Update for the week Thursday, July 30, through Thursday, August 6, 2015

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY, 7/30 – The Bible Study will meet tonight, Thursday at 7:00 pm, in the Church library. St. Mary's Bible Study group is based on a very interesting course originally broadcast on Ancient Faith Radio, entitled Search the Scriptures – see http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info. The next discussion will cover David and Bathsheba – listen to the podcasts at http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/david-and-bathsheba-part-1/ and http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/david-and-bathsheba-part-2/

   New members are always welcome. For more information contact Marianna Sayeg (mksayeg@gmail.com) or Fr. Antony (frawhj@gmail.com) Note: during the summer this year the Bible Study will meet just once each month. The next meeting will be Thursday, August 20.

SATURDAY, 8/1 – No Vespers at St. Mary's

   + Dormition Fast begins

SUNDAY, 8/2 – Orthros 8:45 am. Divine Liturgy 10:00

   + Tanglewood outing – leave immediately after communion; concert begins 2:30

WEDNESDAY, 8/5Feast of the Transfiguration - Vespers/Divine Liturgy 6:30 pm

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

DORMITION FEAST - The Hospitality Group will be providing a feast after the evening Divine Liturgy for the Dormition on Friday, August 14. $8 person/$16 family. Checks payable to St. Mary's Church with "Hospitality Group" on the memo line. We look forward to seeing you there!

   + We need 5 volunteers to help with the meal - if you can help, please contact Socrates Deligeorges at dr.socrates@gmail.com .

NO VESPERS – There will be no Vespers at St. Mary on Saturday, August 22

HOUSE OF STUDIES – The 35th anniversary celebration of the Antiochian House of Studies (AHOS), Antiochian Village, Ligonier, PA will be Friday-Sunday, September 4-6. The theme is: “Orthodox Theological Education: St. Raphael to Modernity." The program will feature expositions of St. Raphael's era of theological education at the Halki Seminary, up to our contemporary endeavors. His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph will preside over the weekend events. For information, please contact cherimullins@yahoo.com; or Archdeacon Peter Boulukos at (201) 569-0095, theoedul@aol.com.

CHURCH SCHOOL REGISTSRATION – Registration for new Church School students, age 3 and over, will take place Sunday, September 13, after Liturgy.

WOMEN'S CLUB – The Women's Club will meet Monday, September 14 at 7:30 in the church. At this meeting we will formulate our yearly calendar, so come with any ideas you may have. We usually meet just once a month, and we welcome all women of the parish to join us! The Women’s Club does charitable work locally, nationally and internationally, and also supports the Church School. Call Marilyn Robbat (781-729-3033) or the church office (617-547-1234) if you have any questions or want to be a part of this wonderful group of women.

HCHC OPEN HOUSE - Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology will hold its Fall open house on Saturday, September 26. Prospective undergraduate and graduate students are invited to be their guests for a half day of worship, learning and fellowship. More information is available on their website www.hchc.edu/visit.

REMINDERS

NEW SKETE PILGRIMAGE - The Monastic Communities of New Skete Monastery in Cambridge, New York (www.newskete.org), invite you to their Annual Pilgrimage next Saturday, August 8, 2014, between 8:30am - 6:00pm.  The day will include Church Services, Church Tours, a Photo Exhibit, and a Healing Service with Anointing as well as talks by the monastics on Monastic Life and Iconography and by Chapel Community members on their relationship with the monastery.  In addition, pilgrims will have the opportunity to visit with the New Skete German Shepherds and take a hike on the monks' mountain. Activities for kids are also planned. This year's guest speaker is Dr. Anton Vrame. Dr. Vrame is the Director of the Department of Religious Education for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. He will be exploring the trends in society and their effects of Christianity in the US today and into the future. His talk is entitled, "Does the Future Have a Church?”

   + In years past, a number of us have gone out for the weekend to help the Communities with this event—to be extra sets of "helping hands" for the day.  They are hoping a number of us will do so again this year. Would you like to help? In the past, this has been a wonderful community building activity for all of us. Moreover, if you have never been to the monastery, this may be a good way to be introduced to their life and work. Contact Reva Regule (teva@mit.edu ) for more information, especially about housing.

DORMITION – Our Patronal Feast Day is the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, on August 15. The church prepares for this every year with a Dormition fast, which begins on August 1 and continues through August 14.

   + On Wednesday, August 12, we will have a Paraclesis for the Dormition at 6:30.

   + Join us for the Vigil for the Dormition on Friday, August 14, the eve of the Feast, with Vespers at 4:15 pm; Orthros with Lamentations 5:30 pm; and Festal Divine Liturgy at 7:00 pm; followed by a meal offered by the Hospitality Group.

PARISH COUNCIL - The next Parish Council meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, August 26 at 7:30 pm at the church.

CHURCH SCHOOL TEACHERS NEEDED - We are in need of teachers for the fall, in particular Pre-School and Kindergarten/1st grade. Anyone interested in teaching, or being an assistant or substitute, please contact Barbara@dsaarchitects.com.

THIS WEEK'S VOLUNTEERS

Greeter: Jim Higgins

Liturgical Service: 

Epistle: TBD. If you would like to volunteer please contact Jeff Wasilko, jeffw@smoe.org

Procession: Mulugheta Teclezghi, Sarah Ghile, Essey Teclezghi, Danait Teclezghi, Saimon Teclezghi

Communion: TBD. If you would like to volunteer please contact Jeff Wasilko, jeffw@smoe.org

Coffee Hour: No volunteers; no coffee hour. If you would like to volunteer please contact Barbara Shoop in the church office, secretary@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org 

SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THIS SUNDAY

   Epistle:

... Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

   - 1 Corinthians 3:9-17 

   Gospel:

… when the Disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea, they were terrified, … And Peter answered Him, “Lord, if it is Thee, bid me come to Thee on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out His hand and caught him, saying to him, “O man of little faith, why did you doubt?”

   - Matthew 14:22-34 

REFLECTION 

...we carry as in earthen vessels - that is to say, in our bodies - the Father's Light in the Person of Jesus Christ, and so can experience the glory of the Holy Spirit.

   - St. Gregory Palamas

Miracles are not impossible from a logical standpoint, and right reason does not deny them. Natural laws do not have the claim to be the only ones, nor are they threatened with being overturned by the appearance of other laws, supernatural ones, which also are conducive to the development and furtherance of creation... Miracles are consequence of the Creator's love for his creatures.

   - St. Nectarios of Aegina

...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

The Holy Spirit accomplishes all wonders and miracles. By the same Spirit power is given to one, and to another works of power. You have only to speak with faith, and need have no anxiety as to the fulfillment of the word; the Holy Spirit will care for this.

   - St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ

Faith and love which are gifts of the Holy Spirit are such great and powerful means that a person who has them can easily, and with joy and consolation, go the way Jesus Christ went. Besides this, the Holy Spirit gives man the power to resist the delusions of the world so that although he makes use of earthly good, yet he uses them as a temporary visitor, without attaching his heart to them. But a man who has not got the Holy Spirit, despite all his learning and prudence, is always more or less a slave and worshipper of the world.

   - St. Innocent of Irkutsk, Indication of the Way into the Kingdom of Heaven

"…when the time comes to enter the darkness in which we are naked and helpless and alone; in which we see the insufficiency of our greatest strength and the hollowness of our strongest virtue; in which we have nothing to rely on, and nothing in our nature to support us, and nothing in the world to guide us or give us light—then we find out whether or not we walk by faith."

   - Fr. Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation