Day 155: More than Meets the Eye
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I'm Father Mark Mary with 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 155. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a Year, visit ascensionpress.com forward slash Ascension.

Rosary in a Year or text R-I-Y 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 listen to the podcast is 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. 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 support is so appreciated and helps us to reach as many people as possible.

And 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 second luminous mystery, The Wedding at Cana, with help from a painting entitled The Wedding at Cana by the artist Gerard David. Now a brief introduction to our artist and artwork. Our artist Gerard David was born in the year 1460. He died in the year 1523. He lived in the Netherlands and

But not much is known about his life, but the influence of the Italian Renaissance on his art suggests that he probably studied in Italy early in his career. He is best known for his altarpieces, several oil paintings, and illuminated manuscripts. This particular painting was done in the early 16th century, around the time like 1500 to 1510. And now our description of the painting. In a stone court with Gothic edifices visible through marble pillars.

A medieval banquet transpires. A substantial square table is laid with a white tablecloth and a feast. In ornate Renaissance clothing, eight women and three men are seated around the banquet table. Two halos reveal that among them sit Jesus and Mary. Jesus raises one hand with three fingers extended in blessing. In the foreground, a cluster of earth-toned vessels sit with two attendants tending to carafts.

At their sides, additional figures kneel, hands clasped in prayer, wearing plainer clothing and focus on the unfolding events. Another in a white hood and black cloak gazes on through the pillars. What we are reminded of today with our mystery and corresponding painting is that God is able to do multiple things at once. And it's like every task is a multitask.

from Jesus, not in the distracted attention sense, but in the sense that God works at multiple levels at the same time. Let's begin with a couple of examples from scriptures before applying this perspective to our painting and mystery. In particular, I always love that when Jesus is calling the first apostles, right? He calls them, he says, come follow me and I'll make you fishers of men. He's calling them to be fishers of men,

But also what he's doing here is he is fishing them, right? He's calling them to become fishers of men. But also Jesus is showing himself to be the first fisher of men by calling them to himself. We see this again very clearly again and again throughout the healings of Jesus. Jesus is healing people, right? He's giving sight to the blind. He's healing people with leprosy. He's externally, right? Like literally he's healing them.

But also on another level, he's also giving them eyes to see, to have faith. He's inviting them into relationship with himself so that they can receive the most needed healing, which is the forgiveness of sins. He heals and he gives sight because he loves them and he wants to relieve their suffering. At the same time, he does so to call them into relationship with himself.

Now let's apply this to the painting we have today of the wedding feast of Cana. Notice that Jesus is blessing the water from a distance. In my own lexicon, he's like from downtown. He's still seated.

at the table, right? He's celebrating the wedding. He's sharing in their joy and he's adding to it by his presence. Like he is there enjoying a wedding banquet and being a cause of enjoyment at the wedding banquet. That is something that he's doing. But also what happens? Also here, he's turning water into wine. Why? Like on one level, right? It's to continue the joy of the celebration and

But also in doing this, he's revealing himself through the working of his first public sign. Then also, right, he's revealing himself to be the divine bridegroom who has come to wed all of humanity to himself. And he's knowingly and intentionally doing all of this at once. Now, many of the people at the scene, they're only aware of maybe one work of Jesus taking place.

Maybe they're enjoying his company or some of them are filling like jars with water at his request. But in reality, he's doing so much more than immediately meets the eye. And to help fill this out and kind of apply it in a modern context, right? I think we see this, the same reality being at work in the sacrament of marriage.

Now the sacrament of marriage, right? It's an expression and a cause of joy for two people who love each other and give and receive each other totally in this sacrament. Marriage, it's also the place for bringing life into the world and raising children. Marriage is also the way in which God will strip us.

and form us and heal us and grow us in maturity and holiness and bring us into a deeper relationship with him. Marriage is an image of God's love for his people. And when someone says yes to marriage, like they say yes to all of this and all of this is intended for them according to God's perfect plan.

Now, where I want to bring us in for a landing place of prayer is this. God is at work in your life on multiple levels, perhaps in your marriage or your vocation as a parent, like God is at work at multiple levels, one of which is drawing you to himself. If you work in an office or school or a store,

God is at work in your life at multiple levels. There's a space for evangelization, for your own ongoing formation through a variety of ways and circumstances. And in it, he's calling you to holiness and to intimacy with him.

Like for me in doing this Rosary New Year podcast, God is using it to teach people how to pray. Amen. God is using it to bring people into a deeper relationship with Mary. Amen. Jesus is just getting people to pray for the world, right? Amen. It's healing some wounds for people. God is doing that. But also like in the midst of my own study and the recording and the stress that goes into putting it all together, like God is at work and sanctifying me.

and in pursuing me and in espousing me like more fully to himself. He's doing all of this at once. So as we pray today, I'm gonna ask you to reflect on your life, especially some of the ordinary parts of your life where you feel like you're just maybe doing what needs to get done. There's routine, maybe even monotony. Can you ask for the eyes of faith to see what else God is doing? How he's teaching you patience, how he's helping you die to yourself, like how he's trying to enrich you

But most importantly, how in all of it, he is pursuing you and drawing you more and more deeply into relationship with him. And 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.

All right, thanks so much for joining me and praying with me today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. Poco a poco, friends. God bless y'all.