Weekly Update 08/04/2020 – Fr. Cyril Gorgy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beloved Holy Resurrection Church family,

I miss you and am praying that you are well and safe.  Wishing you and your family a blessed St Mary’s fast, which starts this Friday, August 7 up to the feast of St Mary on August 22nd.  May her intercession be with us all.

On behalf of the HRC family we convey our condolences to the Nakhla family for the departure of our beloved deacon, Refaat Nakhla.  We pray that the Lord repose his soul in the paradise of joy and comfort his family. 

God willing we will be praying all Divine Liturgies outdoors in the second parking lot.  Please bring your own foldable chair, if possible. All participants are expected to read and STRICTLY follow the General Guidelines below.  No registration will be required for this Wednesday and Sunday. Parking will be limited and therefore carpooling is encouraged.  The Wednesday Divine Liturgy is from 7-9am and Sunday is from 8-10:15am.  All other services will continue to be conducted virtually. 

Last Sunday we commemorated Christ raising Lazarus from the dead and the feast of St Joseph the Carpenter. A frequently asked question is, why does a good God allow bad and evil and pain and suffering in this world.  Sometimes we are the source of other’s suffering that cause others to ask why God allows pain and suffering in the world.  Therefore to eliminate pain and suffering, God will need to eliminate you and I, since we sometimes contribute to the suffering of others. 

We learned that instead of eliminating pain and suffering and darkness in this world, God shines His light in the darkness John 1:4.  Saint Joseph endured many hardships during the difficult journey of leading the Holy Family from Bethlehem to Egypt then back to Israel.  However what comforted him was beholding the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, that shined in the darkness.  Also by His Divine words, Christ could have healed Lazarus, as He did with the Canaanite woman’s daughter, the Centurion’s servant, and the Capernaum official’s son.  But we find that Christ allowed Lazarus to die only to  raise him from the dead after four days.  In doing so we find that Christ shined His light in the midst of Mary and Martha’s darkness, and turned their mourning into joy.  We pray that the Lord shines His light in the midst of the darkness in today’s world and in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

May our Risen Lord support and protect you, and your family by the power of His Holy Resurrection.  Missing you very much. 

For His Glory,

Fr. Cyril

 

 

 

 

+ 

 

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.
  • 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.

 

 

 

NO SOCIAL GATHERINGS AT CHURCH OR IN THE PARKING LOT FOR ANY REASON