Update for the week Friday, August 23 through Thursday, August 29, 2013

Update for the week Friday, August 23 through Thursday, August 29, 2013

THIS WEEK

VESPERS - There will be a service of Great Vespers at St. Mary this Saturday, August 24, at 5:00 pm

SUMMER HOURS – During July and August, Sunday services start half an hour earlier than usual: Orthros starts at 8:15 am, and Divine Liturgy 9:30 am. On Sunday, September 1 we will return to regular hours: Orthros 8:45, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

FSJD MEETING – The next Fellowship of St. John the Divine meeting will be Sunday, August 25 in the church hall during coffee hour. We will be reviewing the new calendar for many of St. Mary's 2013-2014 events and activities. Please contact our President, Julie Wasilko (julie31415pi@gmail.com), with any questions or suggestions. All are welcome.

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

WOMEN’S CLUB – The next meeting of the Women’s Club will be Monday, September 9, at 7:30 pm.  All women are encouraged to attend.  We look forward to seeing both old and new members and discussing future ativities of the organization. 

PARISH COUNCIL – The next meeting of the Parish Council will be Wednesday, September 18, at 7:30 pm.

THEOPHANY SCHOOL - Theophany School has limited openings in our preschool and full day kindergarten classes for the 2013 school year!  Our low student: teacher ratio, loving Christian environment, and engaging thematic curriculum enable our students to flourish academically, socially, and spiritually.  We are conveniently located off Route 128 at 754 Greendale Avenue in Needham, MA.  Call 781-444-3058 or visit www.TheophanySchool.org today to schedule a tour and see how Theophany School can make a difference in your child's life! 
 

REMINDERS

BIBLE STUDY – The Bible Study at St. Mary, sponsored by the Fellowship of St. John the Divine, meets every other Thursday and is based on a lecture series originally broadcast on Ancient Faith Radio. Join us at 7:00 pm on Thursday, September 5, in the church library. For more information contact Marianna Sayeg (mksayeg@gmail.com) or Fr. Antony (frawhj@gmail.com). New members are always welcome!

CHURCH SCHOOL – The Church School is still looking for a few teachers, assistants and substitutes for the 2013-2014 school year. Teachers are provided with all the materials they will need. If you are interested, please see Barbara Shoop or contact her in the Church office (617-547-1234 or secretary@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org) as soon as possible.
   Church School registration (age 3 and up) will be Sunday, September 8, and Church School classes start Sunday, September 15, 2013.
   There will be a Church School Teachers/Assistants/Substitutes meeting immediately following Registration on September 8.  Please plan on attending this very important meeting.

PILGRIMAGE – The annual St. Thekla pilgrimage at the Antiochian Village has been expanded this year to include supplication to St. Raphael, who is buried on the grounds of the Village. The Pilgrimage will be September 20-22, 2013; registration is due by September 1. For information and registration form see http://www.antiochian.org/sites/antiochian.org/files/2013_brochure.pdf

MARRIAGE SEMINAR WITH BISHOP JOHN – St. Mary will host the first evening of a two-day marriage seminar to be held Friday and Saturday, September 13-14. On Friday at St. Mary, Evening Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross with His Grace Bishop JOHN, at 6:30 pm, will be followed by the first session which will last approximately an hour and a half.  A light dinner will be provided.  The second session will be held at the Chancery in Westborough on Saturday morning from 10:00 am to 3:30, with lunch provided. Everyone, married or unmarried, is welcome and encouraged to attend and learn about the Orthodox approach to marriage. To register, contact Fr. Antony at frawhj@gmail.com. A fee of $25.00 is required to cover the cost of food.

SONIA’S RUN –The 5th annual Sonia’s 5K Run/Walk at St. George Church, West Roxbury, will be held on Saturday, September 21, beginning at 9:00 am.  All proceeds will benefit Sonia’s dream of finding a permanent home for Theophany school. For more information see http://theophanyschool.org/ways-to-help/sonias-run

“WELCOME BACK COLLEGE STUDENTS" BREAKFAST – After Liturgy on Sunday, September 22, 2013, the Fellowship of St. John the Divine (FSJD) will host a special breakfast to welcome college students back to their "Church home away from home." Please join us in welcoming and supporting students who strive to remain connected to the Church while away from their families.  All are welcome! A suggested minimum donation of $5 will be gratefully accepted from non-students.

