Weekly Newsletter for the week Friday, June 1, 2007 through Thursday, June 7, 2007
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
WOMEN'S CLUB DINNER - The Women's Club's End-of-Year Dinner will be held on Tuesday, June 5, at Joe' American Bar & Grill, in Dedham , MA at 7:00 p.m. Please call Marilyn Robbat if you are interested in joining us. Home: 781-729-3033 Church Office: 617-547-1234. All women are welcome!
COMBINED CHOIR FESTIVAL - The combined choirs of the diocese will sing on Saturday, June 30, at 3:30 p.m. at the Parish Life Conference. Attention Choir Members: It is imperative that you attend at least one of the two rehearsals for this program:
Wednesday, June 6 at St. George Norwood 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, June 13 at St. George West Roxbury 7:30 p.m.
CHURCH CLOSED - The church offices will be closed, and no services will be held at St. Mary's, during the Parish Life Conference, Thursday, June 28 through Sunday, July 1.
GRECIAN FESTIVAL - Ss. Constantine & Helen Church, Cambridge , will hold an Outdoor Grecian Festival on Friday through Sunday, June 15 - 17, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Free Admission. Rain or Shine!
THANK YOU - Thank you to all who so generously donated their time and resources to help make the Closing of Church School / Parish Picnic a fun event for the entire St. Mary Community!
REMINDERS
FASTING SCHEDULES - There is no fasting this week, the week following Pentecost. Then the Apostles Fast begins Monday, June 4 and continues through June 28, the period preceding the Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, which is June 29.
ORTHODOX YOUTH OUTREACH - OYO (a ministry of the MAC Teen SOYO) will sponsor a mission trip to Providence , RI , June 8 - 10. This is a weekend trip open to participants nationwide. John Mahfouz will be leading the weekend. Registration information is on the OYO web site: http://www.orthodoxyouthoutreach.net/
PARISH LIFE CONFERENCE - The 2007 Diocesan Parish Life Conference will be June 28 through July 1, at the Radisson Hotel in Plymouth , MA . Theme: Missions and Outreach. His Grace Bishop ANTOUN will be the presiding Hierarch, and Fr. Michael Keiser will be the keynote speaker, speaking on Missions and Evangelism. All proceeds will go toward establishing a Mission Endowment Fund for our Diocese. To see the schedule of events and register for the conference, click on www.WorcesterDiocese.net - you can register either online or on paper. To register for the hotel call 508-747-4900. If you have any questions, email conference@worcesterdiocese.net or ask our own Paul Nahass (pnahass@comcast.net) or Michael Marge (Michael_Marge@yahoo.com), co-chairmen.
ARCHDIOCESE CONVENTION - The 48th Antiochian Archdiocese Convention will be held in Montreal , Canada , July 23 - 29, 2007, hosted by St. Nicholas Church of Montreal . Download registrations forms and/or register online at www.stnicholasmtl.org
WOMEN'S BOOK CLUB - This summer Women's Club members (and anyone else who'd like to join us) will be reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini. The author of The Kite Runner takes his storytelling powers to the next level with this instant classic. Following the lives of two Afghan women over 30 years, this beautiful, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting novel will sweep you away. We'll be discussing it in September - start your summer reading now!
YOU ARE NEEDED - The services of the Church continue all year round, and volunteers continue to be needed throughout the summer!
Coffee Hour - If you've never given a coffee hour before, now's a good time to start. It's never difficult, but it's even easier in the summer. To sign up for an available Sunday please put your name on the signup sheet on the bulletin board outside the Hall, or call Marilyn in the Office 617-547-1234 and she'll write your name in. Plenty of help is available if you need it.
Epistle and Communion - Members of the congregation read the Epistle every Sunday, and hold the cloth and Holy Bread baskets during Communion. If you would like to help with these services, please contact Maria McDowell at mariagwyn@gmail.com or 617-921-6395.
