Weekly Update - April 12
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PEACE AND GRACE
The Appearance of the Lord to Thomas the Apostle after His Resurrection (Apr 14 / Baramouda 6)
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”
John 14:5-6
SERVICES THIS WEEK
Tuesday:
Liturgy: 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Vespers Prayer: 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (join Zoom here)
Lent Book Series: 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. (in person and zoom)
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:
Sunday School Divine Liturgy (High School & Junior High): 8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Sunday School (in person): 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Sunday:
Divine Liturgy: 8:30 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)
HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE
God willing, we will be celebrating Holy Week at Church this year, so long as the COVID infection numbers continue to drop. Please check back here in this weekly newsletter (or www.stbasil.net/announcements) for the schedule and registration information!
Friday, April 23, 2021 (Last Friday of Lent Liturgy)
Saturday, April 24, 2021 (Lazarus Saturday Liturgy)
Sunday, April 25, 2021 (Palm Sunday Liturgy & General Funeral)
April 25th - April 29th (Pascha Praises)
Thursday, April 29, 2021 (Covenant Thursday Liturgy)
Friday, April 30, 2021 (Good Friday)
Saturday, May 1, 2021 (Apocalypse Night/Joyous Saturday)
Sunday May 2, 2021 (Feast of the Resurrection)
APR 13 || 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 !
APR 14 || 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.
DURING LENT || SUNDAY SCHOOL LITURGIES
God willing, we will continue to have 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 (8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.) there will be some minimal-contact refreshments followed by an in-person Sunday School lesson (11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.). Parents are welcome to stay or visit a nearby Starbucks!
Saturday April 3, 2021: First through Fifth Grade
Saturday April 10, 2021: Kindergarten and Preschool
Saturday April 17, 2021: High School and Junior High School
We want to thank all the amazing students, servants, and parents who made the last cycle of Sunday School liturgies (8:30 – 11:00) and in-person classes a great success! The kiddos (and the parents) truly enjoyed getting back together again face-to-face (or at least mask-to-mask)! God willing, normal in-person instruction, events, and activities will resume soon, through your prayers. Please continue to observe all COVID precautions (masks, distancing, sanitizers, etc.)
APR 19 || 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.
APR 25 || PARENTING SERIES (13-17 YEARS)
COPTIC EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
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.