A Message from Father Rick...
Examen after the Pandemic
What a difference a year makes. This time last year we were just getting ready to begin in-person services again. We were dotting all our “i’s” and crossing all our “t’s,” and wondering if anyone was actually going to show up.
And now because so many of us are vaccinated, we’re able to put our masks away. Or burn them.
It might ALSO be a time for prayer.
A few weeks ago, I preached a sermon that ended with an introduction to a particular kind of prayer called the Examen. It’s a prayer-form that is most used to help look at the day that is past and prepare for the day that is to come. This kind of praying was formally developed by St Ignatius of Loyola in the 16th century, and some of Ignatius’ modern-day students, the Jesuits, have created a form of the Examen to be used as we transition away from the pandemic.
Here’s how it goes:
First, as in any Examen, you invite God to be with you.
Or, perhaps even better, you realize that you are already in the Presence of God. And you invite God to help you look over the last year. Perhaps you could imagine sitting in a movie theatre with Jesus, watching a movie of your life over the last year.
Second, you prayerfully recall the past year. What events stand out? What people stand out? What thoughts stand out? Who or what helped you cope and thrive? Where can you see the Presence of God, who has been with you through it all—the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Third, ask God where He is leading you. What does God want you to know, to do, to be? Were there blessings tucked in with all the difficulties of the last year that tell you something about who God is, and who God is shaping you to be?
Fourth, thank God for God’s enduring Presence, especially in this time of prayer. Perhaps conclude with the Lord’s Prayer.
Fr Rick Morley
Major changes to COVID Protocols here at St. Mark's
We send out a letter yesterday with regard to the changes in protocols made by the Episcopal Diocese of NJ following the recent CDC guidance.