Day 165: Following in His Footsteps
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I'm Fr. Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars at 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 165. 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 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. I encourage you to pick up a copy of the Rosary in a Year 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 images of the sacred art we'll be reflecting on.

Today we will be meditating upon and praying with the second glorious mystery, the Ascension, with help from a work we'll call the painting of the Ascension of the Lord in the church Chiesa di Santa Maria del Carmine by Bernardino Gandino. A brief introduction to our artists and artwork. The artist Bernardino Gandino was born in the year 1587. He died in the year 1651.

And he was an Italian painter active during the Baroque period. He was the son of Antonio Gandini, another noble Italian painter of the late Renaissance era. Bernardino Gandino was primarily active in Brescia, Italy, where he created several significant works of religious art. The exact time period of this particular painting is unknown, but

A little note on its style. It was created during Gandino's active period, and this work reflects the artist's Baroque style, characterized by dynamic composition and vivid emotional expression. His work was characteristic of the transition from the late Renaissance to the Baroque period, and it was likely influenced by his father's training and the evolving artistic trends of the time. And now a description of the painting.

An oval of white light and cloud surrounds Jesus as he is lifted up from a mountaintop, his mother and disciples eagerly observing this miraculous moment. Christ rises majestically into the heavens, surrounded by a radiant glow that contrasts with the darker, rich tones of the earthly realm below. His body is draped in a flowing white robe, and his arms are raised in blessing, while his face is serene yet intent.

Beneath him, Mary looks on with great love and the apostles stand in awe, their faces upturned in a mixture of amazement, reverence, and sorrow. Some are kneeling, others are standing with their hands clasped in prayer. The background reveals a sky filled with dynamic, swirling clouds, parting to make way for the ascent. Angels with vibrant wings hover near Christ and accompany him upwards. Two darkened footprints are molded on the rock

and linger on earth where Jesus last stood. So the detail from today's painting by Gandino that catches my attention is the footprints of Jesus left on the stone. This is new to me. I didn't know this was a thing, but there's actually an ancient and venerable tradition that Jesus' footprints were left in the stone where he ascended into heaven, where he last touched earth.

As early as the fourth century, there was a site on the Mount of Olives where pious Christians would venerate what was believed to be the footprints of Jesus, right? Left at the last place where he stood. And to this day, there's a stone that's venerated in the chapel of the Ascension in Jerusalem that's venerated as the spot, as the stone where Jesus ascended and his footprints are left. A variety of kind of commentators, those speaking about the footprints of Jesus in the stone

They do so kind of like pulling quotes about the ascension, like this one from St. Augustine. St. Augustine, he wrote, he did not leave heaven when he came down to us, nor did he withdraw from us when he went up again into heaven. And so it's seen kind of like in these footprints of Jesus are a visible reminder that he left his mark or that he's still with us.

And I'll leave it up to you about how much you want to spend time with this tradition and what it means to you and how deep you want to dive. But I'm going to stick with for today, like this idea of the footprint, but going to change directions a little bit. Because footprints, the footprints of Jesus, it's actually a pretty common, I would say like actually important theme in the writings of St. Francis of Assisi, who didn't write a lot.

One really important example comes from his rule that was written in the year 1221. He wrote this, the rule in life of these brothers is this, namely to live in obedience and chastity and without anything of their own and to follow the teachings and footprints of our Lord Jesus Christ, who says, if you wish to be perfect, go and sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven forever.

and come follow me." And he'll include this type of language in several letters with the concept being like the brothers are called to follow in the very footprints of Jesus. And there's a particularity to this image and to St. Francis' spirituality. He's so focused on Jesus and allowing Jesus to live his life in him that you get the impression, right, he's not just interested

and walking the same road that Jesus followed. He wants to follow in his exact footprints. He wants nothing more and nothing less than for each of his steps to be like exactly in a footprint of Jesus. And he spent all the time he could pondering scriptures, receiving scriptures, meditating, memorizing scripture. Why?

Because this is how we know what Jesus said and did. This is how we know and receive his mind and heart and can therefore follow in his exact footprints. And he loved the sacraments because this is where we see him and we receive him. And he loved the church because the word of God and the sacraments were entrusted to and given to us through the church.

And this is why he loved obedience to such a high level and he loved the poor. There was this fascination and focus on living like Jesus and walking in His very footprints. So he wanted to walk exactly like where Jesus walked, exactly how Jesus walked and how He gave us access to this through word, sacrament, and church. So now let's bring this together.

Where Jesus ascended, we are to follow. Following in His very footprints. Where Jesus ascended, we are to follow. Following His footprints brings us to following Him to heaven, to ascending with Him to the place that He has already prepared for us in His Father's house. We are to go where He already is and a place is prepared. And if we want to venerate His footprints,

You can go to the Chapel of the Ascension in Jerusalem. But even more, if we want to actually walk in His footprints, to follow His footprints here and now in our own lives, in our own particular context, we have access to this grace of God at work in our lives, a grace received at baptism.

strengthened at confirmation, nourished by the receiving of the most holy Eucharist, rekindled in the sacrament of confession, enlightened by drinking deeply of the word of God, both scripture and tradition. And we have certainty and surety through the shepherding offered to the Catholic church and the Holy Spirit at work in it and through it. This is how he who has ascended,

remains through the church and word and sacrament. His footprints on earth are not just fading on an ancient rock, but they are alive and vibrant and fruitful and accessible to you and me here and now. So now may we who desire to follow Jesus in his ascension, may we deny ourselves and follow him

with renewed zeal and focus, even to the point of placing our feet in His very footprints. Asking for this grace with Mary, let us now 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.