Weekly Newsletter for the week Friday, August 21, through Thursday, August 27, 2009

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNIVERSARY VIDEO QUESTIONNAIRES - Even if you don't want to be interviewed for the St. Mary 80th Anniversary Video (see Reminders, below), please complete the online questionnaire at  http://StMaryVideo.ErickStraghalis.com. Your thoughts and sentiments about the church and your experience can be invaluable to the project.

If you are willing to be interviewed, you need to fill out the questionnaire first, to help the interviewer plan your interview. Note that interviews will be scheduled starting next weekend, August 29 and 30.

ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE:  ST. THEKLA PILGRIMAGE - Over the weekend of September 25-27, 2009, Antiochian Village will host the annual St. Thekla pilgrimage. This year's theme will be The Domestic Church, and His Grace Bishop JOSEPH of the Diocese of Los Angeles and the West will preside over the pilgrimage. His Grace will preach on the Pilgrimage theme at services on Saturday. Also on Saturday, participants may join in small group talks including:

  • Dedicating your "house as something holy to the Lord": The Lives of Saintly Families
  • Dragging the Faith Home: Making God Real in the Orthodox Home
  • When It All Goes Wrong: Living the Faith in the Midst of Family Crisis
  • The Shack: Encountering God (A discussion of the New York Times Best-Seller)

Mother Alexandra of the recently established St. Thekla Convent will also attend the Pilgrimage and participate in services and group talks. 

For more information email barli@antiochianvillage.org  or call: 724-238-3677 x425. For prices, complete schedule or to register, please download the St. Thekla Pilgrimage registration form at http://www.antiochianvillage.org/assets/files/center_pdf/Pilgrimage%2009%20Brochure.pdf . Registration is due by September 1st.

REMINDERS

ST. MARY 80th ANNIVERSARY VIDEO - UPDATE - We are looking for materials (photos, video, etc.) and historical information for our research committee - both recent and not-so recent!  Over the next several weeks, we will have several tables and people downstairs during coffee hour leading these efforts. 
1.  Materials - if you have photographs, documents, booklets, brochures and/or video of the past 80 years at St. Mary's, please contact Juliet Burch (juliet.burch@gmail.com) who is coordinating the archiving committee, and will ensure your materials are returned to you once they have been scanned.  If you have video, please let them know the format it is currently in (VHS, Mini-DV, Hi8, or DVD).  Juliet and her team will be on hand Sunday to collect any materials you may have - Please bring them in a clearly marked box or bag so that your items may be archived and returned.
2.  Research Questionnaire - If you have any information on the past 80 years (both recent history and not-so-recent), we need your help!!!  There are two ways to fill out this questionnaire - Online or in person.    If you have any questions regarding the questionnaire, please contact Tiffany Conroy (trattus1@gmail.com).  If you would like to be interviewed on-camera, you MUST complete this questionnaire.

Online: Fill out the questionnaire online at http://StMaryVideo.ErickStraghalis.com (note: there is no "www" in the URL). It should only take about fifteen minutes. 
In Person: Several team members will be on hand to walk people through the questionnaire, during coffee hour. 

For all other questions, please contact Erick Straghalis (stmaryvideo@erickstraghalis.com). Thank you and God Bless!

COFFEE HOUR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - Please sign up to provide a coffee hour this summer or early fall - it can be as simple as coffee, juice, and cookies. Signup sheets are on the bulletin board downstairs outside the Hall, or call Marilyn in the office.  When no one volunteers there is no coffee, no fellowship, no hospitality.

ORTHODOX CONFERENCE ON MISSIONS & EVANGELISM - The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese Department of Missions and Evangelism is proud to welcome as their keynote speaker for the 2009 Orthodox Conference on Missions and Evangelism His Beatitude the Most Blessed JONAH, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), Archbishop of Washington and New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada. The conference will be held

September 4 - 7, 2009 at Antiochian Village . Theme:  The Necessity of Orthodox Unity in America to Bringing America to Orthodoxy.  For more information and to register,  see http://www.antiochian.org/missions/conference .

WOMEN'S CLUB SUMMER READING -  This summer Women's Club members (and anyone else who'd like to join us) will be reading Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, a New York Times best seller. Read the book over the summer, and join us in the fall, Monday, September 14, for an enjoyable evening of discussion,  refreshments and fellowship!

