November 10, 2022

Glory to Jesus Christ!  Glory to Him forever!

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ!

Hard to believe that it is November and we are almost in the Nativity Fast which begins on Tuesday, Nov. 15. As we prepare to celebrate the Nativity of our Lord, we have a long list of tasks to be accomplished and a few directions:

This Saturday we will have a cleaning day at St. Basil’s. Since Fr. Elias will be in Tulsa serving Liturgy for the Byzantine Catholic Outreach in Tulsa, Liz Freiberg will be directing the work which consists primarily of deep cleaning in preparation for the Nativity Fast and Christmas. Whatever is not completed will be done in the next few weeks. If you are unable to come and help out, but can come on another day, please contact Fr. Elias to set up a time and day. We may have small buildings and a compact property, but there is plenty to do in upkeep, repair and cleaning. Thank you for giving of your time so generously!

The garbage pick up day by the city of Irving has changed. Our garbage is picked up on Thursday mornings. That means we are not allowed to put garbage out by the road until Wednesday evening. Putting garbage out earlier will incur a fine from the city. The garbage will be bagged tight and placed outside of the hall door at this time and moved for pick upon Wednesday evening.

On Sundays after the social it is our responsibility to pick up any trash and cups left on the grounds, put the children’s toys in the bin and the bikes and rides next the the hall. Any chairs from the hall that may have been pulled out must be returned to the hall. They are not water proof and will get damaged left outside. We all are responsible for caring for this parish and Our Temple and every little gesture helps. Thank you.

The Christmas Market that was originally scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend has been cancelled. We will have tables set up against the wall for a Christmas Market where parishioners can sell their handcrafted items. This will begin on Sunday, Nov. 27 and run through Sunday, Dec. 18. For more information please contact Fr. Elias at [email protected]

As the Holidays approach and our parking lot fills up, please park in the designated area that is the property of St. Basil’s. Do not park across the street on the neighbor’s property (on his grass). You will be towed at your own expense.

Friday, Nov. 11 the St. Basil Homeschool Co-op will met at St. Basil’s at 10am. If you are interested in more information please contact Angela Wynn at [email protected]

Our ByzanTEEN youth group will be meeting on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 5pm in the social hall. Pizza is included!

This Sunday, Nov. 13 is our monthly children’s catechesis ECF at 12:30pm after the Divine Liturgy. All children from Preschool to 8th grade are invited to participate in this program. Lunch is provided. This month the theme is the Nativity Fast. All parents are invited to also participate. For more information please contact Fr. Elias. The December ECF will take place on Sunday, Dec. 11.

As we prepare for the feast of the Nativity, we are urged to prepare spiritually through Holy Confession. On the Sundays that Fr. Elias is not traveling, he will be hearing confessions in front of the Church after the Divine Liturgy. Those Sundays are: Nov. 20, 27, Dec. 4 & 11. Confessions are also heard upon request and around other regularly scheduled liturgical services.

St. Basil’s Liturgical calendar is now open accepting Liturgy requests from Dec through the end of Jan. 2024. If you have an anniversary or wish to remember someone on a specific day, please contact Fr. Elias so that you get the date of your choice. The calendar does fill up and liturgies are scheduled on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Please note that on Saturdays when Great Vespers are served, Fr. Elias distributes Holy Communion to those who are unable to attend on Sunday due to their own health.  The Saturdays when Holy Communion will be distributed is Nov. 26, Dec. 10 & 17.

This year Christmas falls on a Sunday, so Christmas Eve and our parish Holy Supper will take place on Saturday, Dec. 24. We are looking for a few parishioners to run the event….volunteers are appreciated and needed. Speak with Fr. Elias if you are willing and able to lead our Holy Supper.

Good Shepherd Roman Catholic Church in Colleyville, has invited St. Basil’s to participate in a religious exchange early next year, where parishioners from each parish would visit the other and dialogue about the differences and similarities in parish life, prayer, worship and spirituality. We need a few volunteers who will help in organizing the meeting and working together with their group to make this encounter a success. Contact Fr. Elias at [email protected]

The Nativity Fast begins on Tuesday. It is a special season of preparation for Christmas. We are asked to abstain from meat on Wednesday and Friday, however the church asks us to do more. We should undertake also spiritual reading and prayer, as well as acts of mercy, generosity and kindness. There are many online resources to assist our journey through this holy season.

An appropriate text to read is “On the Incarnation” by St. Athanasius of Alexandria. The link below is to an online pdf that you can upload and save and read. On Nov. 16, Fr. Elias’ Wednesday webinar will be an introduction to this beautiful ancient text. The link to that webinar was sent out yesterday.

https://stnoufer.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/on-the-incarnation-athanasius.pdf

Also a handy day-by-day aid with readings, and activities has been produced by ByziMom homeschool coop and is available for download here. It is especially practical for families with kids but can be used by all.

The Jesse Tree: a Family Guide through the Season of Advent and Philipovka

It is available as a digital download on the gift shop page at ByziMom.com

Please note the upcoming events at St. Basil’s

Sunday, Dec. 4- Visit with St. Nicholas after the Divine Liturgy

Saturday, Dec. 10- 9am Divine Liturgy for Our Lady of Guadalupe before the procession to Mater Dei Roman Catholic Church and the festival there. All are invited to participate!

Saturday, Dec. 17- Byzantine Posadas: the story of the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, told through children dressed in costumes, Christmas music and a real live donkey! All are invited. Followed by refreshments and a piñata!

Blessed Nativity Fast to all!

Fr. Elias