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PEACE AND GRACE
Commemoration of the Departure of St. Anastasia (February 3 / Tobe 26)
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
He guards all his bones;
Not one of them is broken.”Psalm 34:19 - 20
SERVICES THIS WEEK
Wednesday:
Liturgy: 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Friday:
Youth Online Hymn Meeting: 7:00 p.m. (Contact Mariam G. 562-456-6067 or clicking here to join!)
Saturday:
Vespers Raising of Incense: 7:00 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.
Sunday (Visit of Bishop Abraham):
Divine Liturgy: 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (ONLINE Sunday School at noon)
Monday:
Preparation for Baptism (Catechism) Class: 8:00 p.m. (online)
UPDATE || COVID PRECAUTIONS
The infection numbers are finally leveling off and we have re-started Wednesday Liturgies and Vesper prayers at St. Basil’s. God willing, we will resume in-person Sunday school (with masks and outdoors if possible) soon. For now, the following measures are still in place.
No in-person Sunday school for now. Sunday school will be online so please contact your Sunday school servants for the online link.
No entry into the church without a mask
We will be postponing the Nativity choir and play until a later date
Let us also be reminded of the safety measures we have practiced previously:
What to Bring to Church:
Masks
Bottled water for after communion
Hand sanitizer
Cloth for head coverings and for after taking communion.
At Church:
Please wear a mask at all times except the moment of Communion
Try to maintain a minimum of six (6) feet from anyone outside of your household
Children will stand with their parents even if they are deacons.
Communion:
There will be a chair at the front of the altar to sit. Either kneel or sit on the chair if you cannot kneel.
Lean head back and open wide so the priest can place the Body and then separately the Blood into your mouth without coming into contact with the priest’s hands.
After Communion, drink your own bottled water. The ologea (Al Baraka) will be provided for each household.
Go down the stairs and immediately leave the church.
Please stay home if you:
Have any flu-like symptoms, or
Have a history of respiratory diseases, or
Have anyone in your household that has symptoms.
NO SOCIAL GATHERINGS AT CHURCH OR IN THE PARKING LOT FOR ANY REASON
GOD KEEP YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES SAFE AND IN GOOD HEALTH AND GRANT A SPEEDY AND FULL RECOVERY TO THOSE WHO ARE SICK.
If you have any questions, please contact Fr. Michael at 949-378-0350.
FEB 6 || VISIT OF HIS GRACE BISHOP ABRAHAM
His Grace Bishop Abraham, will be visiting St. Basil’s on Sunday February 6, 2022. Be sure to attend to receive his blessings and to meet him after the liturgy.
If you have a son whom you with to receive the honor and blessing of being ordained a chanter-deacon in the church. Typically, he will be at least 6 or 7 years old so he can stand by himself in an focused manner. If interested, please observe the following:
Parents are committed to bringing the child to church on Sunday and on time.
Provide the name of the child to Fr. Michael Maximous (949-378-0350).
At a minimum, the child should know the following four hymns. Click Here to practice them in English. If they know them in Coptic, that would be great too!
Alleluia This Is The Day
Amen Amen Amen Your Death O Lord
May Their Holy Blessings
As It Was
Come to vespers on 02/05/22 to be tested after Vespers
If you have a daughter that wishes to be blessed as a deaconess, please observe the above and bring the child prior to the end of matins on 11/14/21 (prior to 9:00 AM). Also, if you are an adult and wish to have this blessing, please contact Fr. Michael!
CONGRATULATIONS MARIA!
Congratulations to Maria Martinez for her baptism on Saturday at St. John’s Coptic Orthodox Church! God grant you every spiritual success in your journey with Christ!
Ezekiel 36:25-27
25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
2021 TAXES
If you have made a non-monetary donation to St. Basil’s, please reach out to Richard Marcos soon at 626-695-7870
FEB 12 || PRE-MARITAL COURSE
A Pre-marital Course will be hosted by St. John Coptic Orthodox Church on February 12, 2022 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, PST. There will be discussions for couples that are considering marriage and are engaged. This day is designed to help couples address how they feel about certain topics, and give them the tools that they need to build a strong foundation for a happy future together.
Please RSVP by February 10th 2022 by filling out this google form.
ONLINE HYMNS LESSONS!
The Coptic Orthodox Church has hundreds of hymns that are beautiful, ancient and powerful in moving the soul! When sung, not just by deacons, but by every member of the church, they can uplift the spirit and mind to a place where the angels are! These hymns are rich tradition that we have inherited and now it is our responsivity to provide them to our children.
Please encourage your child to join us online to learn these hymns every Friday at 7:00PM by clicking here!
PREPARATION FOR BAPTISM (CATECHISM) CLASSES
Join us on ONLINE on Monday nights at 8:00 PM for Baptism preparation classes. Visit www.stbasil.net/baptism for more information. 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.
PROFESSIONAL NETWORK
As a reminder, the Professionals LinkedIn group is an easy way to connect and network with fellow members of our community.
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 and visit our Welcome Portal.
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.