Weekly Newsletter for the week Friday, June 20, 2008 through Thursday, June 26, 2008
Weekly Newsletter for the week Friday, June 20, 2008 through Thursday, June 26, 2008
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
SUMMER HOURS - Summer hours at St. Mary's begin this Sunday, June 22, and continue through August 31. Orthros will begin at 8:15 am, Divine Liturgy at 9:30 am.
6th ANNUAL TANGLEWOOD OUTING - Join your music-loving friends from St. Mary's as we carpool out to Tanglewood after Liturgy on Sunday, July 27. We'll picnic on the lawn and listen to music by Tower, Mendelssohn and Beethoven, with violinist Sarah Chang and the Orchestra of St. Lukes. (For more information see hhttp://www.bso.org/bso/index.jsp;jsessionid=2Q1BY4DEXABHICTFQMGSFEQ?id=bcat5240070 ) The concert starts at 2:30; lawn tickets are just $19. Bring picnic food for yourself and to share, or buy it on the way. For more information and to let us know you're coming, especially if you'll need a ride, contact Melissa Nassiff by email (mnassiff@gmail.com) or phone (508 877-7483).
GRECIAN FESTIVAL - Taxiarchae-Archangels Church , Watertown is having a Grecian Festival this weekend, June 20, 21 and 22. It will be held rain or shine under the tent at Hellenic Cultural Center , Friday and Saturday 11:00-11:00, Sunday noon to 10:00 pm.
REMINDERS
FASTING IN JUNE - The Apostles' Fast begins on Monday, June 23, and continues until the Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul on June 29.
PARISH LIFE CONFERENCE - The 2008 Diocesan Parish Life Conference will be this coming week, June 26 through 29, at the Mariott Hotel in Providence , RI , hosted by St. Mary Church, Pawtucket . Metropolitan PHILIP will preside; keynote speaker will be Rev. Dr. Emanuel S. Chris. To see the schedule of events and register for the conference, click on http://worcesterdiocese.net/conferences/2008-plc.html - you can register either online or on paper. To register for the hotel call 866-807-2171.
The church offices will be closed, and no services will be held at St. Mary's, during the Parish Life Conference.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL - St. George Church, West Roxbury, will hold a Vacation Bible School for ages pre-school through 4th grade (pre-schoolers must be potty-trained), from Monday, July 7, through Thursday, July 10, from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Call Khalil Samara 617-323-0323 if interested.
NO VOLUNTEERS = NO COFFEE - The services of the Church continue all year round, and volunteers continue to be needed throughout the summer! 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.
NEW CHANDELIERS - New Chandeliers have been ordered for the Church, and we hope to have them installed in time for our 80th Anniversary Celebration in October. There will be one large chandelier, which has been donated, and six smaller chandeliers, four of which have been donated so far. We are presently looking for donations to cover the cost of the remaining two chandeliers, which are $10,000 each. Donations can be made through the Bengarri or you can speak with Ray Sayeg or Mary Winstanley O'Connor.
WOMEN'S CLUB SUMMER READING: This summer Women's Club members (and anyone else who'd like to join us) will be reading The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs, currently #2 on the New York Times best-seller list. Read the book over the summer, and join us in the fall for an enjoyable evening of discussion, refreshments and fellowship!
PILGRIMAGE TO NEW SKETE - The Monastic Communities and parishioners of New Skete Monastery (OCA) in Cambridge , New York , invite you to join them for a day of prayer and reflection celebrating their feast day on Saturday, August 9, 2008 (rain or shine). The theme of the pilgrimage is "Healing: New Life in Christ." As is the rule of monastic life, the day will begin and end with prayer-- Matins at 8:30 am, followed by the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at 9:30 am, and Vespers and Vigil at 5:30 pm. In addition, a special healing service will be held at approximately 4:15 pm. Two main presentations will be held in the afternoon--"Perspectives on Healing" with Dr. Demetra Velisarios Jaquet and Fr. Steven Voytovich and "Holy Unction: Human Illness, Healing, and Wellness" given by Rev. Dr. Alkiviadis Calivas. In addition, the day will include tours of the monastery Churches, a demonstration of the monks' dog program, as well as time for hiking, conversation, reflection and quiet. Activities for children and teens are also planned. Traditional ethnic and American style food will be available for purchase. For more information (or to be part of the band of volunteers from the area), see the flier on the church bulletin board and/or contact Teva Regule at teva@mitlns.mit.edu.