FR. ANTONY’S  20th ANNIVERSARY -  Be with us on Saturday and Sunday, October 5 & 6, 2013, as His Grace, Bishop John joins us to celebrate Fr. Antony’s first 20 years at St. Mary and his first 25 years in the priesthood!
   On Saturday, October 5, Great Vespers at 5:00 pm will be followed by a Banquet with Bishop John in the Church Hall.  Tickets – Adults:  $50.00 per person includes dinner, beer, wine & entertainment; Children under 18:  $25.00 per person. (All proceeds will be used to send our children to Antiochian Village in July, 2014).  No tickets will be sold at the door – for reservations  please see Marc Patacchiola or Deno Takles or call Mary Winstanley O’Connor at 617-523-1010. Prepaid tables of 8 may be reserved in advance.
   Sunday, October 6:  Orthros at 8:45 am;  Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am, followed by a Coffee Hour.
   We are looking for Sponsors for the Banquet:  Platinum $2000, Gold $1000, And Silver $500.  To date we have $4500 in sponsors and are looking for an additional $2000 in Sponsorships.  See Mary Winstanley-O’Connor if you are interested in being a Sponsor for this joyous event.

DANCING WITH THE AABA STARS- On Friday, October 11, 2013 the American Arabic Benevolent Association will present the annual “Dancing with the Stars.”  Representing St. Mary’s Church will be Amanda Noonan, daughter of Karen Winstanley Noonan.  This event is a fundraiser to benefit senior affordable housing at Cheriton Heights in West Roxbury.  The event will take place at The Norwood Theatre, Norwood, MA. Ticket price is $45.00 per person.  For tickets, sponsoring or information contact David Franciosi, 617-347-1005.  Sponsor seating will have 10 seats reserved plus an AABA Gift bag.  Sponsors names will appear in program and donations may be applied as points to dancer.   

STREAMING VIDEO – St. Mary’s Church services are broadcast live each week through an internet video stream. If you can't attend a service in person or want to share this ministry with a friend or loved one, the live stream can be viewed at www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/live during regularly scheduled service times (see the schedule of services below or online). If you have questions or comments about this ministry please contact us at live@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org

PARKING RESTRICTIONS – Please do not park in the Church parking lot if you need to leave quickly after church. Cars parked there will be staying until the end of coffee hour.
   Additionally, do not park beyond the sign that prohibits parking at the corner of Inman Street and Bishop Allen Drive. (An orange cone will be placed in that No Parking area.) It is difficult for large vehicles to turn the corner if cars are parked there. Failure to heed this warning may result in the City preventing parishioners from parking on Inman Street. Your cooperation is appreciated.
   And remember, there is no parishioner parking in the church parking lot Monday through Friday until after 6:00 pm.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE

There are a number of ways you can help the Church, your fellow worshippers, and those in need.  Consider serving in one of these ways:

BE A GREETER – If you do not sing in the choir, or chant, serve in the Altar or at the Bengarri, and  are not a Church School teacher,  please consider serving the Church as a Greeter!  Greeters arrive 15 minutes before Liturgy, get a Greeter Name Tag from the Bengarri, pin it on and greet visitors/parishioners at the Church Entrance and direct them upstairs to the Church, or to the cloakroom or restrooms.  Greeting time ends when Communion starts.  Send your name and e-mail address to Buddy Mabardy: buddymabardy@cjmabardy.com or phone him 781-729-6303. 

