The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames) - Day 92: Waiting in the Temple

Episode Date: April 2, 2025

When Jesus was presented in the Temple, Simeon was ready to receive the long desired savior. With a reading from  St. Cyril of Alexandria, Fr. Mark-Mary asks us how we’ve been preparing to receive our savior: are we waiting in our metaphorical temples, or have we become distracted by the world? To help us place ourselves in the fourth joyful mystery, Fr. Mark-Mary leads us in imaginative prayer, setting the scene for a place of prayer we can always return to. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Presentation 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 Franciscan Friars through and this is the Rosary in a Year podcast where through prayer and meditation, the rosary brings us deeper into relationship with Jesus and to 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 92. 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 three three seven seven seven. 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 listen to podcasts

in the Ascension app. There are special features built just for this podcast and also recordings of the full Rosary. On behalf of myself, 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. Today, we will be meditating upon and praying with the fourth joyful mystery,

the presentation of Jesus in the temple and to enrich our time of prayer and reflection, we'll have an excerpt from a reading from St. Cyril of Alexandria from Homily number 4 in his commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke. Some brief background on St. Cyril of Alexandria is born in the year 379 and died in the year 444. He's particularly known as being a leader in the fight against the heresy called Nestorianism, which tried to teach that in Christ there were two persons, one human and one divine. At the Council of Ephesus in the year 431,

St. Cyril there as the Pope's representative combated the heresy of Nestorianism, properly upheld the teaching of Jesus as one person with two natures, and he championed the title of Mary as Theotokos, which means Godbearer or Mother of God. He's a doctor of the church, and he doesn't have like a real popular title, which means God bearer or mother of God. He's a doctor of the church and he doesn't have like a real popular title

but he could be understood to be the defender of the incarnation and Theotokos, which is a great reputation to have. And now our reading on the presentation of Jesus in the temple from St. Cyril of Alexandria. On the presentation of Jesus in the temple from St. Cyril of Alexandria. Christ therefore was carried into the temple, being yet a little child at the breast. And the blessed Simeon, being endowed with the grace of prophecy, takes him in his arms and filled with the highest joy. Bless God and said, Lord, now letteth thou thy servant depart in peace

according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou has prepared before the face of all thy nations, the Gentiles light for revelation, and a glory of thy people Israel. For the mystery of Christ had been prepared even before the very foundation of the world, but was manifested in the last ages of time and became a light for those who in darkness and error had fallen

under the devil's hand. The end of the reading. Thanks be to God. Today, we're going to get to a point where I'm hoping to lead us in a moment of what's called imaginative prayer. I'm really going and praying in the temple with Simeon. But before we go there, I'd like to propose and to look at Simeon as a model of how to receive the gift of Jesus, the Savior, the light of the world,

the long for desired of all the nations. And I believe that in Simeon, we have before us a model of the beatitude, blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Let's go ahead and look at what Saint Cyril lays out for the pattern of like what happens in Simeon's life, okay? So Simeon knows that the world and he himself are in need of a Savior. He's acutely aware of the need of a Savior. Number two, he believes that the

Savior will come. He's filled, as Cyril says, with the spirit of prophecy. There's this work of the Holy Spirit in him, which expresses itself as what we call hope. His situation is particular in that he's received the prophecy that the Savior would come. He would see the Savior with his own eyes before he dies. Okay, number three, we know that he remains in the temple. He's there in the temple, a man pure of heart, waiting, praying, trusting, persevering.

Number four, he receives Jesus when he arrives. He's actually there and he receives him when Jesus arrives. Then he's filled with joy and he blesses God. What I'm going to offer for a little bit of your reflection and examination, kind of building upon yesterday's episode is, are you living consistent with the model of this blessed man, this man who is pure of heart, the Holy Prophet Simeon? Are you living according to this pattern? Like, number one, are you, again, are you aware of the need of a Savior? Number two, are you allowing the Holy Spirit to work in your life in a way which

bears fruit and hope? Like, this confidence that, yes, the Savior has come, we have been saved, but also that His salvation is gonna continue to be manifest in our own lives, particularly with the gift of eternal life. Are you like Simeon, remaining in the temple, waiting, praying, trusting, persevering? Are you living with the certain vigilance so that you can receive Jesus as He's presented to you?

And really here is like, are you getting distracted? Or are you able to be a man or woman of prayer, of purity of heart, who can receive Jesus, particularly as He presents Himself to you in daily prayer. Each day Jesus presents to us again. Each day we are given the opportunity to receive the joy of the Savior again. But again, often we're distracted or we want it to look a particular way. We want the blessing of God to be manifested in something other than what He promises. Are we allowing God to come to us, to be revealed to us in His time, in His way?

If your answers are yes, praise God. However, I'm assuming that at least some of our answers are no, or not fully. Because allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our lives is something we're all working on. And part of that is a gift from God. But part of it is also something we can work on developing. Where are we spending our time and attention? God, but part of it is also something we can work on developing.

Where are we spending our time and attention? Are we like Simeon, waiting and praying at our metaphorical temples? Or are we more focused on the world and concerns that draw us away from God and our awareness of our need for Him? If your answer is the second, take hope. The fact that you're listening to this podcast shows you're trying, and that's what the Lord asks of us. Now, I'm just going to take us for a moment to the temple.

In this particular line, Simeon takes him in his arms and is filled with the highest joy. If you can take a moment just in your imagination to place yourself in the temple, place yourself there right next to the Prophet Simeon. As you're there, you can hear the variety of movements happening in the temple, conversations, prayers being offered to God. And then enter, unassumingly, Mary and Joseph carrying the baby Jesus. And now notice as Simeon lights up, as his heart is filled, You can see the burning in his heart as he recognizes Jesus, as he recognizes the Messiah come. And pay close attention as the newborn King, the newborn Messiah

is placed in his hands. The joy, the light on Simeon's face. So just take a moment and kind of reflect on that, receive that. And then if you could just experience now Simeon turning to you and placing Jesus in your own arms. Pay attention to the movement of your heart. As you look and hold, feel the weight of the purity in his eyes. His vulnerability, his defenselessness.

Know this is Jesus. This is the Messiah. this is your Savior, this is your God. Notice the movement of your heart. If it doesn't happen naturally ask for the grace to be filled with joy and awe as you too, like Simeon, hold in your arms. The promised one. And now, like Simeon, take a moment to just turn and in your own words, bless God. My invitation and proposal is that this is a great way to come and to pray and to meditate on the fourth joyful mystery, the presentation of Jesus in the temple, but also a reminder that prayer isn't just thinking about what happened. That prayer creates space for God to allow us to remember, to make presence in a certain way again,

these great mysteries of our faith. That if we remain with a purity of heart, and if we really, really prioritize prayer and coming to this place of prayer again and again, we can, like Simeon, receive the gift of our salvation. That we can always come back to this place and hold in our arms in prayer our newborn King and Messiah, be filled with his light and his joy. Remaining in this place of prayer now, my brothers and sisters, let us conclude by praying with Our Lady, 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. 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. Alright, thanks so much for joining me and praying with me today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow.

Poco Poco, friends. God bless y'all.