SONIA'S RUN - You are invited to take part in an inaugural 5K road race to benefit the Theophany School, in honor of its beloved friend Sonia Belcher, on Saturday, September 19, 2009.  "Sonia's Run ... Building on a Dream" will start and end at St. George Church, West Roxbury, and includes both a 5k Run starting at 9:00 am and a Kids' 50-yard Dash which starts at 8:30 am.  For more information, go to:  www.SoniasRun.org

METROPOLITAN VISITING ST. GEORGE, NORWOOD - Metropolitan PHILIP will visit St. George, Norwood, on September 19th and 20th.  On Saturday evening, Vespers will be at 6:00 pm, followed by a banquet at the Apollo Restaurant in Norwood to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Ladies of Saint George.  On Sunday, His Eminence will serve the Liturgy at 10:00  am, including the one-year memorial for Father Nifon Abraham.   Dinner on Saturday is $55 and includes your choice of roasted prime rib or broiled haddock.  Please send your reservation to the Ladies of Saint George, c/o Beverly DiFlaminies, 35 Elm Street, Norwood, 02062.  For information phone 781-762-4396, see their website, www.StGeorgeNorwood.org or email Linda Thomas at LMThomas9@gmail.com

 

BISHOP ALEXANDER TO VISIT  ST. MARY- On the evening of Saturday, October 3, 2009, we will welcome His Grace Bishop ALEXANDER for a visit to St. Mary's.  The evening will begin with Vespers at 6:00 pm, followed by a Welcome Reception and Cocktail Party at 7:30 pm.  The ticket price  of $35.00 per person will include a wide array of hot and cold hors d'oeuvres, open bar, dessert and Arabic dancing.   Prepaid reservations only - no tickets will be sold at the door. Tickets will be limited to 175 people.   For tickets and table reservations of eight, contact Renay DiFiore at (617) 327-6361, Melissa Nassiff at mnassiff@gmail.com  or Mary Winstanley O'Connor at either (617) 523-1010 or moconnor@koilaw.com.

On Sunday, October 4, His Grace will be with us for Orthros at 8:45 am and Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am, followed by a celebratory Coffee Hour.

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

August 22:   Kern Ormond

LITURGICAL SERVICE

August 23:     Epistle: Bob Kowalik;  volunteers are needed for other positions.  If you would like to assist during the Communion, please contact Jeff Wasilko, 781-820-0882, jeffw@smoe.org. 

COFFEE HOUR

August 23:   No volunteers, no coffee hour

LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK

Saturday, August 22:  Great Vespers 5:00 pm

Sunday, August 23:  Summer hours - Orthros 8:15 am, Divine Liturgy 9:30 am

SCRIPTURE READINGS for August 23: 

Epistle:  St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 9:2-12

For it is written in the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain." Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of a share in the crop.

Gospel: Matthew 18:23-35

The Lord said this parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; ... Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailors, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to everyone of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

LOOKING AHEAD

Saturday, August 29:  Great Vespers 5:00 pm

Sunday, August 30:  Last Sunday of Summer Hours - Orthros 8:15 am, Divine Liturgy 9:30 am

Sunday, September 6:  Regular hours resume - Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

INSIGHT

When you have peace and love for all, then your prayer is acceptable, and your offering well-pleasing, and your house blessed and you blessed. But if you are not reconciled with your brother, how can you seek pardon from me? You trample on my words, and do you demand pardon? I, your Master, demand, and you pay no attention, and do you, a slave, dare to offer me prayer, or sacrifice, or first fruits, while you have enmity against someone? Just as you turn your face from your brother, so I too turn my eyes from your gift and your prayer.

   - St. Ephrem the Syrian        

Imagine the vanity of thinking that your enemy can do you more damage than your enmity.

   - St. Augustine

I beg, do not criticize one another, for it is egotism through and through. Let brother excuse fault of brother; this is testimony of humility and love. The brother who does this will find much grace from God, but that one who judges and scandalizes his neighbor must know that he will find no grace, and if he has any he will lose it, in order to learn the lesson of humility through misfortune.

   - Elder Ephraim of Philotheou Mount Athos, "Counsels from the Holy Mountain"                         

Considering all these things then, and ... remembering that to wipe away sins does not entail much labor and zeal, let us pardon those who have wronged us.  For that which others scarcely accomplish - I mean the blotting out of their own sins by means of fasting and lamentations, and prayers, and sackcloth, and ashes - this it is possible for us easily to effect without sackcloth and ashes and fasting, if only we blot out anger from our heart, and with sincerity forgive those who have wronged us.

   -  St. John Chrysostom

When our hearts are reluctant we often have to compel ourselves to pray for our enemies, to pour out prayer for those who are against us. Would that our hearts were filled with love! How frequently we offer a prayer for our enemies, but do it because we are commanded to, not out of love for them. We ask the gift of life for them even while we are afraid that our prayer may be heard. The judge of our soul considers our hearts rather than our words. Those who do not pray for their enemies out of love are not asking anything for their benefit.

     Jesus, our advocate, has composed a prayer for our case. And our advocate is also our judge. He has inserted a condition in the prayer that reads, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." Sometimes we say these words without carrying them out. Thus our words bind us more tightly.

   - St. Gregory the Great, "Be Friends of God"