Tables and Chairs - Someone needs to take the lead after coffee hour and get everyone to help put away the tables and chairs. Many people are quite willing to help, but someone needs to get the ball rolling each week. To volunteer, please contact Abra Greene at abrayanti@gmail.com
INSIGHT
Abba Ammonas was asked, "What is the 'narrow and hard way?'" (Matthew 7:14). He replied, "The 'narrow and hard way' is this, to control your thoughts, and to strip yourself of your own will, for the sake of God. This is also the meaning of the sentence, 'Lo, we have left everything and followed you.'" (Matthew 19:27)
- Sr. Benedicta Ward, The Sayings of the Desert Fathers
Therefore, the Lives of the Saints are nothing else but the life of the Lord Christ, repeated in every saint to a greater or lesser degree in this or that form. More precisely it is the life of the Lord Christ continued through the Saints, the life of the incarnate God the Logos, the God-man Jesus Christ who became man. This was so that as man He could give and transmit to us His divine life; so that as God by His life He could sanctify and make immortal and eternal our human life on earth. "For both he who sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one." (Hebrews 2:11)
- St. Justin Popovich, Orthodox Faith and Life in Christ
Abba Poemen said that Abba John said that the saints are like a group of trees, each bearing different fruit, but watered from the same source. The practices of one saint differ from those of another, but it is the same Spirit that works in all of them.
- Sr. Benedicta Ward, The Sayings of the Desert Fathers
We ought to have the most lively spiritual union with the heavenly inhabitants, with all the saints, apostles, prophets, martyrs, prelates, venerable and righteous men, as they are all members of one single body, The Church of Christ, to which we sinners also belong, and the living Head of which is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This is why we call upon them in prayer, converse with them, thank and praise them, It is urgently necessary for all Christians to be in union with them, if they desire to make Christian progress; for the saints are our friends, our guides to salvation, who pray and intercede for us.
- St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ
...Let us also live in imitation of All the Saints, to have them always as aids and protectors. Let us imitate their struggles and virtues and especially humility, faith, hope and love...
- Elder Joseph the Hesychast
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Saturday, June 2: Great Vespers 5:00 P.M.
Sunday, June 3: Orthros 8:45 a.m.; Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.
SCRIPTURE READINGS for June 3, Sunday of All Saints:
Epistle: Hebrews 11:33-40; 12:1-2 Brethren, all the saints through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. ... Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfection of our faith. (The entire reading may be found at http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/lectionary.asp?type=epistle&code=139&event=1040
Gospel: Matthew 10:32-33; 37-38; 19:27-30 The Lord said to his disciples, "Every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; ... And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life." (The entire reading may be found at http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/lectionary.asp?type=gospel&code=57&event=1040&DL=EN )
Monday, June 4: Apostles Fast begins
LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday, June 9: Great Vespers 5:00 P.M.
Sunday, June 10: Orthros 8:45 a.m.; Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.
Thursday, June 28, through Sunday, July 1: Parish Life Conference - No services at St. Mary's, church offices closed
Sunday. July 8: Summer hours begin - Orthros 8:15 a.m.; Divine Liturgy 9:30 a.m.
VOLUNTEER SCHEDULES
FOOD PANTRY
Two to four volunteers help each week in the food pantry at St. Paul 's RC Church in Harvard Square , Saturday mornings from 9:30-11:45. If you are willing to help, contact Christian Alcala at cmalcala1989@yahoo.com or (617) 876-5684.
June 2:
EPISTLE READERS
The Epistle each Sunday is read by a member of the congregation. If you would like to be one of the readers, please contact Maria McDowell at mariagwyn@gmail.com or 617 921-6395.
June 3:
COFFEE HOUR
To sign up for an available Sunday, please put your name on the signup sheet on the bulletin board outside the Hall or call Marilyn in the Office 617-547-1234 and she'll write your name in.
June 3:
TABLES AND CHAIRS
These volunteers will take the lead each week in getting the tables and chairs put away and the floor swept after Coffee Hour. Please help them - the more people there are doing it, the easier it is for all. To volunteer, please contact Abra Greene at abrayanti@gmail.com
June 3: