Weekly Update 01/25/2021 – Fr. Cyril Gorgy
Beloved Holy Resurrection Church family,
I am praying that you are well and safe.
Year end Statements: Year end statements were emailed on Monday January 25th at approximately 8:30am. Please check your email to ensure you received it. A year end statement letter will also be mailed this week to those with a mailing address on file.
Sunday Divine Liturgy: REGISTRATION to attend Sunday Divine Liturgy is required. Please use this link to submit a request. You will receive an email confirmation with the date and time. Please attend church ONLY on the specified TIME and DATE your confirmation email. Due to limited capacity, seating in the church will be pre-assigned to those who received confirmation. When you arrive, a church servant will guide you to your assigned location.
Wednesday Divine Liturgy: There will be NO Wednesday Divine Liturgies in the month of January. Wednesday Divine Liturgies will resume starting February 3rd.
HRC Fellowship Meeting: The meeting is held on the first Thursday of each month. Please sign up using this link to participate in this monthly meeting.
Texts from HRC: We will be using this phone number (833) 439-9250 to occasionally send important texts. Please save it in your contacts.
Last Sunday’s Sermon: Just as a square peg cannot fill a round hole, neither can the “God-shaped hole” inside each of us be filled by anyone or anything other than God. Today many are feeling empty and depleted. Sometimes that feeling of emptiness is filled by Netflix, eating, drinking or other temporary fillers. The antidote for the spiritual emptiness, is revealed in Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” A yoke is a bar or frame by which two oxen are joined at the necks for the purpose of pulling loads together. The purpose of the yoke is to divide and lighten the load and provide partnership, direction, and pace. When we carry the yoke with God, He lightens the load as He will do the heavy lifting of our burden. He will also provide us direction if we allow Him. He will also provide the right pace for us. Therefore if we are feeling empty, the Lord said ‘COME TO ME’. Start everyday by going to the Lord in prayer to spiritually fill up. Partner with God in carrying the yoke so that He may provide His direction, His will, and the right pace for you.
May our Risen Lord support and protect you and your family by the power of His Holy Resurrection.
Fr. Cyril
“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7
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General Guidelines
Please review and abide by the following guidelines prior to attending church:
- Please STAY HOME IF YOU ARE SICK, or if you have a history or are experiencing symptoms of respiratory illness, including FEVER or COUGH.
- If you have traveled in that last TWO WEEKS, please do not sign up to attend a Divine Liturgy until, TWO WEEKS have passed since you returned and you do not have any COVID19 symptoms, or you have been tested negative twice.
- If you were in direct contact with anyone that tested positive for COVID-19, please do not sign up or come to the church services, whether with symptoms or not, until you are tested negative.
- If you test positive please do not sign up or come to the church services until you are tested negative, for two consecutive tests, regardless of the time it takes to be tested negative twice.
- You should attend the Divine Liturgy at the church you regularly attend.
- Every church will take all the precautions necessary to ensure your safety, but your attendance is entirely your choice, and the church does not accept any liability.
When you come to church:
- Arrive on time. The church gate will ONLY be open at the beginning of the service and will remain closed for the duration. No one will be permitted to open the church door other than the church servant assigned by the clergy.
- Your body temperature may be taken prior to entering the church.
- You should wear a mask and gloves at all times during the service.
- You should sanitize your hands when entering the church.
Inside the Church:
- You must keep a minimum distance of 6 feet at all times between you and others that are not in your household.
- Each family (same household) should seated together.
- Children will stand with their parents even if they are deacons.
- Please do not touch anything or anyone inside the church including icons, relics, clergy, and deacons, etc.
- For Ologea (Al Barka), the priest will wash his hands, cut it and distribute it. You will take it with your hand without touching the priest.
- After Liturgy, we need to stagger exiting from the church as individuals or families to ensure we maintain social distancing guidelines.
Partaking of the Eucharist:
- Please bring your own head covering, corporeal (for communion) and water to use for partaking of the Eucharist.
- Each family should come forward together to receive the Eucharist. As every family is approaching please maintain 6’ away from other families.
- During communion, you will remove your mask, open your mouth wide and have your tongue lay flat so the priest can place the Holy Body on your tongue.
- When taking the Holy Blood, open your mouth wide and the priest will pour the Blood from the spoon into your mouth.