Icons of the Resurrection

Holy and Easter Week Formation with the Rev. Cn. Mary June Nestler

We're blessed to have the Reverend Canon Mary June Nestler back with us for Holy Week this year! During her time back at St. Mark's, she'll be teaching a variety of formation offerings. All are welcome to attend any or all of the sessions, and if you have any books with icons, please do bring them to share.

The Icons of Holy Week and Easter: Drawing Closer to Christ in Art
Saturday, March 28 at 1 p.m.

The Rev. Canon Mary June Nestler will lead a quiet afternoon in the Cathedral sanctuary preparing our hearts and minds to experience the liturgies of Holy Week from Palm Sunday through Easter Saturday. We will focus on the icons, or holy paintings, that are traditional in Eastern Orthodox churches and which are becoming better appreciated in the West as windows into the Divine.

Each hour we will study an icon of a Holy Week event.  Discussion and a time of meditative prayer will follow. Each hour will end with a hymn. The icons will be distributed to each person, along with questions for private reflection as we walk with Christ through the upcoming liturgies of Holy Week and Easter.

Schedule:

  • 1-5 p.m.: Presentations and Meditations 

  • 5 p.m.: Light in the Darkness Contemplative Eucharist

Icons of the Resurrection: Easter Week Discussions
April 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11

Yes, we will have weekday Eucharists and Light in the Darkness on Saturday in the week following Easter Day, unlike in previous years! The weekday Masses will be followed by a half hour of discussion, and Saturday's Light in the Darkness service will be preceded by a full hour of discussion and reflection. There will also be a special evening time (April 8 at 6:30 p.m.) to allow those who may be engaged during the day to attend. The evening time will cover the same ground as the weekday discussions.

All of these sessions will focus on two things: one or more icons of the Resurrection and reflections on our experiences during the Holy Week liturgies we attended. What feeling arose in us? What stayed with us from the sermons we heard? Did we hear anything new as we journeyed with Christ in this final week? How have we been changed? What theological questions remain in our hearts?  

Schedule:

  • Tuesday, April 7: Eucharist at 12:10 p.m., discussion to follow.

  • Wednesday, April 8: Special evening session at 6:30 p.m.

  • Thursday, April 9: Eucharist at 12:10 p.m., discussion to follow.

  • Friday, April 10: Eucharist at 12:10 p.m., discussion to follow.

  • Saturday, April 11: Discussion at 4 p.m., Light in the Darkness to follow.

Looking Ahead: The Icons of the Easter Season
Sunday, April 12 at 9:15 a.m.

The Rev, Canon Mary June Nestler will end her teaching time this visit with us with this final session looking at the icons of the traditional biblical stories read on Sundays during Eastertide. What is the Easter message, and how are we meant to share it? How can these icons illuminate our path to joyous discipleship?