The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) - Day 45: He Parted from Them

Episode Date: February 14, 2025

What does Jesus’ Ascension into heaven, body and soul, mean for us? Fr. Mark-Mary explains that this mystery is more than Jesus joining the Father in Heaven: the Ascension has implications for our future destiny. For the first time, humanity enters into the life of God as Jesus’ human body enters heaven. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Ascension, 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 Franciscan Friars with Renewal and this is the Rosary in Your 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 the Year is brought to you by Ascension. This is Day 45. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in the Year, visit ascensionpress.com forward slash

rosaryintheyear or text R-I-Y to 33777. You'll get an outline of how we're going to preach the month and it's a great way to track your progress. The best place to listen to podcasts 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 full-page images of the sacred art we'll be reflecting on.

The second glorious mystery is the Ascension. Luke chapter 24 verses 50 through 53. Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple, blessing God.

As I mentioned at the beginning of yesterday's episode on the first glorious mystery, the resurrection, as we move through the glorious mysteries, what we'll be seeing is the glorification of a previous reality, way of being. Something new is happening. Something is being glorified. Jesus, after His resurrection, for 40 days was revealing Himself.

At the end of the 40 days, we come to what we just read, where He leads His disciples out as far as Bethany. He blesses them. And then He parted from them. He enters into this new Exodus to the Father's house. He was carried up into heaven, the heavenly Jerusalem. And then they returned with great joy. Traditionally, the way to understand what's happening here is to go to Psalm 110.

This is where the Lord says to David, the Lord says to my Lord, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. In the ascent of our Lord, in the ascent of Jesus, He is returning to the right hand of the Father. So what does that mean and why is this the cause of joy and not a cause of sadness? Because it feels like Jesus is Going away, but he's not going away his way of being present to us is being glorified something new is Happening and it's important for us to properly understand

God's relationship to space and this is what Pope Benedict theVI does, and I'll read him here. Sitting at God's right hand means participating in His divine dominion over space. God is not in one space along other spaces. God is God. He is the premise and the ground of all the space there is, but He Himself is not part of it. His presence is not spatial but divine. We have imagery in the ascension of Jesus going to another space, but He's not just going up into the cosmos. He's not going into another space among spaces. He is going to share, to participate, in His Father's divine dominion over space.

It is a presence which is not spatial, but divine. And Jesus, when He took flesh, He entered into the limitations, the physics of this world. It was spatial, It was limited. He was in one place at one time. But now his way of being present to us is going to be divine. It's going to be glorified. It's going to be different. And this has implications for us now,

as we still continue our pilgrimage of life, but also implications for our future destiny, our future mode of existence. What this means for us now is that we have a new access to God. Jesus now participating in His Father's divine dominion over space is now present to us in a new way. What we notice for the first time is that humanity, as Jesus ascends with his human body, now enters into the life of God, the being of God, the presence of God in a new way. Pope Benedict writes, in a new way. Pope Benedict writes, He who took flesh and now retains his humanity forever,

he who has eternally opened up within God a space for humanity, now calls the whole world into his open space in God, so that in the end God may be all in all, and the Son may hand over to the Father the whole world that is gathered together in Him." Where Jesus's humanity goes, in Him now there is a space for our glorified humanity in the resurrection of the body. And if you're anything like me, it might be a little bit hard to make sense of this because it's so

other and so glorified and so revelatory of this, what God has prepared and a mind has thought of, you know, it's so beyond. Like, it's maybe hard for me to really like assimilate and grasp and value what it means for humanity now to be in heaven. But I think my takeaway and takeaway off for you is that it's an invitation to a hope that is sure. Yes, we continue to live in this valley of tears. We experience injustice and heartbreak and loss and sadness and all that comes with pain and tears. and sadness and all that comes with pain and tears.

But there will be a new creation. There will be a new creation where justice reigns. Where all wrongs are made right. Where all wounds are healed and where all tears are wiped away and where we, ourselves, who experience our poverty so acutely now, will ourselves, through the gift of faith, through the gift of grace at work in us, in our participation with this grace, that we ourselves will be invited to participate in this new creation. through the gift of grace at work in us, and our participation with this grace, that we ourselves will be invited to participate in this new creation, this new way of being.

Where in Jesus, the space which has been opened for us, we too have a place at the right hand of the Father, in Him. My brothers and sisters, blessed are we who are called to live for all of eternity in our Father's house. May this hope be for us a source of courage and strength and perseverance as we still travel through the various trials and tribulations of our pilgrimage, which is our earthly life. 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, everybody, thanks for joining me and praying with me again today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow.

Alright, Poco Poco friends. God bless y'all.