The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) - Day 9 Blessed Are You

Episode Date: January 11, 2026

Everytime we say the Hail Mary, we express a cry of joy in honor of the Blessed Mother. Fr. Mark-Mary reveals the Biblical celebration at the center of the Hail Mary that we too can participate in, sharing a story of the Franciscan Friars delight in God’s creation that we can emulate as we pray the Rosary. Today’s focus is “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus,” 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 Year 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 New Year is brought to you by Ascension. This is Day 9. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a Year, visit ascensionpress.com forward slash rosary in a year or text RIY to 33777. You'll get an outline of how we're going to pray each month and it's a great way to track your progress. The best place to live, listen to the 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. No matter what app you're listening in, remember to tap follow or subscribe for your daily notifications. I encourage you to pick up a copy of the rosary in your 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 will be reflecting on.

Blessed are you among women. and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Where do these words come from? These words come from what we know as, or referred to as the mystery of the visitation found in Luke chapter 1 starting at verse 39. To help us grow in our deeper understanding of these words, I'd like us to reflect upon what's happening

in their sort of greater context. And so we go to verse 39. In those days, Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country to a city of Judah. And she entered the house of Zachariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the child leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she exclaimed with a loud cry, Blessed are you among women.

and blessed is the fruit of your womb. So I know we're familiar with this mystery in this passage, but let's take a little look at it. So the first thing that happens, right, is Mary brings Jesus to Elizabeth. Let's just take a moment to ponder and be moved with awe at the beauty and the humility of God who becomes so small that he can be carried in the womb of the Blessed Mother.

So Mary brings Jesus, she speaks a greeting and what happens through her greeting, she communicates grace. She communicates the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth, right, hearing this greeting, has John the Baptist leap in her womb, and Elizabeth herself is filled with the Holy Spirit. Mary, she who is full of grace,

her greeting communicates grace. Her presence as she carries Jesus, communicates Jesus in a way that is effective and sanctifying. And then what happens is the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth filled with the Holy Spirit, exclaims an aloud voice. Blessed are you among women. And blessed is the fruit of your womb. So these words, these are a work of grace, a work of the Holy Spirit in Elizabeth, which are expressed through a loud cry.

How many of us, as we're praying the rosary? How many of us are saying these words as a loud cry, as a joyous shout inspired and animated by the Holy Spirit? And I was just reflecting upon this, and a story came to mind, for those of you know me, I'm not the most expressive guy in the world. And so I was just reflecting upon, like, what's another context where I've seen somebody give a loud,

cry of joy. And what came to mind is this is a number of years ago, a couple of friars and I, we were down doing a mission, like a young adult type of retreat in Florida. And one day we were near the water. As we were checking out the waves by the beach, all of a sudden, a dolphin jumped up. And one of the brothers just went nuts. Whoa! A dolphin! Whoa! And it was, first of all, I'm here recording this in the friary. I hope none of the brothers. Others, like, heard that. Just talking about the rosary here. You know, but this brother, like, there's this loud exclaim.

And I was so moved by it. And it was so childlike and so innovative. Whoa, a dolphin. Whoa. Whoa. And it was just like this beautiful, natural, proper response to the wonder of God manifest in this beautiful creature, the dolphin. It was awesome.

Even more awesome. The masterpiece of creation. The boast of our race is the blessed virgin Mary, full of grace. And it is a work of grace, and it's the work of the Holy Spirit, and it is right and just as we encounter the Blessed Mother to do so with wonder and awe, and like Elizabeth, with shouts of joy, she is worthy. She is worthy of rejoicing. She's worthy of honor. And this is, for me at least, the invitation. To spend the time today to reflect anew upon these words, which I have prayed so many times.

Blessed are you among women? And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. And not just to make this a mechanical prayer, not just another repetition, but a cry of joy, a cry of joy in honor of the blessed mother, in honor of the one she carries, in honor of the holy, Spirit who she communicates. And so let's do that today. Like let's be renewed. Let's just take the time to practice, to ask for the grace, to with Elizabeth and the Holy Spirit before the Blessed Mother, who comes to us bringing us Jesus, who comes to us bringing us the Holy Spirit, to receive her

with shouts of joy. Lord help us. Lord help us to love us to love. and rejoice in the blessed mother as you love and rejoice in her. And 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, howlode 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 it 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 into 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, brothers and sisters, thank you for joining me and praying with me today. I look forward to continuing the journey with you tomorrow, Pocaweau Poca. All right, bye, friends.