Weekly Newsletter for the week Friday, July 4, 2008 through Thursday, July 10, 2008
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
FR. ANTONY TO BE AWAY - Fr. Antony will be at the Antiochian Village for the Clergy Symposium from July 21-25, and then will be assisting in pastoral ministry to the young people attending the 4th session of Summer Camp from July 27 through August 8. In case of emergency from July 21-26, contact the Church Office 617-547-1234 or Ray Sayeg 781-769-6171. For emergencies from July 27 to August 9, contact Fr. John Teebagy of St. John Church , Dedham at 781-326-3046.
MISSIONS AND EVANGELISM - The 20th Anniversary Orthodox Conference on Mission & Evangelism will be held August 29 - September 1, 2008 at University of California in Santa Barbara . The topic will be "The Bible and Evangelism." Speakers are Fr. Peter Gillquest, Fr. Jon Braun, and Fr. Dan Suciu. Check Church Bulletin Board for more information, or contact 888-968-4014 or missions@antiochian.org
REMINDERS
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL - St. George Church, West Roxbury, will hold a Vacation Bible School for ages pre-school through 4th grade (pre-schoolers must be potty-trained), from Monday, July 7, through Thursday, July 10, from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Call Khalil Samara 617-323-0323 if interested.
6th ANNUAL TANGLEWOOD OUTING - Join your music-loving friends from St. Mary's as we carpool out to Tanglewood after Liturgy on Sunday, July 27. We'll picnic on the lawn and listen to music by Tower, Mendelssohn and Beethoven, with violinist Sarah Chang and the Orchestra of St. Lukes. (For more information see http://www.bso.org/bso/index.jsp;jsessionid=0SBOWRKHPVKWACTFQMGSFEQ?id=bcat5240070 ) The concert starts at 2:30; lawn tickets are just $18. Bring picnic food for yourself and to share, or buy it on the way. For more information and to let us know you're coming, especially if you'll need a ride, contact Melissa Nassiff by email (mnassiff@gmail.com) or phone (508 877-7483).
PILGRIMAGE TO NEW SKETE - The Monastic Communities and parishioners of New Skete Monastery (OCA) in Cambridge , New York , invite you to join them for a day of prayer and reflection celebrating their feast day on Saturday, August 9, 2008 (rain or shine). The theme of the pilgrimage is "Healing: New Life in Christ." As is the rule of monastic life, the day will begin and end with prayer-- Matins at 8:30 am, followed by the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at 9:30 am, and Vespers and Vigil at 5:30 pm. In addition, a special healing service will be held at approximately 4:15 pm. Two main presentations will be held in the afternoon--"Perspectives on Healing" with Dr. Demetra Velisarios Jaquet and Fr. Steven Voytovich and "Holy Unction: Human Illness, Healing, and Wellness" given by Rev. Dr. Alkiviadis Calivas. In addition, the day will include tours of the monastery Churches, a demonstration of the monks' dog program, as well as time for hiking, conversation, reflection and quiet. Activities for children and teens are also planned. Traditional ethnic and American style food will be available for purchase. For more information (or to be part of the band of volunteers from the area), see the flier on the church bulletin board and/or contact Teva Regule at teva@mitlns.mit.edu.
MEMORY ETERNAL - John Leonard Maymon, father of Bishop MARK Maymon of the Diocese of the MidWest, fell asleep in the Lord on Thursday, June 19, 2008, in New Albany , Indiana . Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Catherine, eight children, 15 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Gifts in his memory may be made to American Lung Association or the Floyd County Animal Rescue League. May his memory be eternal.
ONE MORE CHANDELIER - New Chandeliers have been ordered for the Church, and we expect to have them installed by the end of the summer, in plenty of time for our 80th Anniversary Celebration in October. There will be one large chandelier, which has been donated as a memorial, and six smaller chandeliers, all but one of which have been donated so far. We are presently looking for someone to donate the one remaining chandelier, plus donations to cover the cost of the electrical work. Donations can be made through the Bengarri or you can speak with Ray Sayeg or Mary Winstanley O'Connor.
CELL PHONES FOR SERVICEMEN - The Lebanese-Syrian Ladies Aid Society is sending 150-minute international phone cards to our young people involved in the Iraq-Afghanistan War, or stationed elsewhere. If you know of any young people they can help, please provide names, parents' names, addresses and phone numbers. Please contact Rose Dow 671-323-6883 or Emily Eknoian 617-323-7135.
NO VOLUNTEERS = NO COFFEE - The services of the Church continue all year round, and volunteers continue to be needed throughout the summer! If you've never given a coffee hour before, now's a good time to start. It's never difficult, but it's even easier in the summer. To sign up for an available Sunday please put your name on the signup sheet on the bulletin board outside the Hall, or call Marilyn in the Office 617-547-1234 and she'll write your name in. Plenty of help is available if you need it.
