Day 71: Behold God

Speaker 1 I'm Father Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars the Renewal, and this is the Rosary in a Year podcast.

Speaker 3 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.

Speaker 3 The Rosary in a Year is brought to you by Ascension. This is day 71.
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Speaker 3 Today we'll be doing Alexia Divina with the third joyful mystery, the nativity,

Speaker 3 Luke chapter 2, verses 1 through 20.

Speaker 9 And our emphasis will be,

Speaker 5 behold the heart of God.

Speaker 9 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.

Speaker 4 This was the first enrollment when Quirinius was governor of Syria,

Speaker 3 and all went to be enrolled each to his own own city.

Speaker 9 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary his betrothed, who was with child.

Speaker 4 And while they were there the time came for her to be delivered, and she gave birth to her firstborn son,

Speaker 8 and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger

Speaker 11 because there was no place for them in the inn.

Speaker 14 And in that region there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night.

Speaker 3 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.

Speaker 3 And the angel said to them, Be not afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people.

Speaker 4 For to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Speaker 14 And this will be assigned for you.

Speaker 3 You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.

Speaker 7 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased.

Speaker 4 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another,

Speaker 4 Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.

Speaker 3 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger.

Speaker 3 And when they saw it, they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child.

Speaker 3 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

Speaker 14 But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.

Speaker 5 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen as it had been told them.

Speaker 5 In our Alexio, let's go ahead and highlight some of the details which stand out.

Speaker 4 As we previously discussed, it's very noteworthy all of these details about Caesar, Augustus, Quirinius, the enrollment, etc.

Speaker 5 As Pope Benedict pointed out, we discussed these worldly rulers who think they're in charge.

Speaker 14 But God is revealing that ultimately he is the one

Speaker 19 who is the Lord and Master of world events.

Speaker 4 We have this great event, this manifestation of the angels singing glory to God in the highest

Speaker 12 while speaking to like lowly shepherds.

Speaker 8 And what is it the angel says?

Speaker 11 Be not afraid.

Speaker 19 Then the host of angels appears praising God and saying glory to God in the highest.

Speaker 8 The shepherds, they go to Bethlehem.

Speaker 10 They go with haste.

Speaker 19 And what do they find?

Speaker 3 Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the manger.

Speaker 8 And then we have this beautiful insight into the heart of Mary.

Speaker 8 Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.

Speaker 11 Our emphasis here will be going with the shepherds to Bethlehem.

Speaker 19 And what do they see and what do they experience?

Speaker 11 This is verse 16, which will be our second reading here in our time of Lexio.

Speaker 22 And they went with haste

Speaker 18 and found Mary

Speaker 23 and Joseph and the baby

Speaker 18 lying in a manger.

Speaker 11 As part of our meditation, our meditatio, I'm going to really ask you to engage this with your imagination.

Speaker 19 Like, what is this scene?

Speaker 11 Feel free to paint sort of your own picture as appropriate here.

Speaker 20 Like, what is...

Speaker 11 What do you imagine Joseph wearing? What do you imagine Mary wearing?

Speaker 19 What's the manger look like? Are there other animals?

Speaker 13 Is it hot?

Speaker 5 Is it cold?

Speaker 11 And then, as the shepherds arise, like, what do they feel?

Speaker 1 It looks like a somewhat ordinary scene.

Speaker 25 Are their hearts moved?

Speaker 8 Do they embrace? Do they sing?

Speaker 22 Do they fall down in adoration?

Speaker 23 What would you feel?

Speaker 12 And one last time with Lexio here.

Speaker 21 And they went with haste

Speaker 18 and found Mary and Joseph

Speaker 18 and the baby lying in a manger.

Speaker 21 Again, I'm going to ask you to be still, to go there,

Speaker 11 to be quiet

Speaker 15 in the manger

Speaker 12 with Joseph and Mary.

Speaker 21 I'm going to ask you to imagine Mary

Speaker 23 holding the baby Jesus

Speaker 13 and see

Speaker 20 his little eyelids close to shut tight as he naps.

Speaker 21 Hear his breathing.

Speaker 21 Notice the movement of his chest as he inhales and exhales.

Speaker 21 See his little hand wrapped around one of Mary's fingers.

Speaker 27 Notice how small,

Speaker 28 fragile,

Speaker 21 innocent,

Speaker 29 and beautiful he is.