ST. MARY'S 80th ANNIVERSARY - We will be celebrating our 80th anniversary the weekend of October 24 - 26, 2008. If you are interested in working on the planning committee, please call Mary Winstanley O'Connor at work: 617-523-1010 or at home: 781-641-2967.
LITURGICAL SERVICE - Each Sunday, members of the congregation are needed to read the Epistle and assist during Communion by holding the Communion Cloths and Holy Bread Baskets. If you would like to read the Epistle or assist during the Communion, contact Jeff Wasilko, 781-820-0882, email: jeffw@smoe.org and/or use the sign-up sheet on the Bengarri.
FOOD DONATION NEED CONTINUES - Please continue to bring cans, jars, and boxes of food and place them in the container outside the Church Office. The need is still great at St. Paul 's Food Pantry in Harvard Square , where volunteers from St. Mary help every Saturday. To help, contact Christian Alcala at cmalcala1989@yahoo.com or (617) 876-5684.
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 pm and 7:30. Contact Liz Tutella at 617-974-5005 or ETutella@sovereignbank.com.
INSIGHT
On that dreadful and amazing day, Thou shalt say to us sinners, O Lord: "You men know well what I have undergone for you...what have you suffered for Me?" What shall I say to that; I who, though penitent, am evil, sinful and polluted? The martyrs will point to their wounds, their sufferings, the severed parts of their bodies, and to their endurance to the end. The ascetics will point to their asceticism, to their long fasts and vigils, to their liberality, their tears and their endurance to the end. But I, idle, sinful, transgressing as I am, what shall I be able to point to? Spare me, O merciful One! Spare me, O Thou Lover of mankind!
- St. Ephraim the Syrian
When we consider the fidelity, the resoluteness, the determination to renounce all things for love of God, without which we cannot pass over to the higher levels of purity and contemplation, we remain aghast at our own weakness, our own poverty, our evasions, our infidelity, our hesitancy. Our very weakness clouds our vision. We are left helpless, knowing very well that we are asked to give up everything, yet not knowing how or where to begin. In such a condition there is no use forcing the issue. Great patience and humility are needed and humble prayer for light, courage and strength.
- Fr. Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation
Oftentimes a man for Christ's sake has been outraged and dishonored unjustly; martyrdom is at hand; tortures on every side, and fire, and sword, and savage beasts, and the pit. But the Holy Spirit softly whispers to him, "Wait on the Lord, O man; what is now befalling you is a small matter, the reward will be great. Suffer a little while, and you shall be with angels forever. 'The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us' (Rom. 8:18)." He portrays to the man the kingdom of heaven; he gives him a glimpse of the paradise of delight; and the martyrs, whose bodily faces are of necessity turned to their judges, but who in spirit are already in Paradise , despise those hardships which are seen.
- St. Cyril of Jerusalem , Catechetical Lectures
Patient endurance kills the despair that kills the soul; it teaches the soul to take comfort and not to grow listless in the face of its many battles and afflictions.
- St. Peter of Damascus
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Saturday, June 21: Great Vespers 5:00 pm
Sunday, June 22: Summer hours begin - Orthros 8:15 am, Divine Liturgy 9:30 am
SCRIPTURE READINGS for June 22, 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. ... 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.
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; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny him before my Father who is in heaven.
Monday, June 23: Apostles' Fast begins (until June 29)
Thursday-Sunday, June 26-29: Parish Life Conference at Marriott Hotel, Providence , RI
(St. Mary church and offices closed)
LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday, June 28: No Vespers at St. Mary's - Vespers 5:00 pm at Parish Life Conference
Sunday, June 29: No Liturgy at St. Mary's - Hierarchical Divine Liturgy 10:00 am at Parish Life Conference
Saturday, July 5: No Vespers at St. Mary's
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 21: Christian Alcala and Paul Joseph
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.
June 22: Epistle: Erick Straghalis
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 22: The family of Lillian B. Sakey (40 days)