SUMMER HOURS - Summer hours at St. Mary's will continue through August 31. Orthros begins at 8:15 am, Divine Liturgy at 9:30 am.
WOMEN'S CLUB SUMMER READING: This summer Women's Club members (and anyone else who'd like to join us) will be reading The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs, currently #2 on the New York Times best-seller list. Read the book over the summer, and join us in the fall for an enjoyable evening of discussion, refreshments and fellowship!
LITURGICAL SERVICE - Each Sunday, members of the congregation are needed to read the Epistle and assist during Communion by holding the Communion Cloths and Holy Bread Baskets. If you would like to read the Epistle or assist during the Communion, contact Jeff Wasilko, 781-820-0882, email: jeffw@smoe.org and/or use the sign-up sheet on the Bengarri.
FOOD DONATION NEED CONTINUES - Please continue to bring cans, jars, and boxes of food and place them in the container outside the Church Office. The need is still great at St. Paul 's Food Pantry in Harvard Square , where volunteers from St. Mary help every Saturday. To help, contact Christian Alcala at cmalcala1989@yahoo.com or (617) 876-5684.
SOUP KITCHEN - Three or four St. Mary's volunteers are needed to help each week at the Open Doors Meal Ministry at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Allston, Mondays any time between 4:00 pm and 7:30. Contact Liz Tutella at 617-974-5005 or ETutella@sovereignbank.com.
INSIGHT
Human beings have accumulated in their coffers gold and silver, clothes more sumptuous than useful, diamonds and other objects that are evidence of war and tyranny; then a foolish arrogance hardens their hearts; for their brothers in distress, no pity. What utter blindness! . . . Attend not to the law of the strong but to the law of the Creator. Help nature to the best of your ability, honor the freedom of creation, protect your species from dishonor, come to its aid in sickness, rescue it from poverty .... Seek to distinguish yourself from others only in your generosity. Be like gods to the poor, imitating God's mercy. Humanity has nothing so much in common with God as the ability to do good.
- St. Gregory Nazianzen, On Love of the Poor
To the extent that you are free to choose evil, you are not free. An evil choice destroys freedom...When everything you desire is truly good and every choice not only aspires to that good but attains it, then you are free because you do everything you want, every act of your will ends in perfect fulfillment... only the man who has rejected all evil so completely that he is unable to desire it at all, is truly free.
- Fr. Thomas Merton
If any here is a slave of sin, let him promptly prepare himself through faith for the new birth into freedom and adoption; and having put off the miserable bondage of his sins, and taken on him the most blessed bondage of the Lord, so may he be counted worthy to inherit the kingdom of heaven.
- St. Cyril of Jerusalem
God belongs to all free beings. He is the life of all, the salvation of all faithful and unfaithful, just and unjust, pious and impious, passionate and dispassionate, monks and laymen, wise and simple, healthy and sick, young and old, just as the effusion of light, the sight of the sun, and the changes of the seasons are for all alike; "for there is no respect of persons with God."
- St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Saturday, July 5: No Vespers at St. Mary's
Sunday, July 6: Summer hours - Orthros 8:15 am, Divine Liturgy 9:30 am
SCRIPTURE READINGS for July 6:
Epistle: Romans 5:1-10 While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man--though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
Gospel: Matthew 6:22-33 You cannot serve God and wealth. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear.
LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday, July 12: Great Vespers 5:00 pm
Sunday, July 13: Summer hours - Orthros 8:15 am, Divine Liturgy 9:30 am
Saturday, July 26: No Vespers at St. Mary's
Saturday, August 9: No Vespers at St. Mary's
Sunday, August 31: Last Sunday of summer hours
VOLUNTEER SCHEDULES
FOOD PANTRY
Two to four volunteers help each week in the food pantry at St. Paul 's RC Church in Harvard Square , Saturday mornings from 9:30-11:45. If you are willing to help, contact Christian Alcala at cmalcala1989@yahoo.com or (617) 876-5684.
July 5: Steve Walker and Sandra Kondratiuk
LITURGICAL SERVICE
The Epistle each Sunday is read by a member of the congregation, and six members of the congregation hold the cloth and Holy Bread baskets during Communion. If you would like to help with these services, please contact Jeff Wasilko at jeffw@smoe.org or 781-820-0882.
July 6: Epistle: Nikki Stournaras; Left Cloth: Melissa and Peter Nassiff; Right Cloth: Sarah Gosselin and Sandra Kondratiuk; Left Bread: David Vermette; Right Bread: Elana Jabbour
COFFEE HOUR
To sign up for an available Sunday, please put your name on the signup sheet on the bulletin board outside the Hall or call Marilyn in the Office 617-547-1234 and she'll write your name in.
July 6: FSJD
July 13: Socrates Deligeorges