SAiNT BASiL the GREAT Orthodox Church CLERGY Archpriest Sergii Alekseev, Parish Rector Archpriest Martin Swanson, Dean Protopriest Radomir Chkautovich Deacon Ephraim Galloway January 2021 Deacon Thomas Nichols Schedule of Services • Chrismation of Nora Resz The Entry of the Theotokos into the Sat. Jan. 2 1 0:30 a.m. • Sunday before Nativity; Holy Hierarch Temple at St. Basil’s Peter, Metropolitan of Kiev Sat. Jan. 2 5 p.m. Vigil Sun. Jan. 3 1 0 a.m. Divine Liturgy Kontakion of the Feast of the Entry of • Nativity of the Lord the Theotokos into the Temple Wed. Jan. 6 9 a.m. Royal Hours for Nativity Wed. Jan. 6 6 p.m. Vigil Thur. Jan. 7 9 a.m. Divine Liturgy The most pure temple of the Savior, • Sunday after Nativity the most precious bridal-chamber Sat. Jan. 9 5 p.m. Vigil Sun. Jan. 1 0 1 0 a.m. Divine Liturgy and Virgin, the sacred treasury of the • Holy Hierarch Basil the Great and glory of God, is on this day brought Circumcision of the Lord into the house of the Lord, bringing Wed. Jan. 1 3 6 p.m. Vigil Thur. Jan. 1 4 8:1 5 a.m. Moleben for Blessing of with her the grace that is in the Water Divine Spirit. And the angels of God Thur. Jan. 1 4 9 a.m. Divine Liturgy • Baptism of Jackie Peck chant praise unto her: she is the Sat. Jan. 1 6 1 0 a.m. heavenly tabernacle • Sunday before Theophany Sat. Jan. 1 6 5 p.m. Vigil Sun. Jan. 1 7 1 0 a.m. Divine Liturgy • Theophany Mon. Jan. 1 8 9 a.m. Royal Hours for Theophany Mon. Jan. 1 8 6 p.m. Vigil (Greater Blessing Water at the conclusion of the Vigil) Tue. Jan. 1 9 8 a.m. Divine Liturgy (Greater Blessing Water at the conclusion of the Liturgy) • Sunday after Theophany, Venerable Theodosius the Great Sat. Jan. 23 5 p.m. Vigil Sun. Jan. 24 1 0 a.m. Divine Liturgy • Holy Hierarchs Athanasius and Cyril of Alexandria Sat. Jan. 30 5 p.m. Vigil Sun. Jan. 31 1 0 a.m. Divine Liturgy New Catechumen at St. Basil’s Amidst a world-wide pandemic, Andrew is pictured on the right many people continue to seek receiving a blessing from out the Orthodox Church and Archpriest Sergii with his are eager to learn about the sponsor, Deacon Thomas by Holy Mysteries of the Church in his side. Let us pray that the order to prepare uniting Holy Spirit continues to guide themselves to our Church. catechumen Andrew as he Amongst those is Catechumen continues in his Andrew Hosna who was made catechumenate. a catechumen on Dec. 6th. Parishioner Joseph Steineger, philosophy around and used as a portion of payment professor at Lindenwood University, led a for the commissioning of a hand-written Commissioned Icon handful of St. Basil’s parishioners in a icon of St. John of Damascas to present for St. Basil’s summer course dedicated to the study of to the church. The icon was written in the philosophical and theological Serbia by an iconographer, who despite for all to venerate. teachings of St. John of Damascus and, having contracted and recovered from more broadly speaking, those of the COVID-1 9, was able to complete the icon Our church needs hand-written icons. You Church as a whole. The students and ship it to St. Basil’s. Archpriest Sergii can be one of the benefactors who could presented Dr. Steineger with a monetary blessed the icon after Divine Liturgy on help us adorn the temple with beautiful gift as a thank you for his labors, with Dec. 6th and the icon now hangs in the iconography. which Professor Steineger then turned back right corner of the nave of the church May God grant Olga many years! Princess of Russia Olga because, Baptism at St. Basil’s after the loss of my father, religion Q: Where are you from? became much more important to me St. Basil’s received a new member of A: Saint Louis and she is the patron saint of converts and widows the Orthodox Church on Saturday Q: What brought you to Orthodoxy? Dec 1 2th when catechumen Sarah A; I was looking for a traditional Q: What is your favorite thing about Mueller was Baptized as Olga, in religion that held itself to a high being Orthodox? honor of Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles standard A: My favorite thing about Orthodoxy Great Princess of Russia Olga and Q: Is anyone else in your family is the tight knit community it fosters. I feel like I’ve known everyone for my put on the white garment of salvation. Orthodox? whole life Not all have had the pleasure of A: I am the only Orthodox person Q: What are you most excited about in