The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames)
Ascension
In Ascension’s Rosary in a Year podcast, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR, guides listeners in a step-by-step journey that will change the way you pray – no matter where you are in your spiritual life.
By starting small and adding on over time, listeners will find themselves falling more in love with this powerful Marian devotion, becoming a source of grace for the whole world.
Listen to discover….
How to build a daily habit of prayer
How to form a relationship with Jesus and Mary
The Biblical foundations of the Rosary
How to meditate with sacred art (visio divina), saint writings, and scripture (lectio divina)
The power of Mary’s influence in your life
…and more.
For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
By starting small and adding on over time, listeners will find themselves falling more in love with this powerful Marian devotion, becoming a source of grace for the whole world.
Listen to discover….
How to build a daily habit of prayer
How to form a relationship with Jesus and Mary
The Biblical foundations of the Rosary
How to meditate with sacred art (visio divina), saint writings, and scripture (lectio divina)
The power of Mary’s influence in your life
…and more.
For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 27, 2026 • 10min
Day 58: Creativity of Love (2026)
A reflection on how love invents ways to stay close, framed by the Institution of the Eucharist. Scriptural reading from Luke 22 sets the scene. Stories range from monastic silence to Mass in prisons and homebound viaticum visits. Pope Francis and contemplative prayer are woven into an invitation to respond to God's accompanying presence.
Feb 26, 2026 • 11min
Day 57: Let's Step Away (2026)
To reveal his glory in the Transfiguration, Jesus took the apostles up the mountain, apart from distractions. Today, Fr. Mark-Mary asks if Jesus might be asking us to step away and go up the mountain apart with him, so that we can be moved by his brilliance. Let’s take this opportunity to join the apostles and see what we might need to step away from. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Transfiguration 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.
Feb 25, 2026 • 8min
Day 56: Good News (2026)
What is the Proclamation of the Kingdom and the Call to Conversion really about? Fr. Mark-Mary explains the rich mystery of the Proclamation of the Kingdom and the Call to Conversion, revealing the Good News throughout Jesus’ teachings: everything you are seeking and longing for is here. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Proclamation of the Kingdom and the Call to Conversion 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.
Feb 24, 2026 • 12min
Day 55: Water Into Wine (2026)
In the Wedding Feast at Cana, we see Mary taking a new role: that of the initiator, asking Jesus to perform his first miracle. Fr. Mark-Mary unpacks this mystery, revealing the depth of Mary’s actions. By initiating Jesus’ public ministry, Mary is freely giving her son away, out of her great love for all of us. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Wedding Feast at Cana 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.
Feb 23, 2026 • 11min
Day 54: My Beloved Son (2026)
The waters of the Jordan in our lives must always precede the sands of the desert. Fr. Mark-Mary explores the mystery of Jesus’ Baptism, highlighting that Jesus’ baptism immediately precedes his temptation in the desert. We are invited to recall our own baptisms and the gifts we received as we meditate on the Rosary and face difficulties in our lives. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Baptism of 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.
Feb 22, 2026 • 9min
Day 53: Our Perfect Director (2026)
Mary and Joseph knew that they had a special role when raising Jesus, but something unexpected happens in the mystery of the Finding in the Temple. Mary may not fully understand Jesus’ explanation that he would be “in his Father’s house”, but she continues to trust in God’s plan. We have all experienced times in which we cannot visualize God’s plan for us, but Fr. Mark-Mary reminds us that we have a perfect director who will make a masterpiece out of our stories. All we have to do is trust and say yes. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple 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.
Feb 21, 2026 • 11min
Day 52: My Eyes Have Seen Salvation (2026)
A reading of the Presentation in the Temple and Simeon’s canticle sets the scene. A moving story about a blind man who found sight through faith highlights inner transformation. Reflection on praying for Simeon-like vision and a guided Rosary prayer for the Presentation wrap up the episode.
Feb 20, 2026 • 13min
Day 51: Moved With Awe (2026)
A warm retelling of the Nativity and how encountering Jesus can spark childlike wonder. A reading of Luke 2 sets the scene, followed by St. Francis’ living crèche and a moving shelter Christmas story. The tale of Fitz shows unexpected generosity breaking through a hardened heart. Listeners are invited to imagine standing before the manger and to pray together.
Feb 19, 2026 • 10min
Day 50: Rejoice in the Beauty (2026)
A meditation on the Visitation and the Magnificat, where ordinary moments become song. A reflection on how narratives shift from prose to poetry through divine encounter. An invitation to surrender everyday life so it can be transformed into beauty and joy. Short guided prayers for the mystery conclude the segment.
Feb 18, 2026 • 11min
Day 49: How Can This Be? (2026)
A meditation on the Annunciation and how Mary’s response models trust when the future is unclear. A reading of Luke 1:26–38 highlights Mary's human questions and the angel’s revelation. Reflection on the Holy Spirit’s role and the meaning of Mary’s consent. An invitation to bring life’s mysteries to God through quiet faith and prayer.
