The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) - Day 71: Behold God

Episode Date: March 12, 2025

What was the experience of the shepherds, called by angels to the birth of God? How would we react to seeing the newborn Christ? Fr. Mark-Mary leads us in lectio divina, drawing us into the experience of the Nativity, as we behold the innocence and humility of the baby Jesus. We ask for the grace to not be afraid to draw close to God. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Nativity and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

I'm Father Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars 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 71. 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 33-777. You'll get an outline of how we're going to preach month and it's great way to track your

progress. The best place to listen to podcasts in the Ascension app. There's special features built just for this podcast and also recordings of the full Rosary with myself and other friars. On behalf of myself and the whole team here at Ascension, we want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who's helped support this podcast financially. Your support is so appreciated and helps us to reach as many people as possible. And if you haven't already, please consider supporting us at AscensionPress.com forward

slash support. Today we'll be doing Alexia Divina with the third joyful mystery, the Nativity, Luke chapter 2, verses 1 through 20. And our emphasis will be, Behold the heart of God. In those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment when Quirinius was governor of Syria, and all went to be enrolled each to his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary his betrothed who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered, and she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock

by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, Be not afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people. For to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be assigned for you. You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying,

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased. When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us. And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary kept all these things pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for

all they had heard and seen as it had been told them." In our Alexio, let's go ahead and highlight some of the details which stand out. As we previously discussed, it's very noteworthy all of these details about Caesar, Augustus, Quirinius, the enrollment, etc. As Pope Benedict pointed out, we discussed these worldly rulers who think they're in charge, but God is revealing that ultimately He is the one who is the Lord and Master of world events? We have this great event, this manifestation of the angels singing glory to God in the highest while speaking to lowly shepherds.

And what is it the angel says? Be not afraid. Then the host of angels appears praising God saying glory to God in the highest. The shepherds that go to Bethlehem, they go with haste and what do they find? Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger. And then we have this beautiful insight into the heart of Mary. Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. Our emphasis here will be going with the shepherds to Bethlehem. And what do they see and what do they experience?

This is verse 16, which will be our second reading here in our time of Alexio. And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger. As part of our meditation, I'm going to really ask you to engage this with your imagination. What is this scene? Feel free to paint sort of your own picture as appropriate here. What do you imagine Joseph wearing? What do you imagine Mary wearing? What's the manger look like?

Are there other animals? Is it hot? Is it cold? And as the shepherds arise, like what do they feel? It looks like a somewhat ordinary scene. Are their hearts moved? Do they embrace? Do they sing?

Do they fall down in adoration? What would you feel? And one last time with Alexio here. And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger. Again, I'm gonna ask you to be still, to go there, to be quiet in the manger with Joseph and Mary. Mary holding the baby Jesus. And see his little eyelids closed shut tight as he naps.

Hear his breathing. Notice the movement of his chest as he inhales and exhales. See his little hand wrapped around one of Mary's fingers. Notice how small, fragile, innocent, and beautiful he is. And behold our Savior. Behold the heart of God. And notice how your heart of God.

And notice how your heart is moved, filled with affection and love. Notice the love, the joy, the awe, the tenderness on Joseph and Mary's face. Notice yourself experience peace here. Can you feel from the Lord an invitation to know that you can always return here. You can always experience the peace of this moment. And all my brothers and sisters, let us transition to our time of Aratio. Receive, respond,

request, rejoice. Receive the good news. Receive what God is revealing about Himself. We know that Jesus reveals to us, like the heart of God, Jesus reveals to us the true nature of our Father. Look at the humility of God, the innocence of God, the heart of God who becomes so little and so fragile so that we will not be afraid to come close. Receive these words spoken through the incarnation, the nativity. Do not be afraid. Do not be afraid.

Come close. And receive the peace you find in this moment. Receive it deeply. Receive the peace you find in this moment, receive it deeply. And let us respond by again beginning with praise and adoration. Lord, we just adore you for your heart, for your goodness, for your humility, for becoming so small and so humble so that we may not be afraid to draw close. We bring to you now, Lord, our hearts as we feel this invitation to come close to you to place our trust in you. Notice in your heart any resistance, any fear you may have of God.

Any reason you may not want to open up parts of your heart to Him. Any reason you may not want to draw close because of fear. Notice in your heart any experiences of ways in which you've felt confused or hurt by your attempt to follow God. And the ways in which that has made you maybe question his goodness, his trustworthiness, and bring it to him who says, come to me. Now let us request, Lord, we ask for the grace of an increase in trust.

We ask the Lord to be freed from any fear we have in our hearts, fear of what our yes to you might mean. Or do we ask that your nativity, that you, Jesus, in the manger may heal us from any experiences, ideas of God, our Father, as being a tyrant or a dictator, one who comes to hurt or to punish us, one who's not concerned about our good. May we find hope and healing in your humility, in your vulnerability.

And now lastly, rejoice Lord, we rejoice Lord in revealing yourself in such a way. We rejoice Lord in the gift of your nativity. We rejoice, Lord, that in prayer we can come to this place again and again and again to be reminded of who you are and to receive your peace. Now we'll go into the closing of our of our episode, our contemplatio. I'm going to encourage you to really be whole, to look, to look deeply at the humility of God and to receive, to hear deeply into the core of your heart and your soul these words spoken by the newborn King, like, do not be afraid,

By the newborn King, do not be afraid. Do not be afraid. 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 be world without end. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Alright friends, thanks for joining me and praying with me today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. Poco a Poco. Alright, God bless y'all.