Weekly Newsletter for the week of Friday, August 3, 2007 through Thursday, August 9, 2007
ST. MARY UPDATE
Weekly Newsletter for the week Friday, August 3, 2007 through Thursday, August 9, 2007
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
PARACLESIS - During the Dormition Fast (August 1 - 15), it is customary to celebrate the small Paraclesis service on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights. Since Fr. Antony is away at the Antiochian Village , you are encouraged to attend Paraclesis services (as well as services for the Feast of the Transfiguration on August 6th) at one of the other Orthodox Churches in the area. So that we may celebrate Paraclesis as a community in preparation for our feast day, we are organizing a visitation to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 17 Merriam Street , Lexington on Wednesday, August 8, at 7:00 pm. Contact Charlie (marge@alum.mit.edu, 781-862-8415) if you have any questions.
The word Paraclesis is a Greek word having a number of meanings and uses. Generally, the word means "supplication", but it also carries the meaning of "comfort" as the Holy Spirit is referred to as the Paraclete or Comforter. The Paraclesis is that service of the Church in which the Faithful make an appeal to the Theotokos to intercede before God, especially in a period of tribulation, calamity, or temptation. In the Paraclesis, the Faithful supplicate Mary as the Mother of Mercy and receive relief, healing and grace through her intercession.
REMINDERS
FR. ANTONY AWAY - Fr. Antony is serving at the Antiochian Village from Monday, July 30, through Saturday, August 11. Consequently there will be no Vespers services on August 4 or 11, and we will have a supply priest on Sunday, August 5.
In case of emergency:
- From July 30 - August 6: call Fr. John Teebagy 781-326-3046 ( St. John Church , Dedham )
- From August 7-11: call Fr. Timothy Ferguson 617-323-0323 (St. George Church, West Roxbury )
DORMITION FAST - The fast before the Dormition of the Theotokos began August 1, and continues until the Dormition feast (our Patronal Feast Day - see below) on August 15.
PILGRIMAGE TO NEW SKETE - The New Skete monastic communities in Cambridge , NY are hosting their 2007 Annual Pilgrimage on Saturday, August 11, with the theme Encountering God through Creation. The day will include services (Matins at 8:30 a.m., Divine Liturgy 9:30, Vigil 5:00 p.m.), talks, food, church tours, hiking, dog training demonstration, exhibits, monastic conversations, time for quiet reflection, and activities for children and teens. To coordinate rides and/or offer to help for the day, call our local contact: Teva Regule at 617-734-0210 or teva@mitlns.mit.edu See flyer on Church Bulletin Board.
PATRONAL FEAST DAY - Our parish's Patronal Feast Day, the Dormition of the Blessed Theotokos, is Wednesday, August 15. Join us on Tuesday, August 14, for the Vigil for the Dormition (Vespers 4:15 p.m., Orthros with Lamentations 5:30, Divine Liturgy 7:00 p.m.) followed at 8:15 p.m. by a light supper (adults & students $5.00, children free). Please RSVP to the Church Office, 617-547-1234) by August 7.
COFFEE HOUR - Please sign up to provide a coffee hour - it need not be more elaborate than coffee, juice, and cookies. Sign-up Sheet is on the bulletin board downstairs outside the Hall & Church Office, or just reply to this e-mail. Summer is a good time to "stick your toe in the water," as attendance is usually lower during these warm months. Most of the Sundays in August are still available
WOMEN'S BOOK CLUB - This summer Women's Club members (and anyone else who'd like to join us) are 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 on Wednesday, September 19 - start your summer reading now!
FOOD PANTRY - Two to four St. Mary's volunteers are needed each week to help in the food pantry at St. Paul 's RC Church in Harvard Square , Saturday mornings from 9:30-11:45. Contact Christian Alcala at 617-876-5684 or cmalcala1989@yahoo.com.
SOUP KITCHEN - Three or four St. Mary's volunteers are needed to help each week at the Open Doors Meal Ministry at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Allston, Mondays any time between 4:00 p.m. and 7:30. Contact Liz Tutella at 617-974-5005 (note new phone number) or ETutella@sovereignbank.com.
INSIGHT
...the chief thing that every person needs is endurance, just as the earth needs water. On this earth we should lay the foundation of faith (cf. 2 Pet. 1:5). Then discrimination, like an experienced builder, can set about slowly building the house of the soul with clay taken from the earth of humility, successively binding one stone to another - that is, one virtue to another - until the roof, which is perfect love, is put in place. Then, when it has posted good doorkeepers, always bearing arms - that is to say, luminous thoughts and godlike actions capable of protecting the king from being disturbed - the master of the house comes and takes up residence in it.
- St. Peter of Damascus
St. Basil advises us not to fight against all the passions at once ... Rather we should fight the passions one at a time, and start by patiently enduring whatever befalls us. This is right; for the person who lacks patient endurance will never be able to stand fast even in an ordinary battle, but will bring only flight and destruction upon himself and others by retreating.
- St. Peter of Damascus
If a man resolves to treat and heal his soul, he must first apply himself to a careful examination of his whole being. He must learn to distinguish good from evil, the things of God from those of the devil, for "discernment is the greatest of the virtues." The acquisition of the virtues is a progressive and organic process: one virtue follows another. One depends on the other, one is born of the other: "Every virtue is the mother of the next." Among the virtues there is not only an ontological order, but also a chronological one. The first among them is faith.
- St. Justin Popovich, Orthodox Faith and Life in Christ
The kingdom of heaven or, rather, the King of heaven - ineffable in His generosity - is within us (cf. Luke 17:21); and to Him we should cleave through acts of repentance and patient endurance, loving as much as we can Him Who so dearly has loved us.
- St. Gregory Palamas, Philokalia
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Saturday, August 4: No Great Vespers at St. Mary's
Sunday, August 5: Summer hours - Orthros 8:15 a.m.; Divine Liturgy 9:30 a.m.
SCRIPTURE READINGS for August 5:
Epistle: St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 4:9-16 When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become, and are now, as the refuse of the world, the off-scouring of all things. ... I urge you, then, be imitators of me. (The entire reading may be found at http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/lectionary.asp?type=epistle&code=110
Gospel: Matthew 17:14-23 The disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move hence to yonder place,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you." (The entire reading may be found at http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/lectionary.asp?type=gospel&code=119&event=1098&DL=EN )
LOOKING AHEAD
Monday, August 6: Feast of the Transfiguration (No service at St. Mary's)
Saturday, August 11: No Great Vespers at St. Mary's
Sunday, August 12: Summer hours - Orthros 8:15 a.m.; Divine Liturgy 9:30 a.m.
Tuesday, August 14: Vigil for the Dormition (Vespers 4:15 p.m., Orthros with Lamentations 5:30, Divine Liturgy 7:00 p.m., followed by supper)
Wednesday, August 15: The Dormition of the Blessed Theotokos
Sunday, August 26: Last day of Summer hours
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.
August 4: Sandra Kondratiuk and Nadine Rebovich
LITURGICAL SERVICE
The Epistle each Sunday is read by a member of the congregation, and six members of the congregation hold the cloth and Holy Bread baskets during Communion. If you would like to help with these services, please contact Jeff Wasilko at jeffw@smoe.org or 781-820-0882.
August 5: Epistle - Joshua Utomo
Communion Assistance - Andrea Jabbour, Elana Jabbour, David Vermette, Juliette Burch
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.
August 5:
August 12: