The primary podcast on this planet to begin off the brand new 12 months doesn’t belong to Joe Rogan.
It doesn’t belong to Alex Cooper, Mel Robbins, or anybody from the Kelce clan.
It belongs to Father Mark-Mary Ames of Ascension Press. Or, actually, as he instructed Fox Information Digital, it belongs to God.
In a time when Bible gross sales are seeing a sudden spike amid analysis that implies individuals are unsubscribing from religiosity at massive, it comes as considerably of a shock that “The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR)” climbed to #1 on Apple Podcasts to begin off the brand new 12 months — holding that spot for 3 consecutive days earlier than falling to a noteworthy #2 on January 4.
Its humble host is the director of communications and the director of Priestly Research of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFR), whose major mission is the “wholehearted embracing of Jesus Christ and their Holy Father, St. Francis of Assisi.”
The “Habits for Holiness” writer sat down with Fox Information Digital at SEEK25 DC, a four-day occasion consisting of convention periods, world-class Catholic keynote audio system, music, mass and adoration for anybody looking for their pillars of prayer, fellowship, inspiration, and leisure. There, he defined every little thing from what motivated him to dwell a virtuous life, what the rosary is actually meant to be, and the way he actually feels concerning the success of his podcast.
Podcast legend Joe Rogan’s ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ currently sits at #3 on Apple Podcast’s Top Shows, just behind Father Mark-Mary Ames’ ‘The Rosary in a Year,’ which fell to #2 on January 4th after three consecutive days of topping the chart.
Father Mark-Mary Ames, who was born and raised in Orange County, California in what he described as a “wealthy family,” said he was inspired by Mother Teresa to give up a life of privilege for the service of others.
“I heard that there’s a group of Franciscans in New York who are hardcore and sleep on the ground. And I looked them up, and I read our constitutions — which are what we say we’re about — and I’m like, ‘if that is true, that is every little thing I am on the lookout for.’ So I used to be a really, very regular child, on a standard path. After which God simply kind of made this occur.”
“I’m made to give my life to the poorest of the poor,” he added. “The big, deep experience of my life is what God’s done in generosity. And so there’s nothing I’ve left behind or sacrificed that he hasn’t been repaid a hundred-fold. It’s in new and deeper ways.”
Although it isn’t the work he’s most happy with, the priest spoke to Fox Information Digital about being handed the baton from profitable Ascension Press alum Father Mike Schmitz for his “Rosary in a Year” podcast, describing the rosary itself as “the great remedy for our time.”
“There’s one thing specific that God desires to do by means of Mary that additionally continues now. So, it is attention-grabbing that even Mary’s the one who continues to come back,” he mentioned. “I think the number one thing is [that] there seems to be some sort of special grace given by God to the Rosary where he wants to do some special work. And the rosary is the thing that unlocks it. It opens the door to grace.”
‘The Rosary in a Yr’ podcast was #1 on Apple in all classes, forward of Joe Rogan, for 3 days to begin off 2025.
The rosary could be complicated and even intimidating for some — however the priest asserts it’s truly “perfect.”
“Praying the rosary… is like physical therapy for the soul.”
“It took hundreds of years to be developed to get to what it is, as a perfect prayer that has our way of receiving and coming to God,” he mentioned. “But also, it’s really good for our humanity. We’re all over the place. It’s really hard for us to focus and to concentrate and the human ability to focus in the concrete for an extended period of time is somewhat of like, the foundation on which prayer is built. It’s going to be really hard to hear God, to come to God, if you can’t pay attention at all. And so I think there’s a part of praying the rosary, which is like physical therapy for the soul. The content works the concentration muscle within. It’s really atrophied.”
Whereas his podcast serves to interrupt down every of the Marian mysteries and the construction of this excellent prayer with palatability in thoughts, providing each seasoned meditators and newcomers alike an opportunity to grasp it in deeper methods, Father Mark-Mary revealed that the devotion of the rosary can truly be a personalised expertise — including to its perfection.
“[Praying the rosary] is not actually a commandment, but you do have to go to Mass on Sunday,” he mentioned, explaining the distinction between devotional and liturgical prayer. “And so within the devotional are good, good things. Whether or not it’s a good thing for you, there’s actually some space for you to make that decision within it. There’s much more space for personalization.”
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The rosary professional went on to admit that even he can lose focus when praying it.
“A million percent,” he admitted. “And that’s something that’s like…it shouldn’t be controversial to people or put them off. This is my own journey because I want to do better and grow deeper.”
That was the very motivation — or calling, as he described it — that compelled him to signal on to host “The Rosary in a Year.”
“I just try to be faithful to what’s before me. And if God wants to make this thing number one, awesome. If he wants to do all sorts of awesome, that’s kind of for him.”
Regardless of its success so far, the well-known friar instructed Fox Information Digital there are “more beautiful” issues taking place on this planet the media would not shine a highlight on:
“There’s many, many people in my life who are doing things that are much more beautiful and much more moving than having a podcast hit number one. People just don’t know about it,” he mentioned. “I’m very grateful for the podcast, its popularity, and it’s a source of grace for people and helping them pray. [But] it’s not the hardest thing I do. It’s not the most honorable thing I do. And it’s definitely not the most heroic or sort of moving thing that my brothers and neighbors do.”
Readers can study extra about these stunning issues right here.
