The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) - Day 24: Still, Small Voice

Episode Date: January 24, 2025

The Holy Spirit chooses to do his greatest works and reveal his glory in still and quiet moments. While reflecting on the Apostles’ Creed, Fr. Mark-Mary uncovers the Incarnation as one of these silent movements of the Spirit: a pivotal event in salvation history that unfolded in the humble, quiet town of Nazareth. As we meditate on the prayers of the Rosary, this episode draws our attention to the quiet moments in which the Holy Spirit works in our lives. Today’s focus is “Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be. 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, we're 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 24. 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. It's a great way to track your progress. The best place to listen to the 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. 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 full-page images of the sacred arts we'll be reflecting on. Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. To help give us a lens by which we can approach the statement

from the Creed, from the Apostles Creed, why don't you journey with me to 1 Kings. This will be reading from 1 Kings chapter 19, verse 11, and following. It's popular one. This is God speaking. And he said, I'm sure you've heard this before, but let's just take a moment to take it in anew.

The Lord was not in the great wind. He was not in the earthquake. He was not in the fire. He chose to be, and He came in the still, small voice. And I'm convinced as we reflect upon the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation history and the work of the Holy Spirit today bringing about our own salvation, He loves to come in the still small voice. He loves to come in a way that is simple

and small, often hidden and silent. This is the context again and again in which the Holy Spirit chooses to do his what I would say his greatest works and to reveal his glory.

Let's go back to the incarnation. Again, the words from the Apostle Creed today are, "'Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary?' What was the context of the Annunciation and the incarnation? There's a Virgin in small town Nazareth, and there's this intimate conversation between the angel Gabriel and the Blessed Mother. Our Lady says yes.

The Holy Spirit overshadows her. And the Inc the incarnation happens. The word becomes flesh and dwells among us. The eternal word through whom all things were made becomes a baby in the womb of the virgin mother. In a way which was so simple, almost certainly silent, imperceptible to the senses of those around. You could say, as a still small voice,

the Father spoke, the Spirit comes, and the Word becomes flesh. And the glory of God is revealed. God could be in the earthquake, God could be in the great wind, God could be in the fire. But the Spirit again and again comes and reveals His glory in the silent, in the hidden, in the small, in the simple. Let's take a look at this in our own lives. What was the most powerful work of the Holy Spirit, the most powerful work of God in your

life? For all of us, the most powerful work in God in your life, for all of us, the most powerful work in our life, for all the baptized at least, was our baptism. And look how simple it is. Look how small it is. Look how quiet it is. The water is poured and these simple words are spoken, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

And the Most Holy Trinity comes to dwell within us. Let's take a look at the Holy Mass, where transubstantiation takes place, which has the form of bread and wine becomes the Body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus. How does it happen? The priest with hands extended says, you are indeed holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness. Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your spirit

upon them like the dewfall so that they may become for us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. The time He was betrayed, He entered willingly into His Passion, He took bread and giving thanks, broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying, Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is My body, which will be given up for you." Simple ordinary words. To the senses that it's imperceptible what is happening,

what has changed to the substance of the bread and the wine. And yet they are no longer the bread and wine, but God is truly present. Again, body, blood, soul, and divinity. And the last example for today, unfortunately, we've maybe had the experience of of sinning and even sinning mortally and no longer being in a state of grace. And we go to confession.

We confess our sins to a simple priest in a way that is hidden. And the priest says these words. I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And through the power of the Holy Spirit, our sins are forgiven. That didn't count, just so you know. Nice try. But see, there's this consistent way in which God has worked and continues to work.

I do think it's beautiful. And I think it is an invitation to intimacy and to gratitude and to a greater reverence for the ordinary, for the daily. I think it can lead us to a greater place of trust and confidence and gratitude for the imperceptible work that the Holy Spirit continues to do within us that even we can't really see or hear, but that He is at work.

So the invitation day is this. Surely some of the listeners here have been mothers and like the busted mother have been, you know, pregnant. And surely you would sort of place your hand on your belly on the growing child in your womb and talk to the child. Speak your love to the child. Now, this is an allegus, I understand. But by our baptism, as we persevere in a state of grace,

God dwells within us in a way which is hidden and silence and imperceptible. As Mary would have done to Jesus in her womb, let us do to the Holy Spirit in our soul and just have a moment of gratitude for this powerful work he does in the hidden. Let us take a moment and enter into this intimacy. Let us love him.

Let us be loved by him. Let us again grow in trust for that which he sees that our senses cannot perceive. And let us be reminded of our great dignity, that though in the eyes of the world we are small and insignificant, God has freely willed to reveal his glory by taking up hidden residence in our souls. 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 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. 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, friends, thank you for joining me and praying with me again today. I look forward to continuing the journey with you tomorrow. Poco a poco, friends. All right. God bless you tomorrow. Poco a poco, friends. All right. God bless y'all.