Update for the week Thursday, January 16 - Wednesday, January 22, 2020

THIS WEEK AT ST. MARY’S

SUNDAY 1/19 - Orthros 8:45am; St. Ignatius Catechetical Group, 9:00am, Orthodoxy 102 9:00am; Divine Liturgy 10:00am followed by Church School 

MONDAY 1/20 - MLK Day of Service: each year since 2010, Many Helping Hands 365 has organized the Martin Luther King Jr. Cambridge Day of Service. On MLK’s birthday, thousands of volunteers come together for an afternoon of service projects at Central Square locations.
   St Mary Orthodox Church is one of those Central Square locations. From 1:00 to 4:00pm people will be making personalized Valentine’s Day cards to be distributed on February 14th with every Meals-on-Wheels delivery. Cards will also go to troops abroad and other shut-ins. Anyone from the parish is welcome to join in. For more info go to https://www.manyhelpinghands365.org
 
WEDNESDAY 1/22 – Planning committee for the Parish Life Conference will meet next Wednesday, January 22, at 7:00pm in the Hall

THIS WEEK ELSEWHERE

FAMILY CAMP – Winter Family Camp at Antiochian Village is this week, 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 open at https://avcamp.org/other-programs/winter-family-camp  Cost: $150/parent, $50/child includes meals and lodging.

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE – On Saturday, February 1, Chanters rehearsal will be 4:00pm, Vespers for the Presentation 5:00pm, followed by Young Adult Ministry dinner and activity
 
REMINDERS

THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN WITNESS PROGRAM: Spiritual Pilgrimage will resume in January 2020. This program and journey is an opportunity for anyone interested to learn, to reflect, and to be transformed through the Orthodox Christian Faith in preparation for various ministries. This spiritual pilgrimage is an interdisciplinary approach to create a cadre of leaders in the church. It is aimed to empower and equip Orthodox Christians to nourish and share the faith in the 21st century. This semester the program has a Round Table discussion unit and a Retreat unit. Anyone can join at any point in the program. We welcome you on behalf of the Program Interdisciplinary Leadership Team: Bishop John of Worcester and New England, Archpriest Antony Hughes, Ioana Popa MD, BCC, Richard J. Robbat Ph.D., Sebastien Falardeau, MA, PhDc.
   ROUND TABLE: "Courage to Live - Fruits of the Holy Spirit". Ten Thursday evening discussions – anyone can register. Dates and Time: Thursdays 7:00pm-9:00pm. Thursday,January 23, 30, Feb 6, 20, 27, March 12, 19, 26, April 2, 9, 23 (snow date alternative). Location: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Diocese of Worcester and New England Chancellery: 2 Lydias Path, Westborough MA 01581
    RETREATS: "Free will and Christian Choice". Two Saturday daylong retreats – anyone can register for one retreat or for both. Dates and Time: Saturdays 9:00am-4:00pm. Feb 22, March 21, 2020. Location: Emmaus House, New Ipswich NH, 03071
   To register or for questions, please email at IP.AlongTheJourney@gmail.com or call at 617-274-8336
 
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.
 
ANNUAL PARISH MEETING – On Sunday, February 2, 2020, our Annual Meeting will be held immediately after Liturgy to approve the Year 2020 budget. (Snow date: February 9.) 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.
 
COFFEE HOUR SPONSORS NEEDED – Please sign up to provide a coffee hour. What you provide 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 
 
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE - Scholarships ($1,000) are available from the Syrian-Lebanese Women’s club of Greater Boston to young women of Syrian and Lebanese origin, residing in Massachusetts within 50-mile radius of Boston, who plan to pursue a four-year college education.  Scholarships are based on outstanding academic achievement, extra-curricular activities, charitable and civic involvement and good character; and applicants must be in good academic standing in her school and possess those personal attributes, which best serve the community.  Applications are available through the Church Office and must be postmarked by March 31.  If you have any questions, contact Mary Winstanley O’Connor at 617-523-1010 or email at moconnor@koilaw.com.
   + Diocese of Worcester and New England Scholarship: Students graduating in 2019 from high school who are children of members of St. Mary’s may apply.  Deadline is March 31.  Contact Mary Winstanley O’Connor at 617-523-1010 or email at moconnor@koilaw.com for more information.
 
PARISH LIFE CONFERENCE – St. Mary’s is hosting the 2020 Parish Life Conference at the Cape Codder Resort & Spa in Hyannis, June 17-21.  Hotel registration is now open - special conference rate is $189/night + tax for the evenings of June 19 and 20; Pre-Conference Rate is $109/night + tax for up to 3 days before (Tuesday-Thursday nights) the conference; Post-Conference Rate is $139/night + tax (Sunday - Tuesday nights). To register for the hotel call 1-888-297-2200 and mention the “Parish Life Conference hosted by St. Mary’s” or book online by visiting www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/plc/hotel-reservation.  To learn more, visit www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/plc  
 
AV SUMMER CAMP – Antiochian Village summer camp registration has opened. Be sure to register early as sessions fill up quickly. St. Mary’s children attend 3rd Session, July 13-25.
 
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

You say your incapacity to resist temptations, your slowness to conquer your passions, and your general moral debility depresses you greatly, which only proves that you count on acquiring salvation by your own merits.
   - St. Macarius, Elder of Optina
 
Each one becomes perfect, not by realizing one uniform standard of universal perfection in his own life, but by responding to the call and love of God, addressed to him within the limitations and circumstances of his own peculiar vocation. In fact, our seeking of God is not all a matter of our finding Him by means of certain ascetic techniques. It is rather a quieting and ordering of our whole life by self-denial, prayer and good works, so that God Himself, who seeks us more than we seek Him, can "find" us and "take possession of us."
   - Thomas Merton, Life and Holiness