LITURGICAL SERVICE – Each Sunday, members of the congregation are needed to read the Epistle and assist during Communion by holding the Communion Cloths.  All Orthodox Christians in the Parish are welcome and encouraged to participate. We usually need one Epistle reader and four people to hold the cloths.  If you would like to read the Epistle or assist during Communion, please contact Jeff Wasilko, 781-820-0882, jeffw@smoe.org

COFFEE HOUR – People are needed every week to provide coffee, juice and cookies, or more if desired, and set it up Sunday morning. To sign up for an available Sunday, please put your name on the new signup sheet on the bulletin board outside the Hall or call Marilyn Robbat in the Parish Office and she will write your name in. If you need any help with figuring out what to bring or do, check the list below the signup sheet (also printed in the Bulletin), or ask Marilyn at secretary@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org or 617-547-1234.

PRISON MINISTRY – If you would like to find out more about Prison Ministry at St. Mary’s Church, please subscribe to our mailing list at http://groups.google.com/group/ocpm-concord.
   Also - please donate unwanted past issues of Orthodox magazines such as The Word, OCMC or other periodicals to our prison ministry to hand out to inmates.  Please remove any personal mailing address for security purposes and give them to Mitrophan Chin.
   Our own Deacon Jeff Smith can be heard in a recent interview with Ancient Faith Radio at http://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/features/prison_ministry_awareness_sunday1  
VIDEO EDITING – Volunteers are wanted to assist with video editing of sermons and lectures.
We are looking for volunteers to assist with some basic video editing to post the sermons and lectures from St. Mary's online.  If you have experience with digital video editing, please let Jamil Samara or Erick Straghalis know you are interested - email live@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org.

PHOTOGRAPHERS AND GRAPHIC DESIGNERS – Are you a photographer or a graphic designer? Would you be willing to share your talents with St. Mary Church and her ministries?  We are looking for you to help photograph the divine services and events and to design promotional material for events and programs at our parish. Please contact Jamil Samara at webmaster@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org with any questions, and to let him know that you are interested in getting more involved.

"As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me," says our Lord.


THIS WEEK'S VOLUNTEERS

Greeter:  Barbara Shoop

Coffee Hour:  none

LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK

Saturday, August 24:  Great  Vespers 5:00 pm

Sunday, August 25: Orthros 8:15 AM, Divine Liturgy 9:30 am
SCRIPTURE READINGS for Sunday, August 18:
   Epistle: St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 3:9-17
Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If any one destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are.

   Gospel:  Matthew 14:22-34
…. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. But immediately he spoke to them, saying "Take heart, it is I; have no fear."
   And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; … And when they entered the boat, the wind ceased.

LOOKING AHEAD

Saturday, August 31: No Vespers at St. Mary

Sunday, September 1:  Regular Worship Schedule Resumes – Orthros  8:45 am,  Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

Sunday, September 8:  Church School registration, followed by meeting for teachers, assistants & substitutes

Friday, September 13:  Evening Liturgy for Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross
6:30 pm with His Grace Bishop JOHN, followed by Marriage Seminar.

Sunday, September 15:  Church School classes begin


REFLECTIONS

Sometimes the Lord calms the storm.  Sometimes he lets the storm rage and calms his child.     - Anonymous

Faith...is an unreserved opening of the mind to the truth, whatever it may turn out to be. Faith has no preconceptions; it is a plunge into the unknown.
   - Alan Watts

...if you really desire to be victorious in this unseen warfare and be rewarded with a crown, you must plant in your heart the following four dispositions and spiritual activities, as it were arming yourself with invisible weapons, the most trustworthy and unconquerable of all, namely: a) never rely on yourself in anything; b) bear always in your heart a perfect and all-daring trust in God alone; c) strive without ceasing; d) remain constantly in prayer.
   - Lorenzo Scupoli, Unseen Warfare

...there is one kind of faith, the dogmatic, involving an assent of the soul on some particular point...But there is a second kind of faith which is bestowed by Christ as a gift of grace...The faith then which is given of grace from the Spirit is not merely doctrinal, but also works things above man's power.
   - St. Cyril of Jerusalem

...while the Lord's victory is certainly an accomplished fact, my personal participation in that victory is as yet far from complete...My trust is therefore in Christ, not in myself, and I am confident that Christ is faithful and stands firm.
   - Bp. Kallistos Ware, How are We Saved?