroque style characterized by dramatic movement, emotional intensity, and theatrical compositions. We noticed again in the Descent from the Cross that he employs chiaroscuro to heighten the drama and guide the viewer's focus.

And Rubens actually painted and kind of explored the Descent from the Cross with a number of his works. But with the particular Descent from the cross that we're looking at today, the restrained yet powerful arrangement of figures reflects a transition in Rubin style towards greater classicism and discipline compared to his earlier exuberant works. Now a description of our painting. A clouded, navy sky sets a dark backdrop to a rough and heavy cross. Followers of Christ surround the cross on ladders as they together remove Jesus' pale limp and bloodied corpus from the place of his execution.

The crown of thorns and nails that pierced Jesus lay below the cross and the dirt. A white cloth is used to lower him as devoted men and women take his arm, his foot, his waist, to carefully lower Jesus' body together. Focused men and tearful women tend to his body, including St. John, Joseph of Arimathea, and Mary Magdalene. Jesus' side wound continues to drip red blood. His skin is nearly gray from blood loss. The Virgin Mary draped in dark blue, pale from anguish, reaches upward towards her deceased son with trembling hands. Her faithful presence emanates a quiet grief.

Today though, particularly because it's our last time bringing new information to our meditations on Jesus's passion. I'm gonna touch on three different themes. And the first is this. When looking at Ruben's painting of Jesus's descent from the cross, like when I first look at it,

it really does almost knock the wind out of me. The lifeless body of Jesus being taken down from the cross and being cradled by the hands of Mary. Like the painting as it is, it's already heartbreaking. But one little note on this theme. The other day I used the phrase, the scandal of the God who bleeds. I think if we're honest, taking that reality in,

the God who bleeds, it's kind of still a stumbling block for us. By that, I mean, we still don't like to see it or to think about it in its entirety. And as we've come through this journey, particularly with the artwork, what I see to be the sanitizing of the violence done to Jesus. Yeah, 100%.

Like some violence has certainly been shown, but it's still kind of tastefully been done. And I 100% again, like I understand that there are both theological and artistic reasons for this, but I do want to at least like mention that the state of the body of Jesus being taken down from the cross was much more vile than we have seen up to this point or than we are looking at today. And it is, like it's okay that we depict the suffering of Jesus in this way. Likewise, there's a reason.

I'm not getting into all of the details here, but I want us to be aware of it and be aware of why. The sufferings of Jesus, the humiliation and degradation that Jesus freely accepted were so severe. They are too much for us to even look at in their entirety. And the movement I'm hoping for here is one of greater gratitude and contrition,

but not like a greater shame or self-flagellation. Okay? So let's move on here to our second theme. And the second theme is this, and I wanted to touch on it at least once before our journey here is done. It's the great mystical tradition that unites Christ crucified and Christ the bridegroom. And here are a couple of Saint quotes for your current prayer or maybe future reference, especially if you wanna dive deeper into this theme. Saint Gertrude writes,

he, the spouse of souls, gave himself on the cross with such tenderness that no bridegroom ever loved his bride as Jesus loves the soul. St. Bernard of Clairvaux writes, The faithful soul is a spouse to Christ, and what dowry does she receive? The blood of the bridegroom. St. Bonaventure. Christ stretched out his arms on the cross to embrace his bride the church. There, consummated in pain, was the most chaste union of God and the soul." And one last quote from St. Bonaventure, in the pierced heart of the bridegroom, the bride finds rest, for

from that wound flow love, mercy, and life. And today in our painting of Rubens we see particularly the pierced heart of the bridegroom, that open wound. My invitation to the bride, to all faithful souls, to the church, is to come to that wound, to find rest in that wound, right? Because from that wounded side of Jesus, from the wounded side of the bridegroom, flow love, mercy, and life.

So today with our mystery and painting, we contemplate Jesus the bridegroom, right? Who lays down his life for his bride and desires to be united with our souls through the cross. All right, now onto our third and final theme and the one I'm kind of most invested in. I'd like us to conclude by looking again at Mary. Notice how in Ruben's painting she's looking into the eyes of Jesus and how often we have found her seeking those eyes. And every time in Mary's life for some 33 years,

those eyes have looked back at her, encouragingly, knowingly aware of the underlying narrative woven through every scene of Jesus' life, the love of a mother and son, and the shared offering they will make. But now when she looks into those eyes, they are empty. Nothing is given and nothing is received. On Calvary, there is death, but not despair. Even here, there is no place for despair. My brothers and sisters, there is never place for despair in the life of the Christian. Hope by God is always alive, and it applies to every and all situations. We see this even in our Good Friday Liturgy.

There is a closing reference to the resurrection. Those of us who are suffering greatly, those of us who feel tempted to hopelessness and despair, bring that here to Mary. Share it with her and all of the reasons she may be tempted to hopelessness and despair in this moment. But she doesn't. She knows this is not how the story ends. She knows the promise. Those who mourn will be comforted.

Truth Himself, God Himself has made this promise. Today Mary holds the cold and lifeless body of her son. And perhaps today in this moment, you feel the cold and lifeless reality of loss, of unfulfilled desires, of broken relationships or situations. And with Mary, you don't need to water it down. You don't need to hold it, to hold all of it in hope. Even still, even here, Jesus is at work. Jesus and us with Jesus are on the path to victory, to promises fulfilled, and to resurrection. Even now, here with Mary, our hope in Him is sure.

In holding it all in hope, with Mary let us 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. and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

All right, thank you for joining me and for praying with me today. And I look forward to continuing this journey with you tomorrow. All right, friends, poco a poco. God bless you all.