Day 185: Proclaiming Christ
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I'm Father 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 185. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in the 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 glorious mystery, the Ascension, with help from painting entitled Appearance on the Mountain in Galilee by the artist Duccio.

Okay, now a brief introduction to our artist and our artwork. Duccio di Buoninsegna was born in the year 1255 and he died around the year 1318 or 1319. He was the founder of the Sienese school and a pivotal figure transitioning Italian art from Byzantine formalism to Gothic expressiveness. Active primarily in Siena, he blended Byzantine iconography with Gothic elegance and nascent naturalism.

So our painting today, again, entitled Appearance on the Mountain in Galilee, was done by Duccio between the years 1308 and about 1311. And some of the styles that we'll see of Duccio here are the Byzantine tradition. We see this, for example, with the gold backgrounds, Gothic refinement, the delicate drapery, rhythmic lines and emotional nuance in faces, and early spatial depth, though less naturalistic than Giotto Duccio experiments with rudimentary perspectives.

as seen in, for example, the receding mountain. And now a description of our painting. Against a gleaming background of gold leaf, the risen Jesus gazes intently at his group of disciples. His hands are extended towards them, one palm facing upward, the other downward in a gesture of both teaching and blessing. He stands upon a stylized mountain, his ledge slightly elevated above the gathered apostles.

Christ is clothed in a deep crimson tunic beneath a flowing mantle of rich blue. Both garments are edged with delicate gold lines that catch the light. The eleven apostles cluster before him on the craggy earth-toned mountain. Each disciple has a carefully rendered and distinct face. They are depicted in a range of ages from youthful to elderly, and each in their own color of clothing.

Together they express solemn reverence and wonder as they carefully absorb the words of Christ." All right, friends, you and I, we have a mission. We have a mission, we have a job to do and an obligation to do it. In our painting today, we have Jesus after his resurrection, but before his ascension, meeting with the apostles on the mountain in Galilee, where he gives them what is popularly known as the Great Commission.

This is Matthew chapter 28, starting at verse 18. And this is what the gospel says. And Jesus came and said to them, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the close of the age.

Like Jesus is about to ascend to the Father. And first there's the reminder that the ascension will not be a lack of him being present to us or being at work with us or through us, but a new way of being present to us as we've previously discussed and is affirmed by the last words of St. Matthew's gospel, behold, I'm with you always to the close of the age. Also his mission of proclaiming the kingdom of God and evangelizing the world, it's not brought to a conclusion.

but it takes on a new form. Here we see the risen Lord, like the divine King gives to his apostles a share in his own authority and the mandate to proclaim Jesus throughout the world. And trusting this mission that Jesus lived during his earthly life to the church. He will continue to be at work, establishing his kingdom and calling men and women to repentance, but it will be through the church founded upon the apostles, but also including you and me.

Following Jesus and being a good Christian, it cannot be reduced to saying our prayers, to going to mass on Sunday, perhaps reading books or listening to podcasts for our own personal edification, donating to charity here and there. Like all of this is important. That's true. But for something to be essential doesn't mean that it is exhaustive, right? Praying,

Going to mass, growing a knowledge of the faith, tithing. Like, yeah, they're all necessary, but we can't reduce Christianity to something that is me centric, where it's just about me and my relationship with Jesus. Jesus called the disciples and he called them to be with him and he formed them and he taught them and he empowered them. But then he sends them out on a mission. It's like both and, both our relationship, but also mission and,

And of course, like he first fished them, but he also sent them out to be fishers of men. We have a duty to nourish and foster our own relationship with Jesus, but we also have a duty to bring Jesus to the world and the world to Jesus, to tell people about Jesus and to introduce people to Jesus through our words, our witness, our hope, our service, and our prayers.

And the form that this takes for each of us will be unique, but no one is excluded from this call. For some, it may be just through the offerings of sufferings and prayers, but still like no one is exempt. And for today, just two practicals. I want us just to think about like, when was the last time that you mentioned Jesus to someone or took the opportunity to share something about your faith with another person, especially someone who may not be a practicing Christian?

"Jesus wants to be proclaimed to the ends of the earth, "but the gospel, the good news, "it will remain silent if we do not speak it." And secondly, like let's trust God with this. Like he is with us and we don't go forward alone. So this is what I'm gonna ask you to do. Like I'm gonna encourage you in a moment of prayer and to really say this to Jesus, "Jesus, who do you want to send me to? "Who do you want me to love with your love "and to speak to with your truth?"

And wait on the Lord and see if any particular person comes to mind. Or you can also prayerfully say this. Hey, Jesus, if you open the door, if you open the door to a conversation about you, I'll enter it. But I'm going to need you to open the door. And I'm going to need your grace to give me the courage to actually enter it. I want to be obedient to my mission, Jesus, but I can't do it without you. We bring this openness, the awareness of our mission. But part of the beauty of the ascension is that

When he sends us, he actually goes with us so we can find our confidence in Jesus being with us, but also just this openness to who he's bringing to our lives and any opportunities, any open doors in which we can help to share his good news, proclaim his kingdom so that we can be obedient to this great commission and making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen. So asking for courage, asking for the eyes to see the open doors, the words to speak. Let us with Mary 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.