Weekly Newsletter for the week Friday, January 23, 2009 through Thursday, January 29, 2009
THIS WEEKEND
ANNUAL PARISH MEETING - The Annual Meeting of St. Mary Parish will be held this Sunday, January 25, immediately following Divine Liturgy. We will approve the Year 2009 Budget, review expenses for 2008 and hear committee reports and up-dates. All members of the parish are urged to attend. In case of inclement weather, the snow date will be Sunday, February 1.
PARISH COUNCIL - The new 2009 Parish Council will be sworn in this Sunday, January 25, before the Parish Meeting. Congratulations to newly elected members Buddy Mabardy and Arthur Mabbet, and re-elected members Andrew Bargoot and Shirley Bezreh. Officers of the Parish Council for 2009 are Ray Sayeg, President; Andrew Bargoot, Vice President; Nicholas Bezreh, Treasurer; Melissa Nassiff, Recording Secretary and Renay DiFiore, Corresponding Secretary.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
MEATFARE SUNDAY BREAKFAST - The annual Meatfare Sunday Breakfast sponsored by the Fellowship of St. John the Divine will be Sunday, February 22. The suggested donation - $7 per person, $14 per family - will help support the many activities of the Fellowship at St. Mary's, including the annual Lessons and Carols evening; Learning in Lent lecture series; Wednesday evening potluck suppers after Pre-Sanctified Liturgies during Lent; the annual Father John vonHolzhausen lecture; Coffee House ministry; coffee hours and special meals; the weekly St. Mary Update e-mail newsletter; and more.
NO MORE CARE PACKAGES - Scott will be coming home in a few weeks, so donations are no longer needed for care packages! The Fellowship is very grateful for all the donations we've received, which enabled us to send him a new care package every two or three weeks. Scott says "Thank you very much for all of the packages of food and books you have sent me. They have brought very much needed relief for me and my platoon."
BATTERED WOMEN'S SHELTER - The Women's Club is requesting your support with monetary donations toward the purchase of items for our annual Baskets for the Battered Women's Family Shelter. Each year, gifts baskets are made up of household items and given to the families to facilitate their moves into new homes and apartments. Please see Louise Homsy or Shirley Bezreh at the Bengarri. Make checks payable to St. Mary Women's Club and earmark: Battered Women. Thank you.
REMINDERS
CHINESE NEW YEAR BREAKFAST - On Sunday, February 1, the Fellowship of St. John the Divine will sponsor the 2009 Chinese New Year Missions Breakfast, to benefit the Chinese Translation Project via the Orthodox Fellowship of All Saints of China. Through Chinese Missions fund-raising events by participating parishes world-wide, OFASC is looking to underwrite Orthodox publication of practical articles for living the Orthodox Christian life.
The suggested minimum donation is $5.00 per adult (checks should be made payable to "St. Mary Orthodox Church - Fellowship" and earmarked to Chinese Missions). Please RSVP, with the number of people attending and any diet restrictions, to Nelson Mitrophan Chin at mitrophan@orthodox.cn by Wednesday, January 28. Also RSVP if interested in donating a dessert or food item, or to provide a helping hand with setup, food prep or cleanup.
DIOCESAN MEETINGS AND FOOTLAMPS - The winter meetings of Antiochian Women, Fellowship of St. John the Divine and Teen SOYO in the New England Diocese will be held on Saturday, January 31, at St. John Church , Dedham . Morning Prayers will start at 10:00 a.m.; meetings are scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m., followed by lunch.
The next lecture in the 2008-2009 Footlamps series, sponsored by the Diocesan Fellowship of St. John the Divine, will be during lunch at the Diocesan Meetings on Saturday, January 31, at St. John Church , Dedham . The speaker will be Maria Khoury, author of Orthodox Christian children's books and the author of Witness in the Holy Land, a publication reflecting personal experiences living under military occupation with her husband the honorable Mayor David Canaan Khoury and three children. Her articles have been published world-wide in numerous newspapers and magazines and have been translated into various languages, bringing awareness of the Christian presence in the Holy Land . All are invited to attend; a good will donation is appreciated.
