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+Christ has Ascended! From Earth to Heaven!+
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the earth.
May the glory of the LORD endure forever.”
Psalm 104:30-31
ONLINE SERVICES THIS WEEK
Tuesday:
Vespers Prayer: 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Bible Study: 7:45 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday:
Vespers Prayer: 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Thursday:
Vespers Prayer: 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Friday:
Vespers Prayer: 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Sunday (Holy Feast of Pentecost):
Sunday Bible and Synaxarium Readings and Sermon: 11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Sunday School: 12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Monday (Start of the Apostles’ Fast):
Vespers Prayer: 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
BLESSED FEAST OF PENTECOST
On this day, the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples as tongues of fire, through which they were able to speak in different tongues and preach the news entrusted to them by our Lord Jesus Christ. This gift is the promise of the Father to the human race. After the Son reconciled the Father with the human race by giving Himself up as a sacrifice on the Holy Cross, and after giving our human body the capability of living with God through His Ascension, God the Father poured on us the grace and blessings of the Holy Spirit, allowing us to live by the Spirit with God while we’re still on earth.
May the blessings of this feast be with us all. Amen.
THE APOSTLES’ FAST || JUNE 8 - JULY 11
On Monday, June 8 we start the Apostles’ Fast - a fast of thanksgiving to God for the gifts of the Holy Spirit that the Apostles received. It served a purpose of preparing them for the service of preaching to the world. May the blessing of the fast and feasts of the Apostles be with us, strengthen us, and establish us in Christ. Amen.
ONLINE SERVICES FOR COVID-19 SHELTER-IN
During these unprecedented times, we believe that it's more important than ever that we all continue to receive spiritual nourishment. While we may not be able to attend church in person, we hope that we can grow and strengthen the churches within our homes.
Therefore, we have set up a series of online video sessions for both prayer and spiritual edification, so that you and your family can join from your home.
All events can be found here: http://stbasil.net/covid19-services
COVID-19 RESOURCES
The servants of St. Basil have put together a list of spiritual, financial, educational, and employment resources that you may find helpful during the COVID-19. We hope that it is helpful. You can download the PDF here.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN || “LITTLE FLOCK” LESSONS
For our children in elementary school, the Diocese plans to have weekly Sunday school lessons live on Logos TV on Sunday evenings at 4:00 PM. These lessons are provided by some of the best servants in the Diocese. The first series of three weeks will focus on God as our refuge and fortress (Psa. 91:2). The final week will be a wonderful overview of Holy Pascha week for our children.
These lessons will include lessons from the Bible with visuals, application and memory verse memorization, arts and crafts, puppet shows, and much more. We hope this can engage our children during this time. We also hope that parents can watch along side their children, to ask questions to make sure they are retaining and applying the information in their lives.
ST. BASIL WELCOME PORTAL
Do you know about our Welcome Portal? You can use it to register as a member, update existing contact information, volunteer for a church service, make a donation, contact Father Michael, or provide private comments/questions/suggestions. Try it out:
FAMILY HOME VISITS
Father Michael is offering home visits for anyone who is interested. Please reach out to him directly to schedule a visit.
Phone: 949-378-0350
Email: FrMichaelMaximous@gmail.com
HELP WITH AMAZON SMILE
If you are looking into other ways to support our church, the AmazonSmile Foundation offers an easy way to give while browsing the Amazon shop. It will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases, at no cost to you. To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com (you may want to add a bookmark to make it easier to return). You will see eligible products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on the product detail pages. If you already own an Amazon account you can use the same account for AmazonSmile. On your first visit, please select “Saint Basil American Coptic Orthodox Church” as your charity of choice. Amazon will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make will result in a donation for our church. Thank you so much for your love and support.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Please let us know if you have any upcoming important events for us to share with our fellow congregants. Special events are best shared among our family, and we encourage you to share your special news with us.
FOOD & CLEAN-UP
If you would like to help with food for our weekly Agape Meal please sign up through the links below. For questions please reach out to Erene at erenepasi@gmail.com
Thank you to all who have contributed and helped make the agape meal a special time for everyone. We need as many volunteers as possible to keep the church clean on Sundays after the Divine Liturgy. Please consider this important expression of stewardship.