Saturday, Feb. 18 – All Holy and Ascetical Fathers and Mothers
5:00 PM Santa Paula Outreach Divine Liturgy
6:30 PM Reader Vespers
Sunday, Feb. 19 – Cheesefare Sunday
8:30 AM Matins
9:30 AM Divine Liturgy
12:00 PM Forgiveness Vespers
Monday, Feb. 20 – Leo, Bishop (First day of the Great Fast)
8:30 AM Morning Prayer
4:00 PM Evening Prayer
5:30 PM Akathist* for those suffering Addictions & Mental Illness
Wednesday, Feb. 22 – Finding of the Relics of the Martyrs of Eugenia
8:30 AM Morning Prayer
9:30 AM Photina Prayer Walk
6:30 PM Presanctified Divine Liturgy
7:45 PM Firepit Social
Friday, Feb. 24 – Eramus, Venerable
6:15 PM Santa Paula Outreach Presanctified DL
Saturday, Feb. 25 – Commemoration of the Miracle of the Great-Martyr Theodore
5:00 PM Santa Paula Outreach Divine Liturgy
Sunday, Feb. 26 – 1st Sunday of the Great Fast
8:30 AM Matins
9:30 AM Divine Liturgy
*Add first names to this prayer service by emailing niemirick@gmail.com
St. Mary’s: Sundays 8:45 AM or by appointment
Santa Paula: Saturdays 4:15 PM or by appointment
(Please resubmit or submit names to admin@ByzantineLA.com)
The Carlin Family, Michael Hefferon, Shirley Kunze, Michael Mina, Peter Mina, Fr, John Mina, Mila Mina, Lana Zimmerman, Patrick Zimmerman, Shannon O’Neill, Fern Bonowicz, All the sick and suffering of St. Mary’s
Collection: $3,281.00; Online: $380.00; Santa Paula: $1,125.00; Candles: $58.00; Parish Charity Fund: $250.00
Total: $5,094.00 / Attendance – PSM: 65
The Great Fast is our penitential preparation for the great feast of Pascha (Passover). As such, it is one of the most ancient parts of our liturgical year. Its forty days symbolize the forty years the Israelites wandered in the desert, while the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified gifts is the fulfillment of the promise of manna, as St. John wrote, “So Jesus said to them, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave bread from heaven; my Father gives you the most true bread from heaven. (John 6:32)” In the Great Fast, we imitate Jesus our Lord, who fasted for forty days in the desert following his baptism. Our observance of the Great Fast, therefore, is our renewal of our baptismal fervor.
During the First Week of the Great Fast, abstinence from meat, fish, dairy products, alcohol, and foods cooked in oil was prescribed for all days, except days of mitigation. All Saturdays and Sundays, February 24, March 9, Wednesday to Friday of the 5th Week, the Prefestive Days and Leave-taking of Annunciation (March 25), and Palm Sunday were general mitigations. The Ruthenian Metropolia prescribes strict abstinence (from meat and dairy products) on the First Monday of the Great Fast (Clean Monday, Feb. 20) and on Good Friday (Apr. 7), and abstinence from meat on all Wednesdays and Fridays of the Great Fast. The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom or of St. Basil the Great is not to be celebrated from Monday to Friday of the Great Fast. Rather than the Divine Liturgy, the Office of the Presanctified Gifts, preferably celebrated in the evening, is prescribed for the ordinary weekdays of the Great Fast. From the Typicon
“Where your treasure is, your heart will be also”. It is easy to mistake what our true treasure is, and we need wisdom and insight to see clearly. In today’s kontakion we sing that God is the “guide to wisdom and giver of insight”. Is he guiding you to a vocation to the religious or ordained life? As you pray and seek wisdom, consider contacting the Vocations Office at 206-329-9219 or email: vocations@ephx.org
Saturday, February 18 –
