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 relationship with Jesus and to Mary. In comes the source of grace for the whole world. The Rosary in a Year is brought to you by Ascension. This is day 137. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a Year visit AscensionPress.com forward slash rosary in a year or text R-I-Y-233-777. It will 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 and the Ascension app. There are special features built just for this podcast and also recordings of the full rosary with myself and other friars. On behalf of myself and the whole team here at Ascension, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped support this podcast financially or generosity. It's so appreciated and helps us to reach as many people as possible. And if you haven't already, please consider supporting us at AscensionPress.com forward slash support. Today we'll be meditating upon and praying with the fourth Luminous Mystery, the Transfiguration, with help from a stained glass window of the Transfiguration, which is located in a church in Vienna, Austria. The name of the church in English is the Votive Church. All right, brief introduction to our artwork. The artist is unknown. The stained glass window, it's housed in, it's called the Votive Kirche in Vienna, which means the Votive Church, which is a neo-gothic cathedral designed by Heinrich von Fürstel. And it was completed in the year 1879. So it's a stained glass window in a neo-gothic style. Now a description of our piece of artwork today. It's a three panel stained glass window. In the center, Jesus stands elevated, emanating a dazzling light. His figure is wrapped by a glowing ethereal aura that is white and gold and wrapped in an oval rainbow. His clothes are white with shimmering gold trimmings. On either side of Jesus, the figures of Moses and Elijah appear. Their faces turn towards him with reverence. Above them are three angelic faces with wings and below the apostles Peter, James and John. On the grassy peak of a mountain, shown falling over in awe, there are expressions, a mixture of astonishment and fear. All of the details are rendered in deep colors and vibrant tones, except for Jesus, who stands out as a bright, pure light in the center. Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus is the light of the world in the fourth luminous mystery, the transfiguration. It is the mystery of light par excellence. It is here that Jesus, the light of the world, for a brief moment in time, he suspends the veiling of his divine luminosity through his sacred humanity. It is here that Jesus, the light of the world, for a brief moment in time, suspends the veiling of his divine luminosity done through his sacred humanity. And he is transfigured before his chosen apostles. His light breaks through, proclaiming that he is the light of the world. He is the light that fulfills the law and the prophets. He is the light who illumines our minds with the fullness of truth about God and all of creation in ourselves. He is the source and he is the summit of all lights. Our artwork today, which depicts the transfiguration, which depicts this mystery of light par excellence, does so in a medium which is founded on this theological reality, the symbolism or the spirituality, perhaps we could say, of stained glass. It points to God being the light of the world. And as the sun is the light which passes through the glass, illuminating and revealing its meaning, in a sense, like you could say, maybe like it gives birth to their scenes and their beauty and meaning. So is God himself, who is the light by which we see all other light. The light of God, his being, his beauty, his truth. It is revealed in creation and you and me. He is the light in which all other lights share. He is the source and the summit of all lights. In our depiction of the stained glass window that we're looking at today, we see the light passing through Moses and Elijah. And as a newly rising sun, it already illuminates this stained glass, but it doesn't do so yet with the full warmth or full vibrancy. So too, like we already see in the law and the prophets, the light of Christ shining through, but it's like a daybreak. It will not be until Christ that the light of the noonday sun is going to radiate the fullness of its light. But it's not until Christ the fullness of the light is revealed, right, in the fullness of its warmth and its vibrancy. So as a rising sun, yes, it reveals already, like it's the noonday sun. It's in the noonday sun. It's in Christ that the fullness of light and worth and beauty shine through all of creation. And to sit before this light, to sit before Christ, it's like sitting before an image or window of stained glass on a warm and sunny day. We are bathed in its light. We are warmed by his light. And it's like it doesn't just allow us to see. His light makes everything it passes beautiful, meaningful. It allows it to fulfill the end for which it was crafted, created. It is fulfilled and glorified in his light. And as we, like Peter, James, and John today, like place ourselves before our transfigured Lord, let us be bathed in his light and let us hear him speak this promise to us. As the sun beautifies and glorifies stained glass, so will I beautify and glorify you by giving you a share in my own divine life. As we experience today, the frailty, perhaps the coldness, we call maybe the darkness of our frail humanity. Let us place that before his light, and before the light of Christ, let us find hope and confidence and light in his divinity. 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 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.ththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththth Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed areth thou among women, women, bethththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththththth 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. Pokopoka friends, God bless y'all.
