The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) - Day 86: Filled with New Wine

Episode Date: March 27, 2025

After the descent of the Holy Spirit, those who hear the Apostles are amazed and perplexed, suggesting that perhaps the Apostles have had too much wine. On one level, the people are wrong, but on another level, Fr. Mark-Mary tells us, the Apostles are filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus has promised us the new wine in the Wedding Feast at Cana, and here in the third Glorious mystery, we see the fulfillment of his promise in the form of the Holy Spirit. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Descent of the Holy Spirit and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.

Hey, I'm Father Mark Mary with the Franciscan Friars of 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 86. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a Year, visit ascensionpress.com forward slash rosary in a year or text RIOY to 33777. You'll get an outline of how we're going to preach month and it's a great way to track

your progress, the best place to listen to the podcast in the Ascension app. There are special features built just for this podcast and also recordings of the full Rosary on behalf of myself and the whole team here at Ascension. We wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who's helped support this podcast financially. Your generosity is so appreciated and helps us to reach as many people as possible. If you haven't already, please consider supporting us at ascensionpress.com forward slash support.

For our Alexio Divina today, we'll be praying with the third glorious mystery, the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, Acts chapter 2, verses 1 through 13. And the point of emphasis for our reflection and prayer will be, they are in fact filled with new wine. they are in fact filled with new wine. Beginning with our Alexio. When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

And suddenly a sound came from heaven, like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews devout men from every nation under heaven, and at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one

heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondered, saying, Are not all of these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Frisia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belong to Cyrene. And visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God. And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, what does this mean?

But others, mocking, said, they are filled with new wine. OK, now for our Minitazio, let's engage the scripture here. So the day is the day of Pentecost, we've discussed earlier the feast of Pentecost. So this is going to be 50 days here after the resurrection and it's about nine days after the ascension, right? And I think we want to look at this, one of the titles of the Holy Spirit is the promise of the Father.

And Jesus told the disciples to wait that the promise of the Father would come. He would send the promise of the Father and they would be clothed with power from on high. And here we see the promise made by Jesus being fulfilled. I think there's something so beautiful and worthy of our ongoing reflection of this title of the Holy Spirit as Promise of the Father and that the promise of God is so real. It's actually another divine person, the third divine person, the most Holy Spirit is the promise of the Father. It's not just an idea.

It's not just something we kind of hope is going to happen. Like it's a real eternal divine person, the Holy Spirit, who the disciples receive here at Pentecost. And as there are, there are signs and wonders, the Holy Spirit comes. There's the rush of mighty wind that fills the house where they are. There appears tongues of fire. And then there's the speaking in other tongues. And what were the disciples who just received the Holy Spirit? What were they speaking?

This is in verse 11. We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God. And notice there's all of these people in Jerusalem, presumably for the feast of Pentecost. They hear it. It catches their attention. And then they encounter these disciples speaking, but they understand, like, okay, what is this? Because we can hear what they're saying. We understand it. And they're a combination of amazed and perplexed.

The first fruit of this now, and the observers of this, the witnesses of this, is a deep questioning. Like, what does this mean? And Peter, in Acts chapter 2, starting in verse 14, is going to explain to them what's happening. So a question is provoked. And then, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter is going to explain what's happening. So a question is provoked and then by the end the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter's going to explain what's happening. But as I've mentioned, the point of our reflection is going to be this in verse 13, but others mocking said they are filled with new wine. So why is this going to be the point of our reflection or meditation if this is what people are saying to mock them?

If we recall back to particularly our Lord's crowning of thorns in the Praetorium and the mockery of the Roman soldiers, right? They're saying, hail, King of the Jews, and they're doing it mockingly. But what they're saying is, in fact, true. It's this great mystery of how God works. And they're doing it mockingly. But what they are saying is, in fact, true. It's this great mystery of how God works. And so we see here this mocking. They are filled with new wine.

