Day 145: He Must Increase
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I'm Fr. Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, and this is the Rosary in Your Podcast. We're 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 145.

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Today we will be meditating upon and praying with the second glorious mystery, the Ascension of our Lord, with help from an Ascension Mosaic at St. Mark's Basilica in Venice. Now a brief introduction to our artwork.

and our artist, which is actually unknown. So we'll take a little moment to give a little bit more background into mosaics, specifically the mosaics in St. Mark's Basilica in Venice. Well, the mosaics in St. Mark's Basilica, they were created by various artists over a period of about eight centuries.

While many of the artists remain unknown, we can identify several key contributors. So in the early mosaics from the 11th, 12th centuries, these were likely executed by Byzantine artists and mosaics who had just left Constantinople. The 12th century mosaics are from highly skilled mosaics, probably Greek trained, and they created figures in the dome of Immanuel and

The 15th century mosaics were done by Florentine artists, including Paolo Uccello and Andrea del Castagno, who worked on repairs and new mosaics. And in the 15th and 16th century, mosaics were done by Venetian mosaicists. In the 16th century onwards, where renowned Renaissance and Mannerist artists such as Titian,

Tintoretto, Paolo Veronosi, Giuseppe Salviati, and Palma Giovanni, who prepared designs for the new mosaics. So the mosaic we're gonna be looking at today could be from anywhere between the 11th and the 19th century. And now brief visual description of the mosaic we'll be praying with today. In the shimmering mosaic, Christ seated regally on a throne of clouds.

He raises his right hand as he peers towards the viewer, bearing a wooden cross against his shoulder. His body is half exposed and half draped in fine blue cloak. Two large angels hover beneath him at his sides. The clouds above are gold filled with angelic beings depicted with just heads and wings. A three-tipped halo of light shines behind his golden curls. Two people kneel in the clouds, their faces fixed on Christ's

clasping their breasts in awe and reverence. The woman at his right, Our Lady, has a shining golden halo. The man at his left, St. John the Baptist, leans on a pole with a cross. So I'd like to share three scripture passages corresponding to the three key figures in today's mosaic of the ascension of our Lord. First scripture referring to our Lord from St. Paul's letter to the Philippians chapter 2.

Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. But he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.

in heaven and on earth and under the earth. And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. And then we see this movement in St. John the Baptist and his own prayer or his own statement. He must increase and I must decrease. This movement towards humility, but directed towards his glory. From Our Lady's Magnificat,

He has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. She goes on to say, he has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of low degree. Like Mary and John the Baptist, they freely embraced their lowliness and intentionally sought it. Like they embraced it, they sought it. And they did so why? That the glory of God might increase in them. Jesus freely emptied himself.

It became the lowest of the low unto death on a cross, but he has risen. He has risen from the dead and he has ascended to the right hand of the father where he reigns as king of the universe. St. Paul in chapter three of his letters to the Ephesians, he writes, therefore it is said when he ascended on high, he led a host of captives and he gave gifts to men.

In saying he ascended, what does it mean? But that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth. He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. I guess like what I'm getting at is this, like the pattern of Jesus' life is to be the pattern of our own life. To descend with him that we may ascend with him. To embrace humility and obedience and confidence and trust.

that one day we may share in his glory. This is the way lived by St. John the Baptist. This is the way lived by our lady, queen of heaven and earth. And what does it mean for us to decrease that he might increase or to descend with him that we might ascend with him? Like, well, let's start by surrendering control, like entering into the humility of surrender.

echoing in our own lives, Mary's words, let it be done unto me according to your word. Trusting God, trusting the Father, even when it doesn't make sense and when it doesn't necessarily align with our immediate desires, like what we think it should look like. Not trying to grasp and conquer our own happiness or pleasure through sinful means. Surrendering our timeline and allowing God time to work as He wants us

in our own lives and the lives of others, trusting that he has a plan to decrease that he may increase, to descend with him that we may ascend with him. It means not seeking worldly honors or riches for their own sake, but heavenly ones through prayer and sacrifice and works of charity, being obedient to the truth and proclaiming the truth, even when it may not be comfortable or easy or in style.

as we saw St. John the Baptist do. In short, to live like Jesus, to live like St. John the Baptist, to live like Our Lady, it is to do God's will above all else, faithfully, sacrificially, but always trusting in the Father and His perfect love and His perfect plan. The road to heavenly glory is humility. The same road traveled by our Lord and St. John the Baptist and Our Lady. So as we conclude today,

And as we set our minds and hearts again on heaven, let us pray for the grace to let go of what we need to let go of. To set our minds and hearts on eternal things. On heavenly things and not on passing things. Not on worldly things. To give up vanity, envy, jealousy about these worldly things. My brothers and sisters, where he is, we are called to be.

Let us live for the things of heaven. Let us embrace the royal road of humility. Let us decrease that he might increase. And 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 again today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. Poco a poco, friends. God bless y'all.