The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) - Day 187: God is Never Outdone

Episode Date: July 6, 2025

Jesus took flesh from Mary and glorified it, says St. Augustine. As we meditate on the Assumption through a stained glass depiction, Fr. Mark-Mary explains how Mary’s generosity to Jesus is given back to her as he shares his divine nature with her. The creature, he says, will never best the generosity of the creator. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Assumption 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 187. 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 preach 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 fourth glorious mystery, the Assumption, with help from a stained glass in the Burgos Cathedral

entitled Assumption of Mary. A brief introduction to our artwork. The specific artist of the Assumption of Mary stained glass is unknown. It was created in the 15th, 16th century. And though the exact artist is unknown,

the stained glass reflects the collaborative craftsmanship of Burgos Cathedral's workshops, influenced by Flemish and Spanish Gothic traditions. And now a description of today's artwork. In the center of a group of three windows, through the jewel-toned hues of stained glass, three windows. Through the jewel-toned hues of stained glass shines the Virgin Mary with a golden halo. Mary rises above earth upon blue clouds flanked with angels with colorful wings. Her palms are opened. Behind her, the blue clouds open up to reveal yellow beams as she is assumed to heaven. open up to reveal yellow beams as she is assumed to heaven.

Directly below her, two haloed men gently tend to blossoms in a raised garden bed-shaped like a sarcophagus, resembling an empty tomb. Each of the vibrant windows are decorated with ornate gothic tracery with curling gold details. In the side panels, ten disciples, five in each window, stand among grasses, rocks, and distant mountains. Their golden halos glow as they gaze upward in awe, witnessing the miraculous moment of Mary's Assumption. Today we have Mary being assumed into heaven,

being depicted through the stained glass window. And I'd say it's actually quite fitting that our two stained glass windows that we've looked at in this Rosary in a Year Pilgrimature have been the mystery of the Transfiguration, and now secondly, the mystery of the Assumption. And again, I think this is fitting. And so I'm gonna go ahead and take a moment

and connect the dots, starting with a poetic pious tradition, and then moving towards that which is more profound and more sure. So there's what can be called like a pious tradition, that the garment being worn by Jesus at the transfiguration was made for him by Mary. And what in the Gospels do we read about the garment? We read that on the mountain Jesus was transfigured and His garment was made dazzling white.

And commentators on this Gospel and in this detail, such as Pope Benedict XVI, see in the dazzling white garment a promise that Jesus will glorify that which He receives from us and He will glorify us. He says, through baptism, we are clothed with Jesus in light and we ourselves become light. So now let's take this kind of a little bit deeper, looking at the relationship between Jesus and Mary. Jesus receives his humanity from Mary, like St. Augustine says, this is a quote, he took

his flesh from the flesh of Mary. So even more, right, than just receiving material clothing from Mary, he receives his humanity, his flesh from Mary, and he glorifies it. In turn, he will glorify Mary. Jesus, who received a share in her humanity, will give her a share in his divinity through what is called theosis. The transfiguration, that first window, gives witness to the fact that Jesus is the light.

The assumption gives witness to Mary becoming light by grace. Brothers and sisters, we are called to share in the very life of God. And what I want to key in on is, is the way in which Jesus is not outdone in generosity in the life of Mary and then in our lives as well. So a little review, right? Jesus takes from Mary his humanity. Growing up in Nazareth, he is cared for by Mary, given earthly food by Mary. He is dressed by Mary as a young boy.

His tears are wiped away by Mary. He's lifted up and carried by Mary. And then he's offered to the father by Mary, and she freely assents to sharing in Jesus's suffering. All this in time, all of this on earth, right? Then what does Mary receive from Jesus? He gives to her a share in his divinity. Not only was Mary nourished

by his body, blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist, but now she shares in Jesus's eternal life. Her tears have been wiped away forever. She who clothed Jesus with this fragile fabric is now dressed in light. Mary who carried him in her womb is lifted up, assumed into heaven by God. And she who suffered in time shares in the glory of heaven forever. Mary gave so much to Jesus. In fact, she gave everything to Jesus.

And Jesus received everything she gave. It was a pleasing offering. And in repayment, He gives to her even more. The creature, even Mary, will never best the generosity of the Creator. And what has been true for Mary will be true for all the saints, all the faithful souls who follow

Jesus and remain in Jesus. He will never be outdone in generosity. We who serve him in time will be invited to reign with him for eternity. My brothers and sisters, we too are called to become light, shares in the divine nature as the catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 460 states. The word became flesh to make us partakers of the divine nature. This is why the word became man and the Son of God became the Son of man, so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a Son of God.

As we pray today, we move our eyes from this fleeting world with its profound, but passing sufferings. And we set our eyes from this fleeting world with this profound but passing sufferings. We set our eyes on heaven. We set our eyes on glory and on the hope of sharing for eternity in the very life of God. 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 ourasses, 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.