Weekly Newsletter for the TWO weeks Friday, April 10, through Thursday, April 23, 2009

THIS WEEKEND

LAZARUS SATURDAY

Please come and bring your friends and family to celebrate the Divine Liturgy on Lazarus Saturday (Matins 8:00 a.m., Liturgy 9:00 a.m.) and enjoy a Communion Breakfast at 10:15 am offered by Selma Winstanley in memory of brother, Mitchell Mabardi.

Immediately after the breakfast there will be a Church Clean-Up in preparation for Pascha, coordinated by the Fellowship of St. John the Divine.  Please bring rags, cleaning supplies, small buckets, brown paper bags and irons for wax removal, etc. Come and lend a hand in preparing God's House for the Feast of Feasts. 

Also after the breakfast there will be a Choir Rehearsal in preparation for Pascha.

PALM SUNDAY

Remember to return your Food for the Hungry boxes, filled with money, and pass them in at the Bengarri this Sunday.

There will be no Church School classes this Sunday.  Following the Liturgy there will be the Procession with Palms (no lighted candles, please).  All who wish to do so are invited to join the procession; children are especially encouraged to participate.

This Sunday also we will be taking an Archdiocese collection in support of the continued work of His Beatitude Patriarch IGNATIUS IV and our Mother Church . 

The Fellowship of St. John the Divine is hosting its annual Palm Sunday Fish Dinner this Sunday, after Liturgy.  Instead of cooking, spend your Palm Sunday with your family and friends in Church. A freewill donation will be collected and we need lots of help with serving and cleanup.  Thanks to the generosity of parishioners Ed and Lisa Brylczyk there will be plenty of food, but please let us know immediately how many will be coming - contact Lan Hu at hulan0@gmail.com or 617-953-8724.

HOLY WEEK

SUNDAY, MONDAY AND TUESDAY

On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday evenings, April 12, 13 and 14, there will be a Bridegroom Matins service at 7:00 pm.  On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, April 13, 14 and 15, Presanctified Liturgy will be celebrated at 7:00 am.

HOLY WEDNESDAY

The evening service on Wednesday, April 15, is Holy Unction.  The service includes seven Epistles, seven Gospels, and seven prayers, all about oil and healing and forgiveness and the Holy Spirit.  Seven wicks are lit in the bowl of oil, and at the end each of us is anointed and given Holy Oil to take home.

HOLY THURSDAY

On Thursday, April 16, Vesperal Liturgy is at 7:00 am.  The evening service begins at 6:45 pm with Washing of the Feet, followed at 7:00 p.m. by Twelve Gospels, in which we hear by candlelight the entire story of Christ's final teaching, passion, trial, walk to Golgotha , crucifixion and burial, from all four of the Gospel writers.

HOLY FRIDAY

The Children's and Teens' Retreat, beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 17, will include lessons, activities, crafts, "ask Father," and confessions (children only).  For children under age 7, accompanied by a parent, activities will be provided from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30. Older children will stay on for the Royal Hours at 1:00 p.m.  A goodwill offering of $5 per child will help defray activity expenses. If you can help with the retreat, or provide food or beverages, please call Trish at 781-641-0182 before Palm Sunday, or email her at t_orlovsky@hotmail.com

Your help is needed to help decorate the Church on Great and Holy Friday at 9:00 a.m. and on Great and Holy Saturday after the Liturgy and Coffee Hour at 1:00 p.m.  We will be decorating the Bier of Christ on Friday, and preparing the church for Pascha on Saturday afternoon.  Please come, stay and help. .  Parents:  Come upstairs and help while your children are downstairs at their Retreat. You're welcome to share lunch with the kids, but please let Trish know early in the week so there will be enough for everyone.

Royal Hours begins at 1:00 pm, followed by Unnailing Vespers at 3:00 pm, when the figure of Christ is removed from the Cross where it was nailed Thursday during the Twelve Gospels service, and is laid in the tomb, or bier. 

Lamentations begins at 7:15 pm again this year. During this service we will process with the Bier out of the church and down Massachusetts Avenue to Central Square , where we will meet worshippers from Ss. Constantine & Helen Greek Church carrying their bier, and join them for prayers and blessings before processing back to St. Mary.

