The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) - Day 75: Jesus and Mary See You

Episode Date: March 16, 2025

At the Wedding Feast at Cana, Mary notices first that the wine has run out. Fr. Mark-Mary explains that this means Mary and Jesus are invested in us. They are looking for our areas of need, so that Jesus can give us the new wine. We pray lectio divina, meditating on the truth that we are not alone. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Wedding Feast at Cana and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

I'm Father Mark Murray with 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 and becomes a source of grace for the whole world. The Rosary in the Year is brought to you by Ascension. This is Day 75. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in the Year, visit ascensionpress.com forward slash rosary in the year or text R-I-Y-2-3-3-777. 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 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, same reflections, and beautiful full-page images of the sacred art we'll be reflecting on. For today's Lectio Divina, we'll be praying with the second Luminous Mystery, the wedding at Cana, Gospel of John, Chapter 2, Verses 1 through 12. And our point of emphasis will be, Jesus and Mary see you.

On the third day, there was a marriage at Cana and Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the marriage with his disciples. When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, They have no wine. And Jesus said to her, O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come. His mother said to the servants,

Do whatever he tells you. Now six stone jars were standing there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding 20 or 30 gallons. Jesus said to them, Fill the jars with water, and they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, Now draw some out, and take it to the steward of the feast. So they took it. When the steward of the feast tasted the water now become wine, it did not know where it came from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. The steward of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, Every man serves the good wine first, and when men have

drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now. This, the first of His signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him. After this, He went down to Capernaum with His mother and His brethren and His disciples, and there they stayed for a few days. All right, let's go ahead and engage the scripture for a time here of meditatio. OK, we're going to begin with coming to it as a luminous mystery. What is being revealed about Jesus? Jesus is being revealed as the new bridegroom

who gives the new wine. The new wine ultimately being the gift of the Holy Spirit. We also notice as verse 11 says this is the first of His signs, this is the first of His public miracles beginning His public ministry and beginning, His journey to Calvary. What else do we have here? We have Mary's last recorded words in Scripture, which she says to the servants and says to us, do whatever He tells you. This can be for your meditation on another day, your prayer for another day as well,

is that with Jesus, the new bridegroom, He serves the best wine second. Now every man serves the good wine first. When men are drunk freely, then the poor wine, but you have kept the good wine till now. You could kind of reduce this to the best is yet to come with Jesus. What we're going to focus on here though is this particular sort of insight here. When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, they have no wine. And again, our point of emphasis here is, is Jesus and Mary see you, right? Mary is at this wedding banquet, but she's paying attention.

And it's Mary, right, who notices that the wine has failed. She notices the need, like she sees. And she brings that to Jesus. And so I think there's something that really beautiful here that I'm going to invite us to focus on. Mary and Jesus, they see us. They see you. They talk about you.

Like they're concerned, they're invested. They know your name. And already now they're doing something, already now they are responding. We'll move now to our second time of Lexio, more focused. When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, they have no wine. Again, this beginning point, they see us. You're not going about life alone. You are seen with interest, investment. Mary and point, they see us. You're not going about life alone.

You are seen with interest, investment. Mary and Jesus, they care. Who knows Jesus better than Mary, His mother? And Mary knows that Jesus would want to know about this and that He can do something about it. Mary sees the areas in our lives in which we feel like we are out of wine, out of strength. Perhaps there's areas in our life where we have struggled a lot, and it's really hard for us to persevere in faith and to believe. Like there's just areas we have no wine. We're struggling with identity. Maybe we're struggling with

some temptations against like leaving certain sin behind. Again, there's areas in our life where we can feel like we have no wine. Mary sees it. She brings it to Jesus knowing he cares and he can do something about it. Even now, even now, they are responding to our need. OK, one last time of Lexio. When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him,

they have no wine. And this is what we're bringing. There might be areas in our life we feel like we have no wine, but we're not alone. Already, Jesus and Mary are responding. We'll move to our time of Horatio, following the format, receive, respond, request, rejoice. What is the good news? We'll take a step back. Remember, the good news is that the bridegroom is here. The bridegroom is here.

Jesus Christ is the bridegroom. He comes to lay down His life for the bride, the church, to save the church. But we all know there's a certain part of our souls which are all made for the bridegroom. He comes for each of our souls. The bridegroom is here and he gives the new wine. With the new wine, the gift of the Holy Spirit, he reveals a new sweetness, a new strength, a new hope, a new strength, a new hope, a new burning charity.

We also have the good news revealed that we're not alone. Mary and Jesus, they see us already now, are pouring out and preparing the new wine to fill us where the old wine has failed. Jesus sees you. Jesus cares. He knows your name. He knows your need. You're not alone in it. What can that we respond? We begin with the adoration and praise. Jesus, we just thank you for coming to save us.

We thank you for revealing yourself to be the bridegroom, the bridegroom who lays down his life for the bride. We thank you for the gift of your mother who sees us and understands our situation and our need. We rejoice Lord here in this moment that you know the parts of our lives and you look with compassion upon the parts of our lives where we're out of wine. Jesus gives the grace to respond to this gift, gives the grace to be faithful to these words of Mary,

do whatever He tells you. Give us the grace of this new wine that we may persevere in hope and in confidence, that we may receive the gift that we are not alone, and that we may receive again this truth and be rooted in this truth that already now you see us and you are at work in pouring out the new wine and giving us the new wine. So what is the request?

The request, Lord, is give us this new wine. Give us the Holy Spirit. Increase in us faith and hope. Give us a greater joy and experience of consolation in Mary as mother, in you as bridegroom. Give us a greater freedom to surrender the wine we're used to, the wine generally served first with hope and confidence that the best is yet to come. That you, the Divine Bridegroom, serve the best wine second. The best is yet to come. The wine is failed so that we can be filled anew with the new wine that you give us. Lord, give us just this grace to persevere in hope.

And now we move to our rejoice and we thank you Lord again for the good news of your love for us. The good news of the nature of who you are as Bragrim. We thank you Jesus for the gift of the Holy Spirit already at work in this moment, filling us with your word, allowing us to receive with hope and faith your revelation. We thank you for the movements of our heart and prayer that we have already received now. And in closing, we'll move to our contemplatio, time of contemplation, receiving deeply, drinking deeply of the new wine of the Holy Spirit offered to us, drinking deeply of the hope and the good news offered that we are not alone, that we are seen and known by Jesus and our Blessed Mother. As we have our time of contemplatio by praying, one decade of the Most Holy Rosary.

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. 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 ever shall be world without end. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

So this will conclude our time of praying, Alexio, divina together, certainly if you've been moved by the Lord in prayer and you'd like to continue in prayer, that is greatly encouraged. Thank you so much for joining me and praying with me today. And I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. Poco Poco friends. All right. God bless you all.