CHRISTMAS CARDS FOR ORPHANS - Thanks to all of you who contributed and/or signed the 80 Christmas cards to the children of the Hogar Rafael Ayau Orphanage. The kids will be thrilled. Thanks especially to the Parish Council who generously donated $200, raising our total donation to $240 for the orphanage.
COFFEE HOUR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - When no one volunteers, we don't have a coffee hour. So please sign up to sponsor a coffee hour, individually or with friends. Some do this to celebrate a special event or anniversary, but you don't need a reason, and it can be as simple as coffee, juice, and cookies. Signup sheets are on the bulletin board downstairs outside the Hall.
PARKING - Please note: If you do not plan on staying for the entire Coffee Hour on any given Sunday, please do not park in the Church Parking Lot. The first in will be the last out! Similarly, if you park in the driveway please plan to leave very promptly.
ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE CAMP 2009 - Schedules have been announced for the 2009 camping program at the Village - see http://www.antiochianvillage.org/camp.html Note that an Early Bird discount applies for Summer Camp if paid in full by February 1. Two scholarships are also available - see Fr. Antony for details.
2009 PLEDGE CARDS - Please take the time to fill out your 2009 pledge card, which was mailed out recently, and return it to the Church Office as soon as possible in the self-addressed stamped envelope provided. We especially need your pledge this year - not just a bare minimum, but a percentage of your income (10% is the biblical ideal). Everyone, including students and new arrivals, is encouraged to make a stewardship commitment to St. Mary's. If you do not have a pledge card, please contact the Parish Office so that you may receive a New Member Packet. Or you can take advantage of the new convenient electronic pledge card on the Stewardship page of our parish website: https://www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/ministries/stewardship.php
2009 WEEKLY OFFERING ENVELOPES are ready for pick-up outside of the Church Office. Look for your name alphabetically. Remember: if you have chosen to pay periodically, you have not been assigned weekly envelopes. If you wish to change your payment arrangements, see or call Marilyn Robbat in the Church Office 617-547-1234.
CALENDARS - 2009 Church Calendars have just arrived. Please take one per family.
CROSSROADS - High School Juniors and Seniors: The Office of Vocation & Ministry at Hellenic College is now accepting applications for its summer CrossRoad program. Two sessions are offered: June 20 - 30 and July 7 - 17, 2009. For more information and application see www.crossroad.hchc.edu or call 617-850-1309. Application deadline is March 1, 2009 for first consideration.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE
There are a number of ways you can help the Church, your fellow worshippers and those in need. Consider serving in one of these ways:
PARTICIPATION
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. All Orthodox Christians in the Parish are welcome and encouraged to participate. We usually need one Epistle reader and six people to hold cloths and baskets. If you would like to read the Epistle or assist during the Communion, please contact Jeff Wasilko, 781-820-0882, jeffw@smoe.org.
Coffee Hour - People are needed every week to provide coffee, juice and cookies, or more if desired, and set it up Sunday morning. 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 Robbat in the Parish Office and she will write your name in. If you need any help with figuring out what to bring or do, check the list below the signup sheet (also printed in the Bulletin), or ask Marilyn at secretary@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org or 617-547-1234.
VOLUNTEERING
Holy Resurrection Open Doors - The Holy Resurrection Open Door Meal Ministry in Allston needs volunteers every Monday evening (there is a special need in the summer). The official hours of the project are 4:30 pm-7:30 pm, but it is fine to come anytime and leave any time. Best times would be 5:30-5:45 to 7:15-7:30 pm. You can serve meals, coffee and tea to the people who arrive for dinner (6-7 pm) or just stay behind the scenes doing set-up and clean-up. It is a very rewarding, hands-on, face-to-face way to serve the community with (mostly) other Orthodox Christians-we even chant the Our Father together before the meal begins. Church info can be found at http://hrocboston.org .
