Day 194: Beloved Sons and Daughters

I am Father Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars the Renewal, and this is the Rosary in a Year podcast, where through prayer and meditation, the Rosary brings us deeper into a relationship with Jesus and Mary and becomes a source of grace for the whole world.

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This is day 194.

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Today we will be meditating upon and praying with the first luminous mystery, the baptism of our Lord at the Jordan.

And before going into our time of prayer here, just a little bit of a review of what we've discussed and what we have covered.

So to begin, Back at day 54, we talked about this idea that the waters of the Jordan

must always precede the sands of the desert.

And we see that Jesus in his own baptism, it's after his baptism that he is then taken into the desert where he fasts and he is tempted.

And then I think there's something here that Jesus is teaching us.

That is after the baptism, after he hears his father say, This is my beloved son.

It's here that he receives what he needs, if you will, the defenses that he needs, the security that he needs, the weapons that that he needs to go into battle and here i'm using the words needs for our lord somewhat poetically or loosely because it's not exactly how it happens but for us i think this is true this is the example that he's giving to us

that it is at our own jordans at our own baptism that we receive what we need to go into the desert, that we receive what we need to resist

temptation.

Primarily, right, this reminder of our identity and our dignity and who our Father is.

That by baptism, we share in Jesus' own relationship with the Father.

And so we ourselves can go back to our own baptism and in many ways, like revisit it every single day, like before leaving home, before going out to the wilderness of the world

where we'll be tested and tried and questioned about who we are and who God is.

And just this reminder to be with Jesus at the Jordan.

To see again, each morning, even in our little rooms, the heavens rent and the Father says,

You are my beloved Son.

You are my beloved daughter.

And this is our dignity

by baptism, sharing in Jesus' own relationship with the Father.

So today, this could be an invitation to just sit there and to hear the Father speak these words to you again.

Secondly, in some of our introductory episodes, we looked at the luminous mysteries as a whole, insofar as each of the luminous mysteries have some sort of revelation about the kingdom of God now present in the very person of Jesus.

Something is being revealed about Jesus.

And in our reflection, based off of St.

Ambrose's writing, remember St.

Ambrose wrote these words: Is there then here, referring to the Jordan, any room left for doubt?

When the Father clearly calls from heaven in the gospel narrative and says, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

This illustrates just the certainty that we can have in faith because it's founded on the very words of God, the one who gives witness to the identity of Jesus, that he is the beloved son, that he is the Messiah, that he is the anointed one.

They are the very words of God, God who himself is truth, God who cannot lie.

And so we can sit, if you will, at the banks of the Jordan.

And if there's doubt about the identity of Jesus, just hear the Father say these words again:

This is my beloved Son.

And related to what we already discussed, we can also

be affirmed in our own dignity and our identity.

Because by baptism, again, like we can hear the Father say these words to us, and it is the Father who has the authority to tell us who we are.

And then, lastly, for today, just a reminder of

that when we looked at the painting of the baptism that's a fresco that's featured in the church of son benedetto in padua the artists used like extensive shadows and we could see the crown of thorns the nails all of these foreshadowings of the crucifixion

and that what the artists have portrayed is just this reality that jesus saying yes right to his sonship

That Jesus is the son, and he's going to show us what it means to be sons and daughters of the Father.

but the nature of his sonship is going to include the cross just this reminder that the light of christ is never far from the shadow of the cross

but will ultimately conquer and be victorious that which is permanent is the light

and so we're not men and women of the prosperity gospel but we are men and women of the resurrection

and that we who are invited to share in Jesus' own relationship with the Father, like this will also include, in our own particular ways, the receiving and the journeying in trust with the cross.

In this life, there will be light, there will be shadows, but in eternity,

light will conquer.

And so as we say yes to this affirmation of our dignity, we also say yes to living our identity as Jesus himself lives this identity.

with the hope in the Father's goodness, the Father's ultimate victory, and our own share one day in the resurrection.

So, now we'll just take a moment of kind of quiet stillness,

receptivity,

and go into our four R's.

So, what is the grace,

the truth

being revealed

that you are invited to receive?

How can you respond?

What is the grace you would like to request at the service of this response?

And finally, give thanks.

Give thanks to the Lord for this time of prayer

and the graces bestowed upon us.

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

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.

So thanks so much for joining me and praying with me again today.

I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow.

Poco Poke friends.

God bless you all.