On Holy Friday night, St. Mary's Teen SOYO will hold an all-night vigil at the church immediately following the Lamentations service.  All youth ages 12-18 (grades 7-12) are encouraged to participate in reading Psalms as we keep watch at the tomb.  We'll also prepare the church for the Paschal Liturgy and Rush Service the next day and have a "Midnight Tour" of the church, including the Altar area for all interested teens.  This is an important event, and we encourage teens to participate!  Teens across the Diocese will participate at their respective churches.  The church will remain locked throughout the night; Erick and Liz Straghalis and several others will remain at the church as chaperons.

HOLY SATURDAY and GREAT AND HOLY PASCHA

Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil begins at 9:00 am on Saturday, April 18. We celebrate Christ's triumph over evil and death, with the scattering of bay leaves and flowers.  This service includes fifteen lessons from the Old Testament, all prophesying the ultimate victory of God, and also includes Chrismation of our newest catechumens. The service will be followed by a Coffee Hour/Reception for the continued good health of the Kaldas Family and the parishioners of St. Mary, offered by Nadia & Bahig Kaldas.

Saturday evening and into Great and Holy Pascha, all our Lenten efforts and Holy Week observances culminate in the celebration of Christ's resurrection. The services begin with the Vigil/Rush Service at 10:00 pm, followed by Resurrection Matins at 11:00 pm, and Divine Liturgy at 12:00 midnight.  Paschal festivities, with plenty of food, will take place in the Church Hall after Liturgy.

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

BYZANTINE CHANT CD's- Two of the Boston Byzantine Choir's CD's, "Thy Passion" with music for Holy Week and "Thy Resurrection" for Pascha, will be available for sale this Sunday in the Church Hall. Cost is $15 each or 4 for $50. 

PARKING DURING HOLY WEEK - The City of Cambridge has given our parishioners permission to park in areas marked "Residential Parking."  However, all parking meters must be fed as indicated.

NO FASTING - There is no fasting on Wednesday and Friday, not only during Bright Week, but for the whole forty days from Pascha until the Feast of the Ascension on May 28.  (This is the decision of the Holy Synod of the Church of Antioch .)  This cessation of fasting, however, is purely voluntary; you may fast if you wish.

THANKS FROM THE WOMEN'S CLUB - Thank you to everyone who baked or bought pastries and goodies during our Pascha Bake Sale last Sunday.  We hope you enjoyed and will continue to enjoy them! 

PARISH COUNCIL - The next meeting of the Parish Council will be Wednesday, April 29, at 7:30 pm.

CELEBRATION WITH THE METROPOLITAN -  St. George Church, West Roxbury, is having its Feast Day Celebration 2009 with Metropolitan PHILIP on Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3.  May 2: Church School Program & Luncheon; International Extravaganza after Vespers.  May 3: Hierarchical Divine Liturgy followed by Parish Family Dinner.  Combo Tickets:  Adults $50; Children 8-16 yrs $20; Children 4-7 yrs $10.  For reservations, call Pat Ayoub 781-326-6755.  Reservation Deadline:   Wednesday, April 29, 2009.

SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS - The   N.G. Beram Veterans Association announces the 43rd year of its Scholastic Achievement Awards, which were established to encourage, promote and support the education of students of Arabic-speaking backgrounds.  High school seniors can obtain an application in the Church Office or by visiting the web at www.stjohnd.org/ngberam.   Applications must be postmarked no later than June 1.

REMINDERS

RUSSIAN ICON MUSEUM - Dormition of the Virgin Mary Church, Somerville, is sponsoring a trip to the Russian Icon Museum on Saturday, April 25 from 8:30 to 4:30.  The price, $40 per person, includes transportation, admission, tour and lunch.   Call Mary Limberakis 617-887-3352.

FSJD BOOK CLUB - The Fellowship of St. John the Divine invites you to a book discussion on Sunday, April 26. This will coordinate with the vonHolzhausen lecture the following week, since our speaker will be the author of this book.  

Book: Mystic Street: Meditations on a Spiritual Path by Steve Georgiou
When: Sunday, April 26
Where: We'll meet up in the church hall after coffee hour and discuss
What you need to do: You can order the book through Amazon.com or Spirit Currents (http://www.spiritcurrents.com). Your local library or local bookstore may also have a copy if you'd rather go that route. 

Questions? Let Larisa Patachiola or Brooke Wilcox know- snag them on Sunday or drop one of them an e-mail at larisademshuk@yahoo.com or brookewilcox@gmail.com. If you know someone who might want to join in on the reading fun, spread the word!

