We're sunsetting PodQuest on 2025-07-28. Thank you for your support!
Export Podcast Subscriptions
cover of episode Day 167: Glory Awaits the Faithful

Day 167: Glory Awaits the Faithful

2025/6/16
logo of podcast The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames)

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

AI Deep Dive AI Chapters Transcript
People
F
Fr. Mark Mary
Topics
Fr. Mark Mary: 今天,我将带领大家默想并祈祷第四个光荣奥迹,也就是圣母升天。我们将借助切萨雷·马里亚尼的湿壁画《圣母升天》来帮助我们冥想。这幅画对我来说是全新的,但我立刻爱上了它。画中圣母玛利亚身穿红色的连衣裙,披着蓝色的披肩,被天使们抬升,站在云端之上。在她的下方,有天使、马匹和一群人。这幅画不仅仅是美丽,更蕴含着深刻的意义和象征。我特别喜欢画中天使和马匹的场景,这让我想到了《列王纪下》中以利亚被火马拉着旋风带到天堂的故事。在这里,圣母玛利亚也被天使们用云彩和旋风带到天堂,这象征着她的胜利和荣耀。画中还有女王、教皇、多明我会修士、骑士和一群贵族,以及一群身穿白色长袍的妇女,他们代表着教会中忠贞的灵魂,他们都在等待着与圣母玛利亚一同在天堂与神圣的新郎相聚。这幅画提醒我们,善良的一方终将获胜,耶稣和那些跟随他的人,都将分享他的永恒胜利。我们不应该把心思放在世俗的事件和事务上,而应该将我们的心思放在天上的事情上,在那里我们已经看到所有分享这场胜利的人,以及所有等待我们加入他们分享的人。耶稣获胜,在他里面我们是得胜的! Fr. Mark Mary: 我个人从未花太多时间去想象玛利亚升天的细节。但我喜欢这幅画的力量,它展现了我们胜利的女王。画中向圣母玛利亚致敬的人包括女王、教皇、多明我会修士、骑士和一群贵族,以及一群身穿白色长袍的妇女。这些妇女可能代表教会中忠贞的处女,或者福音书中那些灯里常备油,警醒等候新郎归来的处女,或者《启示录》第 7 章中那些用羔羊的血洗净自己长袍的忠实灵魂。所有这些都描绘了许多不同等级和生活状态的忠实基督徒灵魂,他们都在等待分享圣母玛利亚现在分享的胜利。他们都在等待着与她一起在天堂与神圣的新郎,我们复活和得胜的主相聚。天使和战马象征着胜利。善良的一方获胜,耶稣和那些跟随他的人,从圣母玛利亚到教皇,到献身的男女,到国王和王后,以及所有忠实的人,都将获胜。所有那些允许自己通过耶稣的宝血获得新生,分享耶稣胜利的人,都在他里面得胜。耶稣是得胜者,玛利亚是得胜者,在耶稣里,我们都分享他的永恒胜利。永恒的正义获胜,真理获胜,爱获胜,慈悲获胜。我们站在永恒的胜利一方。愿我们也能获得希望的恩典,如果我们对耶稣保持忠诚,如果我们对他的真理保持忠诚,如果我们对他的慈悲保持忠诚,并相信他的承诺,那么我们现在就已经分享了他的胜利。如果我们把心思放在世俗的事件和事务上,我们可能会感到沮丧,并怀疑这个真理。我们被邀请将我们的心思放在天上的事情上,在那里我们已经看到所有分享这场胜利的人,以及所有等待我们加入他们分享的人。耶稣获胜,在他里面我们是得胜的。

Deep Dive

Chapters
This chapter introduces Cesare Mariani's 1863 fresco depicting the Assumption of Mary. It describes the artist, the painting's style, and encourages listeners to view the complete fresco for a richer understanding of its symbolism and beauty.
  • Introduction to Cesare Mariani and his fresco of the Assumption of Our Lady
  • Description of the fresco's style and imagery
  • Encouragement to view the complete fresco in its original location

Shownotes Transcript

Translations:
中文

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.