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   Number 1: Saturday 29 August 2026 - This present moment

   Saturday 29 August 2026 Welcome to the Saturday Examen. Our theme this week has been preparing our hearts for the return of the Lord. As you begin the examen today, take time to arrive and to rest in his loving presence. Sit comfortably and become attentive to this present moment. If anything distracts you, notice it, then come gently back to the present moment. Become aware of the pace of your breathing. Take two deep breaths in and out. Then settle at the core of your being, imagine that your soul coming to rest in the Lord. We started our week with Jesus noticing Nathaneal, seeing that he was a man without deceit. The Lord is with you, so have a moment of quiet and simply letting him see you, just as you are on the outside and inside. As an excerpt of each daily scripture from the past week is read, let them remind you of your week in prayer, and perhaps notice which reading most moves you today. 'Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.”' 'Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord; for he is coming, he is coming to judge the earth.' 'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth.' 'Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.' 'As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’' Stay with the reading that has stood out to you and begin to speak with the Lord about this. You might like to ask God to help you carry this verse into the week ahead too. As you come to the end of your prayer, pray for the week ahead, knowing that the Holy Spirit goes before you and will remain with you. 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

   August 29, 2026·10min
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   Number 2: Thursday 20 August 2026 - A new heart

   Thursday 20 August 2026 Today is Thursday the 20th of August, the feast of Saint Bernard, in the 20th week of Ordinary Time. The monks of the Abbey of Keur Moussa sing Psalm 146: “It is good to sing in honour of our God - sweet is his praise. The Lord, Restorer of Jerusalem! He brought back Israel's exiles, healing their broken hearts, and binding up their wounds.” Perhaps there are wounds you would like to bring to God for healing today. As you listen, let God meet you with love, wherever you are. Today’s reading is from the Prophet Ezekiel. Ezekiel 36:23-28 I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when through you I display my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. God has been in the business of restoring since the beginning of time. Lovingly stripping off fake veneers, repairing broken parts and revealing the hidden beauty in each one of us. Today’s passage invites you to enter into the vulnerability of being restored. Take a moment to place yourself in the presence of your God, the Restorer. God says I will ‘sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean.’ I will give you ‘a new heart,’ and ‘I will put my spirit within you.’ This is God’s gift to you. Are you desiring or resisting this restorative love? Why might this be? Listen again and delight in God’s desire to restore nations and people. Ezekiel 36:23-28 I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when through you I display my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. Being restored deepens our relationship with God and others. ‘You shall be my people, and I will be your God.’ It also enables us to ‘display His holiness before the eyes of others.’ How might God be inviting you to display his holiness to those around you today? Talk with God about this. 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

   August 20, 2026·15min
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   Number 3: Friday 28 August 2026 - Wise and foolish

   Friday 28 August 2026 Today is Friday the 28th of August, the feast of Saint Augustine, in the 21st week of Ordinary Time. Oculi mei ad Dominum Deum: My eyes are on the Lord God. As you journey through your life, are your eyes on the Lord? Oculi mei ad Dominum Deum Like the deer that yearns for running streams So my soul is yearning for my God My tears have become my bread day and night As I hear it said: 'Where is your God?′ Oculi mei ad Dominum Deum By day the Lord will send His loving Spirit By night I will sing praises to the God of my life Send out Your light and Your truth as my guide To lead me to Your holy ground Oculi mei ad Dominum Deum Then shall I go to the God of my joy Singing praise, praise on the lyre and the harp Why so downcast my soul? Put your hope and trust in my Saviour, my God Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 25:1-13 ‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.’ Wise and foolish. If we tend to arrive late to occasions, we might feel some sympathy for the foolish bridesmaids. In this parable Jesus is speaking about being well prepared for his return, when he will be the bridegroom. The bridesmaids need to trim their lamps to ensure that they have enough light. What preparations might you need to make to ensure that you would be ready for the hour when Jesus returns? When the bridegroom arrives, the wise bridesmaids accompany him into the wedding banquet. Try to imagine the procession of glowing lamps lighting up the hall, the lavish banquet, the joy of the wedding guests as they welcome the bridegroom, adorned in his wedding clothes, and try to imagine the jubilation that will be felt when the long wait is over. As you listen to the reading again, notice the activity of the foolish bridesmaids. Matthew 25:1-13 ‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.’ “Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” On his feast day, we remember St. Augustine as being someone known for overcoming his worldly desires through his passion for the Lord. So, as we approach the end of our prayer time today, consider: how can I keep my heart of love lit, aflame, and ready for the moment when the Lord arrives? 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

   August 28, 2026·15min
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   Number 4: Wednesday 26 August 2026 - A clean heart

   Wednesday 26 August 2026 Today is Wednesday the 26th of August, in the 21st week of Ordinary Time. Paul Zach and Jessica Fox sing, ‘Create in Me’, a setting of Psalm 51. Can you make this your own prayer today? Create in me a clean heart, O Lord Create in me a clean heart, O Lord Against you only I have sinned Done evil in your sight But you have shown me what I’ve done With mercy in your eyes Then wash my shame and guilt away My weary soul renew From all my sinning turn your face Let me return to you Create in me a clean heart, O Lord Create in me a clean heart, O Lord So I will give you what you ask A humble, broken heart A spirit burning down to ash Within your flame, O God And this will be your mercy, Lord Transforming all of me Til every act and every word Your love and glory speaks Create in me a clean heart, O Lord Create in me a clean heart, O Lord Have mercy on me According to your endless love Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 23:27-32 ‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. ‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, and you say, “If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.” Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors.’ In today’s reading we find Jesus confronting the scribes and Pharisees on their outward appearance and the hypocrisy of their inner lives. Tombs in those days were painted white, making them shine, so that no one would touch them by accident and become unclean. Jesus accuses the scribes and pharisees of looking white like these tombs but on the inside filled with the filth of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Imagine now that you are standing in the crowd as Jesus is making his accusations. How do you feel? In your place among the crowd, take a moment to ask yourself the question, “Is there any way in which I am like a whitewashed tomb, looking good on the outside but unclean within? As the reading is read again, continue to imagine that you are with the crowd as they listen. Matthew 23:27-32 ‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. ‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, and you say, “If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.” Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors.’ Jesus says, “Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors.” The scribes and Pharisees have long been rejecting the prophets and will also reject Jesus himself. As we come to an end of our prayer today, picture yourself walking away from this scene, just you, alone with the Lord. Speak with the Lord about any thoughts and feelings that have arisen for you today, as one friend with another. 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

   August 26, 2026·15min
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   Number 5: Saturday 22 August 2026 - God's tender loving gaze

   Saturday 22 August 2026 Welcome to the Saturday Examen. This week we’ve pondered the tenderness of God’s love in Psalm 23 and the enormity and majesty of God’s love in Romans. In our Gospel readings, Jesus challenged us to return that love ‘with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ Begin your prayer today by placing yourself in God’s tender loving gaze. The loving gaze of your Shepherd who leads you to still waters and restores your soul. Breathe in His love for you and allow it to restore your soul. Then consider the beauty and vastness of creation and how you are part of God’s handiwork. Look back over your week. Are you able to recall a time when you experienced either the tenderness or the vastness of God’s love? Thank God for this awareness. And when has it been difficult to experience God’s love? Speak with God about this and ask Him for what you need. As you look to the week ahead, what from today’s prayer might you want to take with you? 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

   August 22, 2026·9min
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