One week from today is Palm Sunday and the beginning of the Holy Week schedule. During Holy Week the Church commemorates our Lord's Entrance into Jerusalem, His Betrayal, Trial, Crucifixion, and Resurrection. Holy Week is when all Orthodox Christians should make extra effort to give their full attention to the services of the Holy Week and Pascha. This coming Saturday April 24th we will celebrate Lazarus Saturday with vespers Friday evening at 7:00 p.m. and Divine Liturgy at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday.

St. Michael's Bookstore is having a sale for Lenten readings. If you are interested in buying any books, please email Ellen Gundersen at ellengundersen5@gmail.com to place your order. There are many books under $10 and a list will be emailed to all of you. She will notify you when your books are ready to be picked up. Books will only be delivered at church and left on the table outside the social hall (across from bathrooms). Nothing will be mailed to you. Package will have your name on it and an envelope for your cash or check. Please put envelope in collection basket on candle desk. Any checks should be made payable to St. Michael's Bookstore. We have many other orthodox books, prayer ropes, icons, and gifts. Please contact Ellen if interested.

Confession will be available prior to Presanctified Liturgy on Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and also on Saturdays following Vespers. Confessions are also available by appointment. Please see Fr. Barnabas.

Next Saturday (Lazarus Saturday) morning we will welcome into the Church Cole McElmurray and on Palm Sunday morning, Andrew Ashton, through the sacrament of Holy Chrismation. Join us!

During the month of April we will be offering the Presanctified Liturgy on both Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. and Friday mornings at 9:30 a.m. we will be celebrating the Presanctified Liturgy. The Divine Liturgy is not celebrated in the Orthodox Church on Lenten weekdays however, in order for the faithful to sustain their Lenten effort by participation in Holy Communion, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is served. This Liturgy is called Presanctified, since the Holy Gifts are presanctified (or consecrated) on the previous Sunday. Please join us on both Wednesday evenings and Friday mornings for the Presanctified Liturgy.

On Sundays during the Lenten season we may notice that the Divine Liturgy is a little different. This is because we celebrate the longer Liturgy of St Basil the Great. In the 4th century Church the liturgy of St. Basil was celebrated every Sunday and feast day of the whole year. It was the official Eucharistic Liturgy to be celebrated on a regular basis throughout the year. Towards the end of the first quarter of the second millennium the Liturgy of Saint Basil was replaced by the liturgy attributed to Saint John Chrysostom another 4th century father of the Church. Some say that the celebrating of Saint Basil's liturgy still being done during Lent is because of the conservative liturgical character of Lent. And since it is the intention of the Church to dedicate more time to prayer during Lent, that it is a good opportunity to teach the faithful dogma by offering for their hearing and singing the profound and all-embracing theological elucidations of the Basilian Liturgy. It is also said that it served during lent because of its expressively doctrinal and educational character. Listen and you will hear the wisdom and beauty of this liturgy on the Sundays of Great Lent.

St. Michael’s parish family members have another opportunity to serve by providing simple meals for families who are in need and who are being helped by Family Promise.  We have committed to prepare and deliver a meal on the following days:

1. Monday, May 24
2. Tuesday, May 25
3. Thursday, May 27

If you would like to sign up as an individual or in a group and prepare a simple dinner meal on any of the above days, please respond back with your date selection to either Ellen Gundersen at ellengundersen5@gmail.com or Susan Skomorucha at skomorucha@aol.com. Please RSVP your interest by 05/09/21. More information for those who sign up to make and deliver meals will follow.

Thank you for your consideration and for your help with this ministry.

Thank you to all who came to the church cleanup on Saturday, April 17th. Many years!