VonHOLZHAUSEN LECTURE - The Fellowship of St. John the Divine cordially invites you to the annual Fr. John vonHolzhausen dinner and lecture on Saturday, May 2, 2009, following Vespers. Dinner is at 6:00 p.m.; the lecture will begin at 7:00 p.m.

This year's speaker is S.T. Georgiou, Ph.D., who teaches Humanities and Comparative Religion at San Francisco City College and at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley.  He recently completed his GTU doctoral studies in Religion and Art,  and is the author of The Way of the Dreamcatcher: Spirit-Lessons With Robert Lax,  Poet-Peacemaker-Sage;  and Mystic Street: Meditations On A Spiritual Path (the subject of our Book Club discussion - see above).  The title of his lecture will be When Less is More: Sharing the Wisdom & Simplicity of Robert Lax, Poet, Hermit, Mystic of Patmos.  A book signing will follow his presentation.

PENTECOST RETREAT AT NEW SKETE - The Fellowship of St. John the Divine is sponsoring a community building retreat for St. Mary's (and friends) at New Skete Monastery, Cambridge, NY, May 22-24 (Friday night until Sunday afternoon).  In the spirit of the Paschal/Pentecost season, the theme for the weekend is "Gifts of the Spirit," taken from 1 Cor. 12:7: "To each one has been given the Gifts of the Spirit for the Common Good."  Plans for the weekend include talks focusing on the theme with personal reflective time and group discussions as well as one introducing retreatants to the community and liturgical life of the monastery, opportunities to join the New Skete Communities for worship, and free time for hiking, journaling, playing with the dogs, etc.  Opportunities for personal spiritual direction and/or sacramental confession are also available.  For more information about the weekend and/or to reserve a spot, contact Tiffany Conroy (trattus1@gmail.com).  Retreatants will be housed at the various monastic communities' guest facilities (and possibly, nearby hotels).  Contact Teva Regule (teva@mit.edu) to reserve housing at the monastery.      

SUMMER CONFERENCE AT ST. VLADIMIR'S - St. Vladimir's Seminary, Yonkers, NY, has announced a Summer Conference for Clergy & Laity, June 18 - 20, 2009 Keynote:  Archpriest Alexander Garklavs. Topic: "The Council & the Tomos: 20th Century Landmarks towards a 21st Century Church." E-mail or call 914-961-8313 Ext. 343.  To register:  www.svotsedu or email: events@svots.edu   See flyer on church bulletin board.

PARISH LIFE CONFERENCE - St. George Church in Lawrence will be hosting the 2009 Parish Life Conference for the Diocese of New England, June 25-28, at the Wyndham Hotel in Andover , MA .  Singles and Doubles:  $95.  Triples: $105 and Quads: $115.  Hotel reservation deadline is June 4, 2009; mention Parish Life Conference for special rates.   More information can be found on St. George's website at www.stgeorgelawrence.org/Conf2009     

ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE CAMP - Schedules have been announced for the 2009 camping program at the Village - see http://www.antiochianvillage.org/camp.html

CROSSROADS - High School Juniors and Seniors:  The Office of Vocation & Ministry at Hellenic College is now accepting applications for its summer CrossRoad program.  Two sessions are offered:  June 20 - 30 and July 7 - 17, 2009.  For more information and application see  www.crossroad.hchc.edu or call 617-850-1309. 

ARCHDIOCESE CONVENTION - The national convention for the whole Archdiocese will be held July 19 - 26 at Desert Springs JW Marriot Hotel, Palm Desert , California, hosted by St. Michael Church, Van Nuys. Check out their website at www.archdioceseconvention2009.org  for more information.

THIS WEEK'S VOLUNTEERS

FOOD PANTRY - April 11 & 18:   Lazarus Saturday & Holy Saturday - no St. Mary volunteers
LITURGICAL SERVICE - At every Liturgy, members of the congregation are needed to read the Epistle and assist during Communion by holding the Communion Cloths and Holy Bread Baskets. We usually need one Epistle reader and six people to hold cloths and baskets.  If you would like to read the Epistle or assist during the Communion, please contact Jeff Wasilko, 781-820-0882, jeffw@smoe.org.
COFFEE HOUR - April 12:   FSJD Fish Dinner

LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK

Saturday, April 11, Lazarus Saturday: Matins 8:00 am, Divine Liturgy 9:00 am, Communion Breakfast 10:15 am, followed by Church Clean-Up and Choir Rehearsal; Great Vespers 5:00 pm
Sunday, April 12, Palm Sunday:  Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am with Procession,  followed by Palm Sunday Fish Dinner sponsored by FSJD;  Bridegroom Matins 7:00 pm

SCRIPTURE READINGS for April 12, Palm Sunday: 

Epistle:  St. Paul 's Letter to the Philippians 4:4-9  The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Gospel: John 12:1-18  Six days before Passover, Jesus came to Bethany , where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ... When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came, not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ... The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem . So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!"

