The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) - Day 25: No Longer in Darkness

Episode Date: January 25, 2025

By the grace of Jesus Christ, there is no longer total darkness. Fr. Mark-Mary explains how we can maintain hope while meditating on the crucifixion, a necessary prelude for the Sorrowful Mysteries. Drawing from the Catechism and the Good Friday liturgy, we continue our meditation on the Creed and Jesus’ incredible love for us. Today’s focus is “He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day, he rose again from the dead,” 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.

I'm Father Mark Mary with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and this is the Rosary in the Year podcast where through prayer and meditation, the rosary brings us deeper into relationship with Jesus and Mary becomes a source of grace for the whole world. The Rosary in the Year is brought to you by Ascension. This is Day 25. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in the Year, visit ascensionpress.com forward slash rosary in the year or text R.I.Y To 33

777 you'll get an outline of how we're gonna preach month and it's 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 no matter What app you're listening in remember to tap follow or subscribe for your daily notifications and remember to tap follow or subscribe for your daily notifications. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended to hell. On the third day he rose again from the dead. The lens I've chosen and hopefully been led to by which to approach and to reflect on this part part of the Creed comes from the Gospel of John,

chapter one, verse nine and following. He came to his own home and his own people received him not. The first day we looked at the creed, we looked at God as the creator. And God, he created everything. And he created our universe and he created our world and in doing so, he created our home, the earth. As John says, the world was made through him and Jesus Christ, he's there, he's part of creation.

But of course, as we know, starting with Adam and Eve and then falling to each of us, we've sinned. And we kind of messed up our home. And God, in response to it, he's going to send us a Savior. And for our Savior, for His Son, He has, as we talked about, created a home for Him. He chose the Blessed Virgin Mary and through grace preserved her from all sin.

She is the immaculate conception, having her full of grace and free from sin. The Father is preparing a home by which His Son can enter into the world, by which the light can enter into our man-made darkness. Jesus comes to save us. Again as the Gospel of John says, He came to His own home, and His own people received Him not. And it's not that we just said there's no room in the inn. It's not just that we said, you're not welcome here.

We responded by creating for him a home of our own making and our own choosing. The home, of course, being a tomb and the way to this home for the Savior being through the judgment of Pontius Pilate, his crucifixion and death. The light entered the world, and my brothers and sisters,

we have chosen darkness. And the Catechism of the Catholic Church in paragraph 598 reminds us that in her magisterial teaching of the faith and the witness of her saints, the church has never forgotten that sinners were the authors and ministers of all the sufferings that the divine redeemer endured going on. We must regard as guilty.

All those who continue to relapse into their sins. Since our sins made the Lord Christ suffer the torment of the cross. And so while we may not have been alive, you know, 2000 years ago, we can still very much say that he came to our home and by our own sins and our own continuing sins, we chose him not. And this is heavy. This is heavy mysteries. And I'm like, I'm a religious, I'm a Franciscan, I'm a man hopefully of the cross. Like this is a place that's important for us.

And we love to go as it is for all people, but we never go. And this is just a reminder. We're going to kind of pray into it as well. Like by the grace of Jesus Christ, by the grace of his resurrection, by the grace of His resurrection, there's no longer total darkness. Even on Good Friday, the Good Friday liturgy lights the little candle in its mention of the resurrection. We look at our own sinfulness and the effects of our collective sinfulness with God, always with God, never just by ourselves, never allowing the accused to come in, but

just with God. And when we go with God, we can see it truly, and we can look upon these most horrendous of truths and realities, but still with the light of faith and hope that God can bring about good, that there is an invitation to repentance and to reconciliation. So with God, with the light of hope, let us dare to just spend some time before the crucifixion, before our response, our collective response, our individual responses to Him. Let us ask for the grace to be in touch again of our need for Him. Let us ask for the grace to be obedient and trusting.

Let us ask for the grace of a radical openness to receive Him however and whenever He comes to us. And to help us with our prayer before we go into our Father and Hail Mary's, I'm gonna pull from the Good Friday liturgy. There's a part of the Good Friday liturgy called the reproaches. And so if you'll join me in praying

and going with our Lady to the foot of a cross again and praying with these words. My people, what have I done to you? Or how have I grieved you? Answer me. Because I led you out of the land of Egypt, you have prepared a cross for your Savior. Because I led you out through the desert forty years and fed you with manna and brought you into a land of plenty, you have prepared a cross for your Savior. What more should I have done for you and have not done?

Indeed, I planted you as my most beautiful chosen vine, and you have turned very bitter for me, for in my thirst you gave me vinegar to drink. And with a lance you pierced your Savior's side. I scourged Egypt for your sake with its firstborn sons, and you scourged me and handed me over. I led you out from Egypt as Pharaoh lay sunk in the Red Sea, and you handed me over to the chief priests. I opened up the sea before you, and you opened my side with a lance. I went before you in a pillar of cloud, and you led me to Pilate's palace. I fed you with manna in the desert, and on me you rained blows and lashes. I gave you saving water from the rock to drink, and for drink you gave me gall and vinegar. I struck down for you the kings of the Canaanites, and you struck my head with a reed.

I put in your hand a royal scepter, and you put on my head a crown of thorns. I exalted you with great power and you hung me on the scaffold of the cross. And if I can add my own, I prepared a home for you and you led me to the tomb. I have prepared a home for you, and you led me to the tomb. My people, what have I done to you? Or how have I grieved you? Answer me. In closing, let's receive the light of hope that the church offers us. This is the prayer after communion from the Good Friday Liturgy.

Almighty, ever living God, who have restored us to life by the blessed death and resurrection of your Christ, preserve in us the work of your mercy, the partaking of this mystery. We may have a life unceasingly devoted to you through Christ our Lord. Amen. 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 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 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, let's say thank you to Jesus for loving us.

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