Speaker 5 And behold

Speaker 21 our Savior,

Speaker 5 behold

Speaker 5 the heart of God,

Speaker 21 and notice how your heart is moved,

Speaker 12 filled with affection and love.

Speaker 12 Notice the love, the joy,

Speaker 18 the awe, the tenderness

Speaker 24 on Joseph and Mary's face.

Speaker 21 Notice yourself experience peace here.

Speaker 11 Can you feel from the Lord an invitation

Speaker 19 to know that you can always return here?

Speaker 21 You can always experience the peace of this moment.

Speaker 21 And all my brothers and sisters, let us transition to our time

Speaker 19 of Arazio.

Speaker 13 Receive,

Speaker 12 respond, request, rejoice.

Speaker 21 Receive the good news. Receive what God is revealing about Himself.

Speaker 23 We know that Jesus reveals to us, like the heart of God, Jesus reveals to us the true nature of our Father.

Speaker 15 Look at the humility of God,

Speaker 21 the innocence of God,

Speaker 27 the heart of God, who becomes so little and so fragile,

Speaker 15 so that we will not be afraid to come close.

Speaker 18 Receive these words spoken through the incarnation, the nativity.

Speaker 15 Do not be afraid.

Speaker 15 Do not be afraid.

Speaker 5 Come close.

Speaker 21 And receive the peace you find in this moment.

Speaker 13 Receive it deeply.

Speaker 15 And let us respond by again beginning with praise and adoration.

Speaker 5 Lord, we just adore you for your heart,

Speaker 26 for your goodness, for your humility.

Speaker 27 for becoming so small and so humble

Speaker 11 so that we may not be afraid to draw close.

Speaker 12 We bring to you now, Lord, our hearts as we feel this invitation to come close to you, to place our trust in you.

Speaker 21 Notice in your heart any resistance, any fear you may have of God,

Speaker 11 any reason you may not want to open up parts of your heart to him, any reason you may not want to draw close because of fear.

Speaker 11 Notice in your heart any experiences of ways in which you felt confused or hurt by your attempt to follow God

Speaker 11 and the ways in which that has made you maybe question his goodness, his trustworthiness.

Speaker 21 And bring it to him who says, come to me.

Speaker 11 Now let us request, Lord, we ask for the grace of an increase in trust.

Speaker 30 We ask, Lord, to be freed from any fear we have in our hearts, fear of what our yes to you might mean.

Speaker 15 Lord, we ask that your nativity, that you, Jesus, in the manger, may heal us from any

Speaker 21 experiences or ideas of God or Father as being a tyrant or a dictator, one who comes to hurt or to punish us, one who's not concerned about our good.

Speaker 11 May we find hope and healing in your humility. in your vulnerability.

Speaker 21 And now lastly, we rejoice, Lord.

Speaker 15 We rejoice, Lord, in revealing yourself in such a way.

Speaker 23 We rejoice, Lord, in the gift of your nativity.

Speaker 11 We rejoice, Lord, that in prayer we can come to this place again and again and again to be reminded of who you are and to receive your peace.

Speaker 21 Now we'll go into the closing of our episode, our contemplatio.

Speaker 11 I'm going to encourage you to really be whole, to look,

Speaker 13 to look deeply

Speaker 13 at the humility of God

Speaker 19 and to receive to hear like deeply into the core of your heart and your soul these words spoken by the newborn king like do not be afraid do not be afraid

Speaker 11 in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit amen

Speaker 13 Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name

Speaker 8 thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Speaker 11 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.

Speaker 10 Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Speaker 6 Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Speaker 22 Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

Speaker 28 Amen.

Speaker 10 Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Speaker 6 Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Speaker 30 Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen.

Speaker 10 Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Speaker 6 Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Speaker 30 Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen.

Speaker 10 Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Speaker 6 Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Speaker 30 Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen.

Speaker 10 Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Speaker 6 Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Speaker 30 Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen.

Speaker 10 Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Speaker 6 Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Speaker 30 Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen.

Speaker 10 Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Speaker 6 Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Speaker 30 Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen.

Speaker 10 Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Speaker 6 Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Speaker 30 Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen.

Speaker 10 Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Speaker 6 Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.

Speaker 22 Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Speaker 10 Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Speaker 6 Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Speaker 22 Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

Speaker 28 Amen.

Speaker 11 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.

Speaker 28 Amen.

Speaker 8 In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Speaker 15 Amen.

Speaker 15 All right, friends, thanks for joining me and praying with me today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow.

Speaker 5 Poco, Poco.

Speaker 6 All right. God bless y'all.