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PEACE AND GRACE

Commemoration of the Martyrdom of St. Eudexia (Mar 14 / Baramhat 5)

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Let us not procrastinate till tomorrow. For we ‘know not what the next day may bring forth,’ nor let us say, ‘we shall conquer this habit little by little,’ since this little and little will never come to an end."

St. John Chysostom

SERVICES THIS WEEK

Tuesday:

Vespers Prayer: 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (join Zoom here)

Wednesday:

Vespers Prayer: 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (join Zoom here)

Online Hymn Lessons for our youth: 7:30 p.m. (join Zoom here)

Thursday:

Vespers Prayer: 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (join Zoom here)

Friday:

Vespers Prayer: 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (join Zoom here)

Saturday:

Elementary School Divine Liturgy (1st-5th Grades): 8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School (in person): 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Sunday: 

Divine Liturgy: 8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (registration required)

Sunday School: 12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. (online)

Monday:

Vespers Prayer: 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (join Zoom here)

Preparation for Baptism (Catechism) Class: 8:00 p.m. (online)

MARCH MESSAGE FROM FATHER MICHAEL

Do you remember March last year? It was the start of the shut downs due to the pandemic! For many, this felt like the longest year on record. As we approach the one-year mark of the pandemic’s impact on our society and families, it is becoming clearer every day that there is reason to be cautiously optimistic about the end of the pandemic. Let’s continue to pray with faith and practice the common sense safety measures we have all become accustomed to.

By God’s grace, during the last year our church has pushed through enormous challenges and has remained vibrant through the prayers, service and continued vigilance of members of the congregation. Ever changing conditions was met with online Zoom meetings (including Sunday school), live streaming through YouTube, outdoor liturgies, and other services. Few could have envisioned where we would be today a year later, but I thank God that St. Basil’s is poised to be stronger than ever, with the grace of our ever-victorious Lord Jesus Christ, once things are opened up more fully.

During this blessed time of Lent, we hope to continue Sunday Liturgy registrations, have a new book series on Tuesday nights and Saturday Sunday-School liturgies with in-person lessons for the kiddos. Also, starting next week, there will be Wednesday liturgies from 11:00-1:30PM. We will also work on the logistics of potentially having Holy Week at St. Basil’s this year, God willing, as we approach the feast of the Resurrection! Stay tuned for more information.

March 8th marks the beginning of the fast of the Great Lent in our Coptic Orthodox Church. Our Lord identifies fasting as worthy of rewards when practiced properly in spirit (Matt. 6:18). The Great Fast is a spiritual journey that we take together as a church and that is also a model of the spiritual life. Any journey has common elements: having a clear destination, mapping out the road to get there, packing provisions, and having a strong resolve to reach the destination and not be distracted along the way. This spiritual journey is no different. Our destination is the cross and the resurrection of our Lord where we see, accept and abide in God’s indescribable love. Along the road ahead of us are temptations and trials which may cause us to stumble and fall. However, our Lord is our companion along this excellent journey and we overcome with His fatherly support. We begin this spiritual journey with a look inwardly, that secret place inside of us where our Lord resides, to make a resolve to get to the destination. In short, our Lord is the Beginning of the Journey, our Support along the way, and the ultimate Destination.

God grant us all a blessed and beneficial Lent fast.

Fr. Michael Maximous

949-378-0350

DURING LENT || SUNDAY SCHOOL LITURGIES

As long as God continues to allow us to have the privilege of praying in the Church, we will be starting additional liturgies on Saturdays specifically for the Sunday School classes and their families and servants DURING LENT.  These are separate from the registrations we have for Sunday Liturgies which will continue as usual for the time being. Following the Liturgy, there will be some minimal-contact refreshments followed by an in-person Sunday School lesson. Parents are welcome to stay or visit a nearby Starbucks!

• Saturday March 13, 2021: First through Fifth Grade

• Saturday March 20, 2021: Kindergarten and Preschool

• Saturday March 27, 2021: High School and Junior High School

Please observe all COVID precautions (masks, distancing, sanitizers, etc.) 

MAR 9 || ONLINE COPTIC HYMN LESSONS

Join us online Wednesday nights at 7:30 for Youth Coptic Hymn Lessons.  Those in High School and younger will learn both seasonal and standard hymns and congregational responses that are sung during the Divine Liturgy.  Click here to join.

MAR 15 || PREPARATION FOR BAPTISM (CATECHISM) CLASSES

Join us on ONLINE on Monday nights at 8:00 PM for Baptism preparation classes. These classes are open for: 

• Anyone interested in becoming members of the Coptic Orthodox Church, 

• Those recently baptized (within the last few years), or 

• Simply anyone else seeking to better understand the basics of the Christian Faith and History. 

Together, we will review the importance of baptism and its impact, the Sacraments, the inspiring church history, the Orthodox Creed, the Holy Bible, Orthodox Prayer and Spiritual life, and Church traditions.   Reading material will be provided for those who wish to attend.  To register for this class, please contact Fr. Michael at 949-378-0350 or FrMichaelMaximous@gmail.com.

MAR 21 - APR 25 || PARENTING SERIES

MAR 23 || LENT BOOK SERIES – IN PERSON AND ON ZOOM ONLINE

We excitedly announce our Lent book review series! This year we will be reading a book produced by Fr. Kyrillos Ibrahim titled, “All That I Have is Yours”. This book contains 100 daily meditations each including a prayer, a meditation, and a story of an encounter with St. Pope Kyrillos the Sixth. It is a great book to focus on the Love of God during Lent as we look to the Cross and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Join us at 8:00 PM Tuesday nights at St. Basil’s Church beginning Tuesday, March 23rd . On April 20th , the author will join us for an interview where we will ask him questions about the book. The series will be at church (as long as the COVID numbers continue to be low) but you can also join us online on Zoom by clicking here (passcode: stbasil).

We will have some copies at church for purchase and you can also order the book from smile.amazon.com (be sure to pick “Saint Basil American Coptic Orthodox Church” as the charity of choice!). Try to have your book by March 23rd !

COPTIC EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

CHILDREN’S ART!

Would you like to showcase your child’s talent? Send a photo of the artwork to renisoloman@gmail.com to be included in the next newsletter!

PROFESSIONAL NETWORK

As a reminder, the Professionals LinkedIn group is an easy way to connect and network with fellow members of our community.

COVID-19 HARDSHIP

If you or anyone you know is suffering from hardships related to this virus, or any distress at all, please contact Fr. Michael at 949-378-0350 or FrMichaelMaximous@gmail.com.

Additionally, 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.

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.