Come receive the light from the unwaning light, and glorify Christ, Who has risen from the dead.
-Paschal Hymn from the Holy Resurrection Service
“The dark” can be a very daunting environment. As a child I believed that the only reason I feared the dark was the possibility I was not alone, and a monster may jump out of the closet; however, looking back, I believe that this was simply a foreshadow of a fear which comes from a much more profound reality.
In the dark we feel isolated, and in this perceived state of loneliness we are forced to realize that when confronted with variables, including closet monsters, we will not be able to handle them on our own! By ourselves, when in isolation, we are not able to overcome the adversities which approach us at varied moments in our lives; from closet monsters to the adolescent and adult insecurities that breed despair.
How blessed I was as a young child that my parent’s bedroom was within “screaming distance,” and my mother would answer my pleas for help and comforting. Although I could hear her footsteps approaching from the hallway it was not until my mother entered into my room that I would immediately find relief, being filled with security and joy. Even before she would turn on the light in my room, my trust that after opening the door she was in my room was all that I needed to overcome the fear of closet monsters; not because I thought the monster had left, but because I believed that being together with my mom – the monsters could not harm me!
How blessed we are as children of God, that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the Light of the world (John 8:12), and if we have faith in Him, we will never exist in the isolation of spiritual darkness where insecurities lead many into despair, but we will truly live lives united with Christ, through the Body of Christ, which experiences life filled with hope and love. Have faith that Christ has entered into the darkened room of your soul, and with the great and eternal Light of God, there is nothing that can harm us!
Christ is Risen from the dead, by death He has trampled down death, and to
those in the tomb, bestowed life!
To the glory of God, many of our church members have worked tirelessly to bring the church renovation project to a speedy completion, and our community will experience the fruit of their labors this weekend. Services this weekend will be held within the church building, after almost two months of celebrating Divine Services in the
Constantine & Evanthia Community Center church hall. All are welcome to join us for Divine Services; this weekend's schedule of services are as follows:
2nd Saturday of the Souls
8:00am Orthros (Matins)
9:00am Divine Liturgy
Sunday Divine Services
9:00am Orthros (Matins)
10:00am Divine Liturgy
May our Lord bless us and accept our prayers!
Many times we hear Christians refer to a personal relationship with God, and this statement has always perplexed me. Personal Relationship?… confusing words, indicating that a relationship with God could take any form and carry any structure of dynamics, either initiated or desired by the individual involved. With this imaginative parameter, or lack thereof, the individual dictates the relationship; its dynamics and terms; therefore, dangerously inferring that the individual person establishes the relationship, not God. As biblically-centered people of faith, we understand this is an impossibility as God Himself initiated our relationship by creating us out of nothing, and He has continued to engage His people through His Word, which is eternal.
The Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, which after the journey of Great Lent we will celebrate together at the end of next month, enhances the reality that God sent His Son in the same fashion, for all of mankind; as our Lord and Savior, to save us from the oppression of death, and provide rebirth through the Light and experience of His Resurrection. This reality, recognized in faith, both solidifies the Biblical portrayal of our relationship to God as His servants, and establishes our relationship to God as His children. Any personalization that occurs is in the form of how quickly, and in what fashion, we choose to recognize and commit to these roles. Ultimately we pray that this relationship with God will lead to the reception of His great mercy, and the eternal experience of His love and energies in the Kingdom of Heaven.
As members of the Body of Christ, we are privileged to participate and experience the authentic ‘personal relationship’ with God each time the Divine Liturgy is celebrated. Foretaste of the experience awaiting us in the Kingdom is found in the Eucharist – coming into union with God by receiving the Body and Blood of Christ! In His Church, we find the forum and medium to experience the personal relationship with God in the most authentic way, through the sacraments, most primarily in the reception of Holy Communion. Therefore, the reference to a ‘personal relationship’ with God may be used when referring to those who recently were sanctified by receiving Holy Communion, a vast difference from imaginative, individualized, self-established relationships with God.
Let us focus, as individual members of the Body of Christ, on (re)establishing our ‘personal relationship with God’ by preparing and receiving Holy Communion in Christ’s Holy Church! With the fear of God, faith, and love draw near…
Note: the biblical understanding of the Master – servant or Father - child relationship
encompasses all references and images of God found in Orthodox Christian tradition, including but not limited to: Physician (Holy Unction Service), Artificer (Baptism Service), and Merciful Master (The Blessing of the Loaves Service).
+Fr Luke Palumbis
“I believe in frequent Communion, not casual Communion…”
Metropolitan Kalistos Ware
Metropolis of S.F. Clergy Laity Assembly Address 2008
Let us focus on the on-going miracle which takes place in the Holy Eucharist by preparing to receive the Body & Blood of our Lord God & Savior Jesus Christ. With recognition of this awesome gift, presented to us by God through His Church, our souls should yearn for the experience of Holy Communion each and every week! Honor this great honor by approaching with the fear of God, faith and love, not only in the final moments as your approach the chalice, but in the coming days which lead to the prayers of the Divine Liturgy. Each day of our life should be shepherded by love, faith, and the fear of God, and with this Christian lifestyle we will not only prepare ourselves for the miracle and grace of Holy Communion, but we will shine the Light of God into the world, by manifesting His grace throughout the world and into the hearts of mankind. Through the chalice, may our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ continue to sanctify us and forgive us of our sins.
