The calendar covering services and other events at St. Raphael Church for March and April is now available at church.

 

       Lent, being a time of self-reflection and repentance, is the perfect time to schedule your confession.  If it has been awhile since your last confession, take advantage of this season of the Church, and benefit from the healing that making a confession brings.  Father is available to hear your confession after most services or by appointment. 

       Please join us for the Liturgy of Pre-Sanctified Gifts at 6PM on Wednesdays during Lent.  Fr. Ignatius is giving a sermon series entitled:  The Wonder of God: Miracles in the Liturgy, which will focus on several stories of supernatural manifestations that have taken place in the Divine Liturgy of the Church as found in the book "Experiences During the Divine Liturgy" written by Fr. Stephanos Anagnostopoulos.  Following the Pre-Sanctified Liturgies, we will gather for a simple lenten soup supper.  We need volunteer familes to sign up to bring soup each week.  A sign-up sheet is posted at church.

 

       On Sunday evenings during Lent, our church comes together with St. John the Baptist Church and St. George Church of Cedar Rapids to worship and pray at vespers.  Following is the schedule of rotation.  Please consider traveling to Cedar Rapids at least once or twice to share in prayer with our fellow Orthodox Christians there, and please welcome them when they come to Iowa City on the evenings we are hosting them. 

March 14- St. George Church, 5:30PM

 

 

       We rejoice with St. Raphael member Bogdana Rus and her husband Florin at the birth of their first child, daughter Lorena Maria born February 22.  Both mother and child are doing well.  May God grant Lorena many years!

 

       Each Lent, our Archdiocese launches the Food For Hungry People campaign.  The money collected is sent in to the Archdiocese and distributed to many organizations who work to relieve hunger.  The FFHP collection boxes are now available at church to pick up.  Filling them up with your loose change during Lent is an easy way to help our Archdiocese minister to the needs of those who do not have enough to eat.  For our children, there are calendars in the narthex that give fun suggestions for how to give to this campaign.  "He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done." Proverbs 19:17

 

       Fr. Ignatius will be on the sidewalk in front of the Emma Goldman Abortion Clinic on Saturdays at 10AM during Lent on March 6, 13, and 20.  On behalf of all of those who have participated in abortion and for the victims of abortion, he will be praying the Akathist for Repentance of One Who Has Aborted a Child and the Supplicatory Service for the Victims of Abortion.  This is a time of prayer, not a protest.  All are welcome to come. 

  

       We are scheduled to provide 3-4 volunteers to help at the Free Lunch Program on Tuesday, March 2 from 11:30AM-1:30PM.  Please contact Fr. Ignatius if you can help.

 

       If you want to hear some great speakers who will touch on important theological and historical topics of our faith, and you are not opposed to a little travel, go to www.spiritualitysymposium.com to learn more about an interesting symposium in St. Paul, MN on Saturday, March 6.

 

       From the Archdiocese of Bosra-Hauran in the Middle East, comes the brand new English magazine titled "Joy" for children ages 7-13.  The first issue, in full color and about 40 pages, is now available.  To subscribe, send an email to bp.saba@yahoo.com.

 

           Matthew 6: 19-21 … “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  
 

          Ask yourself the following- "What does this message from God require from me, His loyal servant?”   What must I change in my life to be able to follow this teaching in both word and in deed?”

 

Best Vegan Mac and Cheese in the Entire World...Seriously (from Vegweb.com, thanks to Lindsey Mabe)

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups plain soy milk

1 cup water

1/3 cup of tamari or soy sauce

1 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast

1 T paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 T garlic powder

1 T Vegesal or salt

1/4 block of firm (not silken) tofu

1 cup canola or vegetable oil

1 1/2 lbs. of pasta of your choice

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare pasta according to directions.  All "cheese" ingredients go into a blender to mix.  Drain pasta and pour into a casserole dish, then pour "cheese" sauce on top.  Mix poasta in to coat.

Bake for about 15 minutes, stirring 2-3 times during baking time to recoat pasta.  Season to taste with pepper, tomato paste, etc.

 
Do You Have a Prayer Request?
       Please give it to Fr. Ignatius and he will distribute it by email to all those on the Prayer Chain.  If you wish to join the Prayer Chain, please let Fr. Ignatius know.

Holy Bread and Coffee Hour-
       On Sunday, March 7, the Van Dinter family will provide the holy bread.  Thank you in advance.  Anybody who would like to bake the holy bread can sign up to do so.  Food for coffee hour will be provided by the St. Nicholas team.

Choir Leadership-
       On Saturday, March 6, Kristi Abuissa will direct the choir for Vespers.   She will also direct the choir for matins and Liturgy on Sunday, March 7. 

Food For Thought-

 

As we start upon the third week of the Fast, O ye faithful, let us glorify the Holy Trinity, and joyfully pass through the time that still remains.  Causing passions fo the flesh to wither from our souls, let us gather divine flowers, weaving garlands for the queen of days [Pascha] that with crowns upon our heads we may sing in praise of Christ the Victor.

 

Stichera from Sunday Vespers of the third week of Lent