meeting Olga, therefore, below is an Q: Who is your patron saint and why your new Orthodox life? interview where we can learn more did you choose her? A: I’m most excited for my first Pascha about our new sister in the Church. A: Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Great as a baptized parishioner Q: Do you have any plans to serve the church in some capacity? A: I plan to continue my service in the choir and hopefully welcoming new parishioners when they visit Q: Is there anything else you would like for the parish to know about you? A: I want the parish to know how much I appreciate their friendliness and the different cultures we celebrate candy and small toys as gifts from St. St. Nicholas Visits Nicholas. The children even had a St. Basil’s brief visit from the saint while they enjoyed juice and crackers in the The feast of Holy Hierarch Nicholas church hall. The feast of St. Nicholas was celebrated at St. Basil’s on is highly anticipated by children and Saturday Dec. 1 9th with Vigil the night adults since it is usually accompanied before and Divine Liturgy Saturday by a small celebration of joy and gifts morning. There was a small socially in preparation for the quickly distanced celebration for the children approaching Nativity of the Christ. of the parish where they received should be done. If the person is not Let us review how we received Holy Ask Your Priest sure how to do it, it is best not to do it Communion. We go up the steps of at all, out of fear of upsetting the hand the amvon calmly, holding our hands Q: I've noticed that in other Orthodox which holds the Chalice. crossed on our chest. We do not churches, after communion, people kiss make the sign of the Cross when we both the chalice and the priests hand after The Church offers us this image: we are in front of the Chalice. We open communing. Why is kissing the priest's venerate the edge of the Chalice as our mouth slowly and wide enough for the side of Christ from which flows His the priest to place the Holy Spoon hand not a practice at St. Basil's? Also, in Most Precious Blood. We also with the Body and Blood of the Lord general, what is the significance of kissing venerate the Chalice in gratitude to into our mouth. Once the priest places the chalice and, in some cases, the Him Who nourishes us with the Food the Spoon in our mouth we slowly priest's hand after communing? of Immortality (and clergy do that in close our mouth and the priest the altar when they receive Holy removes the Spoon from our mouth. A: When we approach the Dreadful Communion). Apparently, one could Having received Holy Communion, Mysteries of Christ we must be make an argument that the same logic and once the deacons have finished composed, avoid any jerky could be applied to the practice of wiping our lips, we venerate the edge movements or anything unexpected. venerating the priest's hand which of the Chalice which the priest lifts to While administering Holy Communion holds the Chalice. This, however, is the level of our lips and go to the to the faithful the priest is very not a practice in the Russian Church. zapivka table where we eat a piece of concentrated, since his goal is to prosphora and drink from the cup impart to the communicant the most If we endeavor to venerate the hand some wine mixed with warm water. precious there is in the world. of the priest when he does not expect After we receive Holy Communion Therefore, there should be nothing it, we may inadvertently push his hand and before we take zapivka we do not unexpected happening at the time. If and thus endanger the Holy talk, do not venerate icons or engage the tradition is to venerate the base of Communion in the Chalice. in non-verbal communications with the Holy Chalice, then only that other people. Parish Prayer List Archimandrite Seraphim — Health Archpriest Andrei Papkov — Recovery Nadia Danett — Health Catechumen Jackie (Xenia) Peck — Health Sophia Shipton — Health Keep our parishioners, and those who ask us to pray for them in your prayers this month. Contact Fr. Sergii to have yourself or your loved ones added to the parish prayer list. Let one of the Fathers know if you, a member of your family, or a friend is ill or hospitalized so that appropriate prayers and visits can be arranged. Please note: Hospitals do not notify clergy of patients, even if you list yourself as a parish member.