Today began the carpet installation in the church renovation process. Due to the phenomenal Christian stewardship of some of our Saint Basil family members, all of the preparatory efforts were completed prior to the installers arrival—making the entire process easier. Tomorrow the carpet installation is scheduled for completion, and the process of reinstalling the pews will continue, with the stellar efforts of our own parishioners, under the leadership of Parish Council member Rick Gaines, who has been extraordinary through out this entire process of renovation.
With much of the carpet now down in the church building, the new iconography is truly highlighted to an even greater extent—offering glory to God through the veneration of His saints.
We are tentatively scheduled to be back in the church building for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, March 9th. All are welcome to experience the beauty of God’s Church!
“The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”
Gospel Account of John 12:8
Jesus’ response when asked by Judas Iscariot why expensive ointment, which was being used to anoint Him, was not being sold and used for the poor, provides us with an insight into our approaching Him through worship, and the environments in which worship takes place. To authentically worship God is a sacred experience, which sanctifies the worshiper and brings joy to the Lord.
To process of this blessed experience. Most profoundly, we prepare ourselves internally to express our dependence on the Lord, and then with thankful hearts and minds, receive His gifts of love and sanctification through His Church. Furthermore, as we prepare for sacred worship experience, externally we prepare ourselves to the best of our ability to approach the Lord with honor and respect, as we enter into an experience of the Lord Himself! The external preparation is secondary to the internal, and the very participation of the worshipper; however, when a particular level of spiritual maturity is achieved, the externals may become manifestations of the internal – proclaiming externally the internal presence to approach worship, with the fear of God, faith, and love… (From the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom).
In addition to our individual preparation, the environment of the worship experience must be addressed to the best of the worshiper’s ability. Sacred space is central to Orthodox Christian tradition, and is manifest in the beauty of Orthodox worship environments, whether found in an established church building, complete with iconography and sacred vessels of worship, an outdoor chapel that is neatly maintained, or a home altar where family prayers are offered on a daily basis. Any space where a person of faith offers themselves
to God is sacred and it is the responsibility of the worshipper(s) to maintain and beautify this space as a way of honoring the Lord, and the experience He expends to us through worship. This is our modern Christian experience of emulating Lazarus’ sister Mary, who anointed the Lord’s feet with costly ointment (John 12:3).
May our Father in heaven look favorably upon our humble efforts to beautify the sacred space of Saint Basil Greek Orthodox Christian Church with this current phase of iconography, which we offer for His glorification and the veneration of His saints!
After the interior flooding of our church, the reconditioning process continues to progress—new carpeting has been ordered, pew damage is being addresses, and the current iconography phase is now complete! We are anticipating at least another month before the reconditioning is complete, and until completion we will continue to worship in the hall on Sunday mornings. In these times, let us focus on the simplicity and humility of worship as we pray the Divine Liturgy together in the setting of our community hall.
NOTE: Liturgy this Saturday, in commemoration and celebration of the Presentation of the Lord, will not take place at St Basil’s, rather, all are encouraged to worship at our neighboring parish of the Annunciation, in Modesto, CA, where Fr. Luke will serve together with regional Vicar and Protopresbyter, the Rev. Fr Jon Magoulias. Divine Services will begin at 8:30am.
The entire Orthodox Christian community of faithful mourns the recent falling asleep of the servant of God, His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece. Archbishop Christodoulos was truly a man of God, who served Christ’s Church with dynamic strength and vision. As a family, the community of Saint Basil Greek Orthodox Christian Church, will pray the memorial service for Archbishop Christodoulos this Sunday, February 3rd. Truly, the falling asleep of His Beatitude has left a great void—let us pray for his peaceful repose, and may his memory be eternal!
After suffering damage due to internal flooding, our beautiful church building is continuing the process of reconditioning; specifically the carpets and some pews. Until this process is completed, divine worship services will continue to be held in the Constantine & Evanthia Community Center church hall. This reconditioning, although inconvenient, does allow for a larger work space as it coincides with the installation of our current iconography phase; the addition of 40 saints, narthex icons, and behind the baptismal font. Many, both from within the Saint Basil community and visitors alike, have come and witnessed this blessed process of iconographical ministry. The lighting within the interior niches, where the new icons are being installed, is also being transformed to best compliment the mosaics. When we are able to reenter the church building for worship, after the reconditioning process, this iconography phase will be complete. We look forward to the edification of the Divine Liturgy each week regardless of its location, yet we particularly are anxious to again experience the additional blessing of celebrating the Divine Liturgy within the environment of our beautiful church building—especially with the addition of this blessed iconography phase! All are welcome to come and experience the blessings of the Lord!
It is truly a blessing that the Saint Basil community is progressing with the iconography in the sanctuary. All iconography in our beautiful church is mosaic, and we are continuing in this specific tradition, with the continued work of iconographer, Mr. Robert Andrews. The mosaic icons have been produced at his workshop in Italy, and just this morning arrived in Stockton. Mr. Andrews will be working on the installation process through out the next 10 days, and we anxiously look forward to this new phase in our iconographic scheme. Feel free to drop by the church over the next week and witness this spiritual ministry!
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