Exaltation Press is freely distributing Typika service PDFs for those of you at home this Sunday. They will continue to provide a PDF every Sunday of Lent. Many thanks to them!
(Exaltation Press) - Christ is in our midst!
Both here in the US and around the world, we seem to be in the midst of a public health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic. While most people who catch the virus will be fine, it still has a much higher fatality rate than the normal flu and, more concerningly, a large number of people who catch the virus require hospitalization, something that could quickly overwhelm our hospitals which would greatly increase the fatality rate. As a result, public authorities are urging people to stay home as much as possible to slow the spread of the disease. Our God-protected bishops are also urging us to do our part and to comply with the instructions given to us by the authorities.
That doesn’t mean that Church services are or should be cancelled. Most Orthodox parishes are still holding services like normal. We also know that the Eucharist itself is not a source of disease. However, our bishops have urged anyone who is feeling sick or who lives with someone who is feeling sick to stay home and self-isolate. That is a good expression of love to those who are most vulnerable, especially the elderly and those with health conditions. Many people are also choosing voluntarily to stay home.
However, whatever the cause, over the next little while, there will be many people who are at home, rather than in Church. It’s important during this time (especially during Great Lent) that we not slacken in our spiritual lives but rather, by God’s grace, redouble our commitment to Him, through fasting, almsgiving (especially targeted to helping those who will be hurt by this) and most importantly — through prayer.
As a result, for anyone who has to stay home tomorrow and miss Church, I’ve put together the Typika Service for the 2nd Sunday of Great Lent. This service can be said at home, without a priest, when you can’t make Divine Liturgy. I’ve also included a prayer at the end for deliverance from sickness and for medical personnel. Please, if you can’t make it to Church, print this off and pray it with your family.
If this proves useful to you, please get in touch and let me know. I’m considering doing this every week for as long as necessary. Also, if this is helpful to you and you’d like to say thank you, I ask two things: 1) Please continue to give to your local parish, even if you can’t physically attend. Your parish will still need the support to make it through this time and to be able to maintain its ministry in your community and 2) Please pray for my wife, Kh. Darcy (Elizabeth), who is a Registered Nurse and who will likely be on the front lines during this.
Also, while isolated, please call, email, videochat, etc with people in your parish. There will be a lot of lonely people during all of this. “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” - Galatians 6:2
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Thank you for sharing this. I know several of the men at Saint Seraphim in Dallas are thankful for it. Please keep doing them until crowds are safe to be around again.
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