Day 167: Glory Awaits the Faithful
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Hi, I'm Fr. Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, and this is the Rosary in the 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 the Year is brought to you by Ascension. This is day 167. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in the Year, visit ascensionpress.com forward slash rosary.

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 fourth glorious mystery, the Assumption, with help from a painting that is a fresco, and we can call it the fresco of the Assumption of Our Lady in the vision of Saint Bonaventure by Cesare Mariani. Now a brief introduction to our artist and artwork.

Cesare Mariani was born in the year 1826. He died in the year 1909. And he was an Italian painter active in Rome in the 19th century. He was influenced by the French neoclassical school and artists and the Nazarene movement, which was a movement trying to revive spirituality and art and also by genre depiction, which is pictorial representation of everyday life. This particular fresco was done in the year 1829.

63. And the style of it showcases the characteristics of 19th century religious painting, blending traditional iconography with the artistic sensibilities of his time. And now a description of our painting. In a red dress, the Blessed Virgin Mary rises, wearing a large and fine blue cape. Two angels, one on each side, bear the corners of the mantle up and over many people. Mary's arms are outstretched.

The sky above is filled with soft golden light and ethereal clouds in swirling circles, showing the journey she makes from earth to heaven. Below the glowing yellow skies to the left are kings, a pope, maidens in white all looking up to Mary. To the right, also beneath her mantle, are angelic creatures, cherubs and others on horseback. To the right, also beneath her mantle, are angelic creatures, cherubs and others on horseback charging.

At the very bottom of the painting, beneath the angels and saints, also covered by the mantle of Mary, is an altar set prepared to celebrate Holy Mass. So today's fresco by Cesare Mariani, it's totally new to me, but it has quickly jumped to one of my favorite paintings of all time.

And I don't say that lightly. For those of you who are following along with the rosary in your prayer guide, you have the essential frame of the fresco in your book. It depicts the Blessed Mother being assumed by angels while she's standing on a cloud. And there's angels and horses and a collection of people down and to her right. I'd say it's worth looking up the painting to see it actually in its entirety, in the form it has in the church where it's painted.

There what you find in the fresco that's painted in the church just below the angels, the little cherub angels with the quiver and book is a sleeping Saint Bonaventure. And all that's happening above is actually a representation of a vision that he's having. Again, the core of the painting is included in the book, but the whole panoramic view of that image, it's really something to see. So I'll encourage you to look it up and to do that and spend some time with it.

And what I love about the painting though, it's not just the beauty and the movement of it, but the really profound meaning and symbolism and references. Let's begin by trying to understand the whole scene and what's happening and what Mariani is trying to communicate, like the symbolism he's including or the references. And at first, I thought the angels and the horses were going off to some sort of battle. So like, where's the battle?

But what I believe is actually happening and makes the most sense is that it's an allusion to 2 Kings 2. And that's where Elijah was taken to heaven by a chariot of fire and horses and a whirlwind. Now here we see Mary, right, being assumed body and soul into heaven on a chariot of clouds and a whirlwind by an army of horses being driven by angels.

And I guess personally, I've never spent too much time trying to like imagine the particulars of what Mary's assumption looks like. But I love like the power of this depiction. It's triumphant. It's worthy of our victorious queen. I just love it. Now let's take a look at the people honoring like what's happening and the witnesses there.

And what do we have, right? We see a queen, we see a Pope, we have Dominicans, we have a knight, we have a collection of other, they're kind of noble looking people. And then we have a group of women dressed in all white robes. So who are artists wanted these to depict? I'm not totally sure, but we have a number of options. So these could depict like the faithful virgins of the church, like the consecrated virgins who have dedicated their life to the Lord and

Or perhaps the virgins who are mentioned in the gospel parable, right? Who kept their lamps filled with oil as they vigilantly kept watch for the bridegroom's return. Like those faithful, pure souls waiting on their Lord. Or perhaps these are all of those faithful souls who've had their robes made white by being washed in the blood of the lamb that we come across in the book of Revelation chapter 7.

But all of this depicts the many faithful Christian souls of various ranks and states of life who all await their share in the victory that Our Lady comes to share in now. Like they all await their turn to join her in heaven with the divine bridegroom, our risen and victorious Lord. But let's hone in for a second. Let's go back to that battle imagery of the angels and the horses driving Mary's chariots of clouds.

These are all like the victorious ones, all who are depicted here. They are the victorious ones. And we've talked multiple times about the battle of good and evil taking place. And often like we're kind of moved and we're able to really see the presence and the work of evil happening.

But my brothers and sisters, the good team wins. Good wins. Jesus and those who follow him, all Christians from Our Lady to the Pope to consecrated men and women to kings and queens and all of those who have been faithful.

All who have allowed themselves to share in the victory of Jesus by being made new in His blood. We are all victorious in Him. Jesus is victorious. Mary is victorious. And in Him, in Jesus, we all share in His eternal victory. Eternal justice wins. Truth wins. Love wins. Mercy wins. My brothers and sisters,

We are on the winning team. It doesn't always feel like that by world events and the news, etc. But we are on the winning side of eternity. As we pray today, we join the multitude who already celebrate Mary's share in this victory. Her hope, again, was never in vain.

May we also receive the grace of hope that the battles we are fighting, if we remain faithful to Jesus, if we remain faithful to his truth, if we remain faithful to drinking deeply of his mercy and trusting in his promises, we too already now share in his victory.

If we set our mind, our hearts too much on worldly events and worldly affairs, we can be discouraged and we can doubt this truth. So my brothers and sisters, we are invited today to set our mind on things of heaven again, where we see already all of those who share in this victory and all of those who await our joining them in this share. My brothers and sisters, Jesus wins and in him we are victorious.

And now, with Mary, Our Lady assumed into heaven, body and soul, our victorious Queen, 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.