Questions? Please contact Liz Straghalis at liztutella@gmail.com phone 617-974-5005, or Tiffany Conroy at trattus1@gmail.com, 617-990-7162.
St Paul's Food Pantry - Two to four volunteers help each week in the food pantry at St Paul 's Roman Catholic Church in Harvard Square , Saturday mornings from 9:30-11:45. If you are interested in helping, please contact Christian Alcala at cmalcala1989@yahoo.com, or (617) 876-5684.
DONATIONS
Food and Clothing - Holy Resurrection in Allston takes donations of non-perishable food items and clothing to distribute at the Open Door Ministry on Monday evenings. You can bring your donations by on Monday nights between 4:30 pm and 7:30 pm or contact Tiffany Conroy, trattus1@gmail.com, 617-990-7162, for more information.
- St. Paul 's Food Pantry in Harvard Square , where volunteers from St. Mary help every Saturday, depends upon regular donations of canned and packaged foods. To help, contact Christian Alcala at cmalcala1989@yahoo.com, or (617) 876-5684.
Monetary Contributions - The Agape Canister Program is an Orthodox non-profit development program of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center . It is dedicated to meeting the needs of children, families, and communities throughout the world, regardless of race, color, or creed. All funds collected by the Agape Canister Program are earmarked for medical care and clinics, water wells, agricultural development, food and clothing, support personnel (e.g. doctors, nurses, teachers), the construction of schools, and the education of indigenous people in their own communities. Please contribute each Sunday - A clear plastic box is on the Bengarri.
"As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me," says our Lord.
THIS WEEK'S VOLUNTEERS
FOOD PANTRY - January 24:
LITURGICAL SERVICE - January 25: Epistle: Bob Kowalik; Left Cloth: Teva Regule; Right Cloth: Trish and Elias Orlovsky; Left Bread: Brooke Wilcox; Right Bread: Melissa Nassiff
COFFEE HOUR - January 25:
No volunteers = no coffee
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Saturday, January 24:
Vespers 5:00 pm
Sunday, January 25:
Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; Church School lesson 12
SCRIPTURE READINGS for January 25:
Epistle: St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 7:26-28; 8:1-2 Brethren, it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
Gospel: Luke 19:1-10 And there was a man named Zacchaeus; he was a chief collector, and rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was ... And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully.
LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday, January 24:
Vespers 5:00 pm
Sunday, January 25:
Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; followed by Parish Meeting; Church
School lesson 12
Sunday, February 1: 2009
Chinese New Year Missions Breakfast
INSIGHT
He who loves God consciously in his heart is known by God (cf. I Cor. 8:3), for to the degree that he receives the love of God consciously in his soul, he truly enters into God's love. From that time on, such a man never loses an intense longing for the illumination of spiritual knowledge.
- St. Diadochos of Photiki
God created the sun and the eye. Man is free to receive the sun's light or not. The same is true here. God sends the light of knowledge like rays to all, but He also gave us faith like an eye. The one who wants to receive knowledge through faith, keeps it by his works, and so God gives him more willingness, knowledge, and power.
- Saint Peter the Damascene
...we have never achieved anything good on our own, but all good things are ours from God by grace, and come as it were from nothingness into being. For "what do you have which you did not receive? " asks St. Paul - receive, that is, freely from God; "and if you received it, why do you boast as if you had not received it" (I Cor. 4:7), but had achieved it by yourself? Yet by yourself you cannot achieve anything, for the Lord has said: "Without Me, you can do nothing. " (John 15:5)
- St. Peter of Damascus
As then it is His[God's] part to plant and to water, so it is yours to bear fruit: it is God's to grant grace, but yours to receive and guard it. Despise not the grace because it is freely given, but receive and treasure it devoutly.
- St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures