The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames)

We may be in a valley of tears, but we are never alone. Fr. Mark-Mary reads from the Gospel of John, revealing that the Blessed Mother has shared in our sufferings, and in the Rosary, is always with us. We are blessed to have Mary, who knew both suffering and the hope of God’s promises, as a perfect mother who will always love us. Today’s focus is “To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve....

Jesus gives us not only what we need, but in his abundance, gives us more than what we need so that we might have joy. Fr. Mark-Mary meditates on the Hail Holy Queen, exploring the relationship between the Eucharist and Mary, the mother of God, to help us meditate during the Rosary. Today’s focus is “Hail Holy Queen, mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope,” and we will be praying o...

Catholics may be very familiar with the Sign of the Cross, but this short prayer has deep significance. Fr. Mark-Mary shares the Biblical origins of the Sign of the Cross, reading from Matthew’s Gospel and the book of Psalms to explain how this prayer can allow us to see life as God does and proclaim our Faith as we say the Rosary. Today’s focus is “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and o...

How often do we pray a prayer of purely praise and adoration to God? Fr. Mark-Mary explains how the Rosary and the Glory Be can be said as a prayer of praise, drawing from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Psalms, leading us to enter into adoration of God. Today’s focus is “Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,...

We conclude our meditations on the Our Father with Fr. Mark-Mary delving into the parable of the Good Shepherd, the Fall in Genesis, and Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, helping build our mental library as we pray the Rosary. As we pray these lines of the Our Father, we’ll have an opportunity to rejoice in the goodness of God. Today’s focus is “and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from...

We are to forgive as we have been forgiven. Today, Fr. Mark Mary leads us in a meditation upon the forgiveness described in the Our Father, taking inspiration from a parable in Matthew 18 and a personal experience with a delicious plate of nachos. As we come to the Lord in prayer today, Fr. Mark Mary invites us to allow God’s mercy to flow through us. Today’s focus is “and forgive us our trespasse...

What is the “daily bread” we pray for in the Our Father? Fr. Mark-Mary provides Biblical examples from the Gospels and Exodus to reveal how God is always providing daily bread for his people. The manna in Exodus and Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew illustrate what “daily bread” can look like for the modern Christian. Today’s focus is “Give us this day our daily bread” and we wil...

Fr. Mark-Mary continues meditating on the Our Father, exploring the concept of the kingdom of heaven through Matthew 18:1-4. Jesus instructs his disciples to become like children in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, and Fr. Mark-Mary shares how we can have more child-like faith in God as we pray the Rosary. Today’s focus is “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” and...

How do you approach God when you pray the Rosary? Fr. Mark-Mary begins exploring the Biblical Roots of the Our Father by comparing the story of Jacob and Esau in Genesis 32 to Jesus’ words to his Father as he teaches us the Lord’s Prayer. Understanding how we can approach God will give us a strong foundation for praying the Rosary. Today’s focus is “Our Father who art in heaven” and we will be pra...

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,”...

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,”...

As we pray the rosary, we can focus on the words of the prayers we’re saying, especially the words of the Hail Mary. Fr. Mark-Mary explains the Biblical roots of the Hail Mary, leading us in a meditation of love for Mary. Today’s focus is “Hail Mary, full of grace,” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Praying the Rosary is not just for ourselves! Fr. Mark-Mary reveals how your prayers of the Rosary are a powerful action that God can use to create an overflowing of grace into your relationships, your family, and our world. Today’s focus is on prayer as a source of grace and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensio...

How is prayer a battle, and what role does the rosary serve in this fight? Fr. Mark-Mary explains the various struggles we may experience while trying to grow our prayer life, and how we can use the Rosary as a weapon to defeat temptation. Today’s focus is on prayer as a battle and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://as...

When we’re with Mary,  we don't have to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. Fr. Mark-Mary looks into the history of the Rosary and shares a meditation to help us rest with Mary in the garden of the Rosary. Today’s focus is “Mary, mother inviolate,” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/r...

The Rosary is a Marian prayer, which means we can deepen our experience of prayer through meditating on Mary’s life and virtues. Follow along with Fr. Mark-Mary as he explains how Mary mirrors God the Father’s love, and shares a meditation on how we can experience the loving face of Mary in our prayer of the Rosary today. Today’s focus is “Mary, the mirror of justice,” and we will be praying one O...

What do you feel when you are in the presence of Jesus? Freedom and comfort, or is there some apprehension or anxiety? Today, we journey with Fr. Mark-Mary to Jesus’ workshop, practicing imaginative meditation to use when we pray the Rosary. Today’s focus is “Heart of Jesus, patient and full of mercy,” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be. For the complete pray...

Jesus, the eternal king, knows your name. Fr. Mark-Mary leads us in a meditation on the presence of Jesus to assist us in our prayer of the rosary, expressing the truth that the king of the universe personally knows and loves you. Today’s focus is “Jesus, King and center of all hearts” and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be. For the complete prayer plan, visit ht...

Welcome to Day 1 of the Rosary in a Year! Today we begin our journey with Fr. Mark-Mary, as he leads us in a guided meditation to help us find the presence of God as we pray. This first phase, Forming the Relationship, will set the stage for your rosaries all year as we begin deepening our relationship with Jesus and Mary in prayer. Today’s focus is on finding the presence of God, and we will be p...

We conclude our Rosary in a Year journey with the Glorious Mysteries, thanking God for all of his gifts and blessings, both throughout Salvation history and our own lives. Fr. Mark-Mary shares his farewell message of thanks and emphasizes that while our 365 episodes of Rosary in a Year have come to an end, our journeys of prayer and drawing closer to God should continue on. We bring our “loaves an...

We are called to remain close to Jesus in moments of sorrow, learning from His choice to meet suffering with trust in the Father rather than isolation. Fr. Mark-Mary reflects on the Passion as a costly gift of love, revealing how deeply Christ desires to save and remain with us. Through perseverance in prayer, we are reminded that Jesus never stops seeking us, even when the road is heavy. At the f...

As we come together to pray the Joyful Mysteries, Fr. Mark-Mary calls us to place our lives before the Lord with the same trust and openness shown by Mary. He reflects on how God brings life to what feels empty or lifeless, choosing humble hearts as His dwelling place. We are encouraged to persevere in prayer, to seek Jesus with renewed desire, and to allow Him to gather our scattered hearts into...

Inviting us to encounter the risen Jesus, Fr. Mark-Mary focuses on the deep joy that comes from loving Christ and rejoicing in His victory, a joy meant to shape our daily lives. As we pray, we ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with awe before God’s greatness and to renew our hearts. We also place our hopes and struggles into the care of Mary, our Queen and Mother, trusting in her loving intercession....

Today, Fr. Mark-Mary invites us to bring our worries, our smallness, and our longing into God’s presence with confidence that nothing is impossible for Him. He reflects on the way God is drawn to humility, lifting us where we cannot lift ourselves, and in the quiet peace that comes from beholding Christ with a childlike heart. Even moments of spiritual dryness, he notes, can lead us into deeper re...

We pray the Sorrowful Mysteries and enter deeply into the heart of Christ’s Passion, guided by Fr. Mark-Mary through each decade. In the Agony in the Garden, Fr. Mark-Mary reflects on Jesus’ threefold cry of “My Father,” showing how Jesus faces his suffering in relationship with the Father, inviting us to bring our own agonies to God with the same trust. The Scourging at the Pillar inspires us to...