Holy Monday, April 13: Presanctified Liturgy 7:00 am; Bridegroom Matins 7:00 pm
Holy Tuesday, April 14: Presanctified Liturgy 7 :00 am; Bridegroom Matins 7:00 pm
Holy Wednesday, April 15: Presanctified Liturgy 7:00 am; Holy Unction 7:00 pm
Holy Thursday, April 16:  Vesperal Liturgy 7:00 am; Washing of the Feet 6:45 pm, followed by Twelve Gospels 7:00 pm
Holy Friday, April 17: Children's Retreat 10:00 am;  Royal Hours 1:00 pm;  Unnailing Vespers 3:00 pm; Lamentations 7:15 p.m. with Procession to Central Square
Holy Saturday, April 18: Vesperal Liturgy 9 a.m.
Saturday-Sunday, April 18-19:  Vigil/Rush Service 10:00 pm; Resurrection Matins 11:00 pm; Great and Holy Pascha Divine Liturgy 12 midnight;  Paschal Festivities in the Church Hall following
Sunday, April 19:  Joint Agape Vespers (Baouth) 11:00 am at   St. George, West Roxbury; reception following.

LOOKING AHEAD

Saturday, April 25:  Great Vespers 5:00 pm
Sunday, April 26:  Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; followed by FSJD Book Discussion;   Church School Lesson 20
Saturday, May 2: Great Vespers 5:00 pm; FSJD dinner 6:00 pm; Fr. John vonHolzhausen lecture 7:00 pm
Sunday, May 17:  Church School Graduation and Picnic
Thursday, June 25 - Sunday, June 28:  Parish Life Conference

INSIGHT

Rise, do not keep your feet away, that He may wash them from the impurity of sin. Go out with Him to the Mount of Olives . Learn from Him how to bend your knees and pray until the sweat pours down. Rise, meet your cursers and crucifiers, surrender your hands to the bonds, do not keep your face away from the slapping and spitting. Strip your back to be lashed. Rise, my friend, do not fall to the ground, bear your cross, for it is time for departure. Stretch your arms with Him and do not keep your feet away from the nails. Taste with Him the bitterness of gall. Rise early while it is still dark. Go to His tomb to see the Glorious Resurrection.

   - St. John of Dalyatha, Homily on Meditation on the Economy of the Lord

Why was the blood that was shed for us, God's most precious and glorious blood, this blood of the Sacrificer and of the Sacrifice, why was it poured out, and to whom was it offered? ... If it was a ransom offered to the Father, the question arises, for what reason?  It was not the Father that held us captive.   And then, why should the blood of his only Son be pleasing to the Father who refused to accept Isaac when Abraham offered him as a burnt offering, accepting instead the sacrifice of a ram? ...   It was necessary for us that God should take flesh and die so that we might have new life ...  Nothing can equal the miracle of my salvation; a few drops of blood redeem the whole universe.

   - Gregory Nazianzen, Oration 45, For Easter

As you contemplate the faggots [that Isaac was laid upon] reflect on the cross. As you look on the fire, meditate on the love. Look too on the sheep hanged by its two horns on the plant that is called "Sabek." Look too on Christ, the Lamb of God, hanged by his two hands upon a Cross.

The plant called Sabek means "forgiveness," for it saved from slaughter the old man's child.

It foreshadows the cross that forgives the world its sins and grants it life. The ram hanging on the Sabek plant mystically redeemed Isaac alone, while the Lamb of God hanged on the cross delivered the world from Death and Hell.

   - St Ephrem the Syrian, On Abraham and Isaac

Adam received the sentence, "Cursed is the ground in your labors; thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you" (Gen. 3:17,18). For this cause Jesus assumes the thorns, that He may cancel the sentence; for this cause also was He buried in the earth, that the earth which had been cursed might receive the blessing instead of a curse.

   - St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures

With God nothing is empty of meaning, nothing without symbolism.

   - St. Irenaeus