And they are talking in a very horizontal way, like that they're actually drinking literal physical wine. And it's making them drunk. And somehow, this explains their odd behavior. Certainly, obviously this misses the point and that their odd behavior is speaking in a way where everyone else can understand them. But there's this very kind of like human,

half-hearted approach of explaining away what's happening. And Peter addresses that, but they are in fact filled with new wine, not the fruit of crushed grapes, but the Holy Spirit. And if you recall when we prayed with and have reflected on the second luminous mystery, the wedding feast at Cana, we have Jesus revealing himself to be mystery, the wedding feast at Cana, we have Jesus revealing Himself to be the new bridegroom who's going to give us the new wine, the new wine actually being the Holy Spirit. And so, in fact, we have here the promise of the Father coming at Pentecost, the coming

of the Holy Spirit, but also the filling of the disciples with new wine. So what we're going to reflect on this is like we have here at Pentecost and in baptism, you know, strengthened and confirmation. And really, we receive a new and deeply as we pray for it, like we have access to this new wine, the new wine, which is the grace of the Holy Spirit, the new wine, which gives us a new strength, a new courage, a new confidence, a new power, a new understanding, a new sight and a new joy. All right, so let's go ahead and just return to the scripture,

sit with it one more time, and then continue our meditatsi as well. And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, what does this mean? But others, mocking said, they are filled with new wine. To continue our meditation, like they are filled with new wine. There's nothing lacking. The old has passed away. There's something new here. And it is filling to overflow.

And by baptism and by confirmation, and as we come to the Lord in prayer, as we receive Him in sacrament, we are filled to overflowing with new wine, a new mercy. A new sight of who God is, a new hope, an eternal hope, a sure hope, a new charity, the new wine, the life of God alive in us. A new way of encountering suffering. And I invite you to just now to reflect again on your own heart before the promise of the new wine and to look at the parts of your life, maybe relationship with the

Lord, your relationship with the world, your relationship with yourself, your relationship with sin where you like you're just tired of the old. And you want something new, a new beginning, a new life, a new start, a new power, a new joy. We come here crying out to Jesus to send us again, an the Holy Spirit to make us new. And we'll return for one last time of Alexio. They are filled with new wine. Now we transition to our Aratio, our time of prayer following our template, receive, respond, request, rejoice, receive. What is the good news? What is God revealing about Himself?

We have not the initial, not the original, but the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, the coming of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. Coming in a new way, coming and filling the disciples. We have the new wine poured out. The promise of a new strength, a new potency, a new power, a new sight. So let us respond first with our praise and adoration, Holy Spirit, we adore you, we worship you as God. We thank you for your power and grace already at work in our lives.

We thank you for your power and grace already at work in our lives. We thank you Jesus for sending the Holy Spirit. We thank you Father for your promise poured to in prayer and adoration, in faith and hope and charity, these works of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Okay, what's that next level of invitation? How about for us here, like just in asking for an increase of this new wine? Again, a new joy, a new death to our prayer, a new zeal in our hearts. A new hope. Expressed in this beautiful prayer, come Holy Spirit.

Close with power from on high, come Holy Spirit, fill us with new wine. Come Holy Spirit, work your wonders in us, come Holy Spirit. And here we've already began to transition into our request asking for God's grace. And this is it, like the response is the request, come Holy Spirit, come Holy Spirit, keep us faithful, come Holy Spirit, keep us persevering in prayer. Lord, where we have kind of reached the limits of our efforts,

where we have really encountered our poverty, again in relationship, in prayer, in discipleship. Come Holy Spirit. Where we're tempted towards discouragement, despair. Come Holy Spirit. Where we're overcome by sadness and anxiety. Come Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit.

And now we conclude our arrazzio with rejo rejoice and thank you Jesus for this time of prayer. Thank you Holy Spirit for inspiring the author of the scriptures. Thank you Holy Spirit for the grace communicated as we sit with the Word of God. And thank you Holy Spirit for prompting us and bringing us to this time of prayer. May you continue to teach us how to pray and give us perseverance in prayer. Thank you Holy Spirit. We'll conclude our lexu divina with our contemplatio by praying one decade of the rosary with the intention here of asking to be filled again with the new wine.

Come to prayer with our hands out and open and receptive but filled with confidence, saying Come Holy Spirit. So now with Mary 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. 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, world without end. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. That's going to conclude our time of praying, Alexio, Divina together. Certainly, if you've been able to get to a place of prayer with the Lord and you have some space, I would encourage you to remain in that conversation in that place of prayer as long as you can. But for us, that's going to end our time here together. Thank you so much for joining me and praying with me today.

I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. All right, poco a poco, friends. God bless you all.