Hi I'm Father Mark Mary with Franciscan Friars with the renewal and this is the Rosary in the Year podcast. We're through prayer and meditation. The rosary brings us deeper into relationship with Jesus and Mary. It becomes a source of grace for the whole world. The Rosary in the Year is brought to you by Ascension. This is day 138. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in the Year visit ascensionpress.com forward slash rosary in a year or text R-I-Y 777. 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. I encourage you to pick up a copy of the Rosary in the 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 arts we'll be reflecting on. Today we will be meditating and praying with the fifth Luminous Mystery, the institution of the Eucharist, with help from an image entitled The Last Supper by Giacomo Raffaelli, which is inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. Alright, so a brief introduction to our artist and artwork today. Our artist is Giacomo Raffaelli. He was an Italian mosaicist from Rome, meaning he made mosaics. So our artwork today is actually a mosaic or more specifically what's called a micro mosaic. A micro mosaic is art composed of tiny pieces of colored glass that when viewed from afar look like a painting. In this image, this micro mosaic is a copy of Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting, The Last Supper. Okay, now a description of the mosaic itself. The Last Supper, it's a wall-sized artwork that features a long, rectangular banquet table with a white tablecloth covered in dishes and plates and cups of wine and loaves of bread. Jesus is seated at the center of the table with his arms open on the table. His right hand is facing down, his left palm is facing up. Six disciples are seated to his right and six to his left. Their hands and their faces are expressive and everyone presents with a unique response, communicating curiosity, fascination, surprise, peace, anger, bewilderment. As they react to the words of Jesus, who has just revealed to them that one of them will betray him. One of those seated at the table holds a knife. And yet in the center of the image, exuding calm, is Jesus. His eyes are downcast. And before him are a piece of bread and a cup of wine. Today's micro mosaic, today's artwork, presents us with what I'll call a dynamic pause, during the Last Supper in the institution of the most holy Eucharist. And to be honest, most of my praying with the fifth limitous mystery has me focus on the gift of the Eucharist, his presence in the Eucharist, etc. And not often, probably not often enough, with the actual gospel accounts of the institution. And that's what our artist today does. And I call it a dynamic pause because it's obviously like a still shot of the event, but there's a whole lot of movement in the mosaic in the image. The specific moment of time, it's just after Jesus revealed that one of them would betray him. One of those seated there would betray him. And in a way that's like probably quite relatable, we notice the commotion that these words of Jesus caused. And all of the apostles are basically having different responses. They're arguing someone standing in like a great position of like attention and readiness, like ready to spring, ready to act. There's objection. And we have Judas grabbing the money bag, and we have John with his eyes closed, depicting either contemplation or love or a broken heart. But as our eyes finish scanning the reaction of the apostles, and they come at last to rest on Jesus, Jesus who's at the center of the table, our eyes find Jesus at rest. And what I experience as an invitation from Jesus to rest. And perhaps what's happening here at the Last Supper is very consistent, very near, like what took place in that little boat caught up in the big storm. Right? Remember how the disciples, they were in the storm and the waves were crashing. Like they were busy and they were anxious. And then they were kind of frustrated with Jesus as he just slept through the storm. They awoke him. Right? He rebuked their lack of faith. And then he commanded the waves. And there was calm. And there was peace. And there were still waters. Jesus, as his words reveal, he knew he would be betrayed by one of the 12. Jesus knew of his upcoming arrest and trial. He knew about his passion. Yet Jesus remains at rest. And he remains filled with peace. Like why? And this isn't just Jesus disassociating with the reality, but remaining firmly and deeply rooted in reality. Like Jesus knows who he is and he knows who his father is. He knows he is God. Going back to the storm, like Jesus isn't afraid of the storm because he is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Like the oceans are vulnerable before him. The oceans are powerless before him and not vice versa. Likewise, Jesus remains at peace before the waves and thunder of world events because they are vulnerable to him. They are powerless before him and not vice versa. Or in other words, Jesus is Lord. Jesus is God. Jesus is in control. Jesus is always in the place of power. There's nothing outside of his providence and there's nothing that he can't conquer. And so he has rest in all things at all times. He is at peace here, even at his last supper. He is at peace even before the storm of his passion, which will in fact take his life and cause great human suffering to him because even here, no one takes his life from him, but he lays it down freely and on the third day, he will take it back up again because before Jesus, death is powerless and not vice versa. And yet, Jesus doesn't take control. He allows things to unfold and submission to the Father's plan, to the point of death on a cross. We may not have the ability to control the waves like Jesus, but we do have the ability to submit to the Father like Jesus. In trusting like Jesus in the Father's plan and surrendering to his will, so we too can have peace. As we pray today, let us like sincerely ask for the grace of repentance for our lack of faith and its sister lack of peace. Let us contemplate Jesus seated at his last supper. Notice his calm, notice his peace, notice his strength, his confidence. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the one who put the oceans in their place. He is the one who put air in the lungs of those who will condemn him to death. He is the one who put muscle on the arms that will strike him and nail him to the wood of the cross. He is the Lord. He was born for this moment, right, this moment of his passion, and he will soon be glorified in it because like through Jesus, even death loses its sting. Our brothers and sisters, the same Jesus remains in control, the same Jesus remains with us, the same Jesus we worship, we visit, we receive in the most holy Eucharist. May our faith in him give us a share in his peace because he is the Lord. And to each of us, he speaks again today. Be not afraid. 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, and 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 are 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 are 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 are 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 are 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 are 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 are 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 are 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 are 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 are 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 are 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.
