Day 162: Carrying the Cross Together
6/11/202616 min
Orazio Gentileschi’s painting, Christ Carrying the Cross, captures the profound strength and inner peace of Jesus’ suffering—His body straining beneath the weight of the cross, yet His face is calm. Fr. Mark-Mary contrasts the visible burden of the cross with Jesus’ promise of a “light burden”. He invites us to consider that what lightens the load is not its removal, but the strength that comes from perfect trust in the Father. We are encouraged to seek not just relief, but faith that rests in God’s presence and power, even when our cross feels anything but light. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Carrying of the Cross and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.
All of the Sacred Art we’ll be meditating with can be found in the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, for free linked in the complete prayer plan, or in the Ascension App. For the complete prayer plan, visit https://ascensionpress.com/riy.
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsMark-Mary Ames· Host0:00
[gentle music] Hey, I'm Father Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, and this is the Rosary in a 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 a Year is brought to you by Ascension. This is day 162. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a Year, visit ascensionpress.com/rosaryinayear or text R-I-Y to 33777. You'll get an outline of how we're gonna 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. I encourage you to pick up a copy of the Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide, a book published by Ascension that was designed to complement this podcast. You'll find all the daily readings from Scripture, saint reflections, and beautiful images of the sacred art we'll be reflecting on. Today, we will be meditating upon and praying with the fourth Sorrowful Mystery, The Carrying of the Cross, with help from a painting entitled Christ Carrying the Cross by the artist Orazio Gentileschi. Now, a brief introduction to our artist and artwork. Orazio Lomie Gentileschi was born in the year 1563. He died in the year 1639,