Day 172: Heart of Prayer
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I'm Fr. Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, and this is the Rosary in a Year 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 a Year is brought to you by Ascension. This is day 172. 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. No matter what app you're listening in, remember to tap follow or subscribe for your daily notifications. Today we will be meditating upon and praying with the fourth joyful mystery, the presentation of Jesus in the temple.

with help from a painting by the artist Arndt de Gelder entitled "Simeon's Song of Praise." Now, a brief introduction to our artist and artwork. Arndt de Gelder was born in the year 1645. He died in the year 1727, and he was a Dutch Baroque painter renowned for his devotion to biblical themes and his distinctive continuation of Rembrandt's late style.

So he was in fact a student, a follower of Rembrandt. In fact, he was one of Rembrandt's last pupils and his work certainly reflects Rembrandt's influence through dramatic chiaroscuro and emotional depth. However, it also diverges from that by incorporating looser brushwork and a more theatrical use of color. His painting that we're looking at today called "Stemian's Song of Praise" was done in the year 1700 and it's deeply rooted in the Baroque art style

which as has been noted already is characterized by dramatic realism, emotional depth, and dynamic use of light and shadow. And now our description of the painting. Against the dark, undefined background, an older man is dressed in priestly garments with a covered head and ornate beads and stones. His face is tilted up, struck by light as he raises his clear, gentle eyes upwards towards heaven.

His mouth is open as though he is speaking words as he bears a pale infant baby. As the aged Simeon cradles the infant Jesus in his arms, his expression is deeply peaceful. His hands are weathered yet gentle as he supports the child with reverence. A woman, Mary, with clasped hands covered in a dark striped robe, also gazes lovingly upon the child.

Jesus glows, casting warm light onto Simeon's face and beard, gently illuminating the lines of age and devotion on his furrowed brow. Now, today's painting by Arndt de Gelder, in my opinion, is absolutely fantastic. Like, aesthetically, beauty, style-wise, it's actually one of my favorites that we've looked at to this point. Now, let's get into it. Like, I understand this isn't the most important detail of the painting, but I do love...

The juxtaposition of the white bearded priest, Simeon, raising his eyes to God in the most exalted of praise. And Mary's eyes closed in the deepest contemplation. And then look at baby Jesus' eyes, right? His are just like slightly cracked open and kind of just like staring up at nothing, like unaware of everything that's taking place, right? He's just so little and he's so young here. He still hasn't reached the point of a baby's development yet.

where he can even make eye contact. Also, I love the way in which de Gelder focuses the scene here. So many of the other details and the other person's present are taken away. We have this focus here, right? On Simeon, Jesus, and Mary. And we see the light, which is radiating from Jesus, right? Like Simeon's

And we have Simeon and Mary's faces being illuminated by the light of Christ. But now just look at Mary. Notice how the light of the newborn Jesus shining on her face reveals to us her prayerfulness. She was a woman constantly in prayer. As life unfolded before her, including the many surprises, unexpected detours, and deepest of sufferings,

Mary doesn't just will her way through it. She prays her way through it. In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul exhorts us all, like pray without ceasing. And we see that with Mary. We see what this looks like in Mary. It's not that she's constantly saying vocal prayers, right? She's not constantly exclusively reciting the Psalms.

Or for us, it might be like vocal prayers might be like our fathers and Hail Mary's, right? She wasn't saying prayers without ceasing. She was praying without ceasing, meaning she was constantly living life in relationship and in conversation with God, praising him, imploring him, processing with him and surrendering to him.

Mary lived her life through him, with him and in him unceasingly. And that is what it means to pray without ceasing. So during the presentation in the temple, as more of the mystery is being revealed to her through Simeon's canticle, which basically says like, now that I have seen Jesus, I'm ready to die, right? That's a big statement for someone to say about your son. And then there's Simeon's prophecy,

A sword will pierce through your own soul. And like what a dramatic, quick contradiction in tone from his canticle, right? But Mary isn't overwhelmed. She isn't overwhelmed by the weightiest of gifts of God, which can happen, right? As it quickly brings to light, like our unworthiness,

nor is she discouraged by the cloudiest of mysteries, and she isn't crushed by the heaviest of sufferings. Like, why? Because she never feels like she has to receive it, understand it, or carry it alone. But God is always with her, and she is receiving it all and moving through it all, through Him, with Him, and in Him, always, unceasingly. So as we pray today,

Let's ask for this grace to live like Mary. May our first movement never be towards ourselves, our strength, our intellect, our worthiness or unworthiness, but always to God. Like let us rejoice with him, ponder with him, walk with him so that we may, like Mary, always live our own lives with him, through him and in him. 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 today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. Poco a poco friends. God bless y'all.