Update for the week Thursday, January 2 - Wednesday, January 8, 2020

THIS WEEK AT ST. MARY’S

SATURDAY 1/4 – Great Vespers 5:00pm, followed by Young Adult Fellowship Night at a nearby restaurant
 
SUNDAY 1/5 – Orthros 8:45am; St. Ignatius Catechetical Group 9:00am; Orthodoxy 102 9:00; Divine Liturgy 10:00am, followed by Great Blessing of the Water
 
WEDNSDAY 1/8 –Parish Council 7:30pm.  Newly elected Parish Council members: Michelle Mabardy, Theo Smith, Phillip Straghalis, Deno Takles and Cali Touloumes. 

THIS WEEK ELSEWHERE

MONDAY 1/6 – Joint Diocesan celebration of Theophany with His Grace Bishop JOHN and the Diocese clergy at St. George Church, West Roxbury.  Orthros 5:30pm, Hierarchical Divine Liturgy 7:00pm with Blessing of the Water; reception to follow. (No service at St. Mary.)

REMINDERS

COFFEE HOUR SPONSORS NEEDED – Please sign up to provide a coffee hour. It can be as simple as coffee, juice, and cookies!  When no one volunteers, there is no coffee hour!  Sign up on the bulletin board downstairs outside the coat room or contact the Church Office: 617-547-1234 or Secretary @stmaryorthodoxchurch.org  
 
WOMEN’S CLUB - Instead of its monthly meeting in January, the Women's Club will host the diocesan Antiochian Women here at St. Mary's on Saturday, January 11. All women of the diocese are welcome to attend this event, which begins with Liturgy at 9:00am, followed by coffee and committee reports, and concludes with luncheon at noon.
 
WOMEN‘S CLUB OUTING - On Sunday, January 26 the Women’s Club will hold a Winter Get-Together at the Bamboo Restaurant in the Holiday Inn Dedham, 55 Ariadne Rd, Dedham. All women of St. Mary’s are welcome to join us there for supper at 5:30pm. E-mail Melissa Nassiff (mnassiff@gmail.com) if you have any questions or would like to join us.
 
FAMILY CAMP – Register now for Winter Family Camp at Antiochian Village, January 17-20, 2020. Family Camp is an opportunity for your family to get away from everyday life and take a weekend as a family to grow closer to Christ, in the beautiful setting of the Antiochian Village Camp. Registration is now open at https://avcamp.org/other-programs/winter-family-camp Cost: $150/parent, $50/child includes meals and lodging.
 
ANNUAL PARISH MEETING – On Sunday, February 2, 2020, our Annual Meeting will be held immediately after Liturgy to approve the Year 2020 budget. The Proposed Budget will be available the Sunday before the meeting, on January 26. It is important that all members of St. Mary’s Church attend this brief meeting.
 
CHOIR MEMBERS NEEDED - The Choir is looking for new members, especially Alto (woman) and Bass/Baritone (men), but of course we welcome all parts.  Please e-mail Michelle Mabardy at mmmabardy@gmail.com if you are interested.

JOIN US ONLINE - 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 or online). If you have questions or comments about this ministry please contact us at live@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org
 
REFLECTION

When you, O Lord, were baptized in the Jordan, the worship of the Trinity was made manifest.  For the voice of the Father bore witness to you, and called you his beloved Son.  And the Spirit in the form of a dove confirmed the truthfulness of His word.  O Christ our God, you who have revealed yourself and have enlightened the world, glory to you!
   - Troparion of Theophany

... His baptism ... partook of the old, and it partook also of the new. To be baptized by the prophet marked the old, but the coming down of the Spirit shadowed out the new. 
   - St John Chrysostom, Gospel According to St. Matthew
 
John did not say, "Wash your clothes, wash your body, and ye will be pure," but what? -- "bear ye fruits worthy of repentance" (Mt 3:8).
   - St. John Chrysostom
 
…repentance is the ever more acute awareness of the love of God and of our inadequate response. It is not an act that can be finished, but a constant state of the soul which deepens the nearer it approaches the end.
   - Paul Evdokimov