The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) - Day 184: Beyond the Tomb

Episode Date: July 3, 2025

What if the first person to witness the Resurrection was Mary, the mother of Jesus? Fr. Mark-Mary explores this possibility through prayerful reflection on Annibale Carracci’s painting The Holy Women at Christ’s Tomb, highlighting the emotional depth and symbolism in the women's encounter with the angel. Drawing from Pope John Paul II’s insights, he invites us to imagine a tender, intimate reunion between the risen Christ and His mother, filled with healing, tears, and joy. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Resurrection 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 Fr. 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 184. 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 first glorious mystery, the resurrection, with help from a painting entitled, The Holy Women at Christ's Tomb by the artist Annibale Caracci. And now a brief introduction to our artist and artwork, Annibale Caracci.

He was born in the year 1560, he died in the year 1609, and he was a pivotal Italian Baroque painter and co-founder of the Bolognese school. He was born in Bologna where he trained alongside his brother and his cousin. And his art at that time was deeply grounded in Renaissance principles and direct observation of nature. His moves of Rome in 1595 marked a shift towards monumental classicism. Caracci would die at a young age of 48, but his work would influence generations.

His painting that we're looking at today, The Holy Women at Christ's Tomb, was done around the year 1600. We see here, Karachi's style merges high Renaissance clarity with Baroque dynamism. Rejecting mannerist artifice, he emphasized naturalism, vibrant color, and expressive gestures. The Holy Women at Christ's Tomb showcases his signature traits which include carascuro, classical composition, and emotive realism. And now a description of our painting.

of our painting. In the pale light of dawn, three women stand in a tree-covered garden at the entrance of Christ's tomb, their vibrant cloaks glowing against the muted tones of the early morning. One of these women draped in red with flowing blonde hair cradles a large jar of ointment, brought to anoint Christ's body.

Her gaze, like the others, is fixed on an angel before them, a radiant youthful figure with golden locks, feathered wings, and a flowing white toga. The angel sits atop the edge of the tomb and gestures towards the large stone block at the the edge of the tomb and gestures towards the large stone block at the front edge of the scene. Each of the women leans forward on the balls of their feet, their postures shifting with surprise and awe.

Their expressions are filled with a quiet reverence as the angel's message begins to dawn on them. The tomb is empty. He is risen. Today's painting of the women and angel at the tomb by Anabali Karachi seems to be an intentional depiction of Mark chapter 16 verse one and the following verses. There we read, and when the Sabbath was passed, Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and Solomon,

bought spices so that they might go and anoint him. Now we're going to jump two verses and the gospel there says, And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back, for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side dressed in a white robe and they were amazed. There is a lot that could be said about this gospel and this painting but I'm going to take my prompting for today's meditation from Pope John Paul II and his general audience that was given on May 21st, 1997. We're going to make a reflection of not about who is at the tomb, but rather who is not at the tomb,

and who is conspicuously never mentioned at any of the post-resurrection appearances, namely Mary, the mother of Jesus. And I'll really encourage you to read the audience if you're interested in the topic, but here's a starter. John Paul II, he writes, the Gospels mention various appearances of the risen Christ, but not a meeting between Jesus and his mother. This silence must not lead to the conclusion that after the resurrection, Christ did not appear to Mary,

rather, it invites us to seek the reasons why the evangelists made such a choice. But then his audience changes directions and he writes, "'Indeed, it is legitimate to think "'that the mother was probably the first person "'to whom the risen Jesus appeared. "'Could not Mary's absence from the group of women "'who went to the tomb at dawn.'"

See Mark chapter 16 verse one, Matthew 28, indicate that she had already met Jesus. And I love that he doesn't just say that Mary was possibly the first person to whom the risen Jesus appeared. But he says, probably. John Paul II, he's not saying this is a fact that this happened, but as a man who knew the heart of Jesus so intimately,

and as a man who was personally a son who loved his earthly mother so much. And as a man who loved Mary with the deepest of loves. It's almost like John Paul II is saying, like, he had to go see her first. How could he not? And so that's where we're going to go see her first. How could he not? And so that's where we're going to go today. I'm going to invite you to imagine and to really spend some time with this and ponder that moment.

There's Mary, a heartbroken, but hopeful. Mary who just held his lifeless body. Mary who may still have the stains of her son's blood on her clothes and skin. And as she's keeping vigil, He comes to her. He is risen. Hear the breath like immediately escape her lungs and see her collapse to the floor. No longer needing to be strong.

And he comes down to her, and he envelops her with his arms, and he holds her as the tears stream. And for a while he just holds her. Then one of them breaks the silence. Perhaps with a playful word. And the joy begins, and the laughter.

And slowly, he helps her up, and gently wipes her tears as he's looking at his mother with a love that I won't even try to describe. As it's better left for the pens of poets. He is risen. He who promised to wipe away every tear begins with the tears of his mother. 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. Well, thank you for joining me and praying with me again today. I look forward to continuing our journey tomorrow.

Poco a poco, friends. God bless y'all.