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PEACE AND GRACE
The Martyrdom of the Great Saint Mark, the Apostle The Evangelist of the Land of Egypt (May 8 / Baramouda 30)
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.
You have put gladness in my heart,
For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”
Psalm 4:6-8
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)
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)
Sunday:
Divine Liturgy: 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (registration required)
Monday:
Vespers Prayer: 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (join Zoom here)
Preparation for Baptism (Catechism) Class: 8:00 p.m. (online)
FEAST OF THE RESURRECTION PASCHAL MESSAGES
MAY 2021 MESSAGE FROM FR. MICHAEL
CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN!
We thank our ever-victorious Lord Jesus Christ for allowing us to experience Holy Week and the Feast of the Resurrection inside the Church this year! As is still very fresh in many of our memories, last year’s commemoration of the most holy event on the Church Calendar was streamed and viewed on our screens at home. What a stark difference! It is a reminder that there is no substitute for gathering together in fellowship to worship our Lord inside the Church: to greet each other face-to-face (or at least mask-to-mask), to see and kiss the icons, to smell the incense, and to sing the hymns. As the pandemic environment continues to improve, and we plan for a phased re-opening, let us remember the words of St. Paul who says:
Hebrews 10:24-25 || And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
We also want to thank all who gave their labor of love to make this year’s feast a great success: the deacons who tirelessly sung blessed hymns at all the holy week events, those who made food for the congregation, those who arranged flowers, those who cleaned and decorated the Church, those who set up chairs and tents, those who made sure we had streaming available, and all the others who gave their time and resources to make this year’s feast immensely enjoyable for all! God reward you all with every blessing!
God willing, this month, we will re-start the men’s book club meeting which will be kicked off with a barbeque! Also, as parks begin to open, a Church Picnic with food, games, and fun for the families will be coming up! We’ll keep you updated with more information on dates and times through this newsletter, texts, and on our website: stbasil.net.
In Christ,
Fr. Michael Maximous
949-378-0350
MAY 10 || 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.
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.