Weekly Newsletterfor the week Friday, September 11, through Thursday, September 17, 2009
THIS WEEK
ELEVATION OF THE CROSS - This Sunday we will celebrate the Feast of the Elevation of the Cross, with a procession after Liturgy.
CHURCH SCHOOL - Registration for Church School will be this Sunday, September 13, during coffee hour. Church School students are to remain in church with their families for the celebration of the Feast; and students and teachers will be called up after the Procession of the Elevation of the Cross for a special blessing as they start off the new year.
Classes will begin next Sunday, September 20.
WOMEN'S CLUB MEETING AND BOOK DISCUSSION - The Women's Club will meet on Monday, September 14 at 7:00 pm, followed by a discussion of the book, Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, a New York Times best seller, at 7:45 pm. Join us for an enjoyable evening of discussion, refreshments and fellowship!
PARISH COUNCIL - The next meeting of the Parish Council will be Wednesday, September 16, at 7:30 pm
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
ONLY TEN TICKETS LEFT! - Tickets for the Welcome Reception and Cocktail Party for Bishop ALEXANDER'S visit to St. Mary are almost sold out! See "Bishop Alexander To Visit St. Mary" under Reminders, below, for more information.
INTER-ORTHODOX YOUNG ADULT RETREAT - Don't miss the $60 Early Bird Registration Rate for the Inter-Orthodox Young Adult Retreat to be held September 25 - 27! The retreat, entitled GOD CREATED: From Created to Creators will be offered September 25 - 27, 2009 at Hellenic College/Holy Cross, Brookline, MA. Keynote speaker, His Grace Bishop SAVAS of Troas, and workshop speaker Fr. Mark Leondis, will bring our theme God Created: From Created to Creators to life with interactive workshops and relevant discussions. Full Registration Package: $60 until September 12; $75 after 9/12. For more information, see www.youth.goarch.org. Sponsored by the Greek Orthodox Department of Youth and the Antiochian Archdiocese FSJD.
ATTENTION COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY STUDENTS - If you are a new or returning college or university student, please fill out a blue College Student Address Form on the Bengarri (desk in the Narthex) so that we have your current addresses and information and you can receive announcements about activities at St. Mary's and on campus. See Charlie Marge if you have questions.
ATTENTION PARENTS OF ST. MARY PARISH COLLEGE STUDENTS - If you would like your sons or daughters to receive a copy of the CORNERSTONE each month while they are away at school to keep them in touch with what's going on at St. Mary's, please fill out one of the blue College Student Address Forms and return it to Marilyn Robbat.
SFEEHA AND KIBBEH SALE - The Women's Club is offering for purchase freshly made Sfeeha (ground lamb-meat pizza pies with onion, pine nuts & seasonings) and Kibbeh (8 ½"x 11" tray made with ground lamb-meat and burghul). Everything is cooked with the finest of ingredients and ready to eat now or freeze for the holidays! To order, please use the order form in the Bulletin or Cornerstone. Deadline for orders is October 11. Pick-Up dates will be Sunday, October 25 for Sfeeha, and Sunday, November 1 for Kibbeh.
"WELCOME BACK COLLEGE STUDENTS" BREAKFAST - After Liturgy on Sunday, October 18, the Fellowship of St. John the Divine (FSJD) will host a special breakfast to welcome college students back to their "Church home away from home." Please join us in welcoming and supporting students who strive to remain connected to the Church while away from their families. All are welcome! A suggested minimum donation of $5 will be gratefully accepted from non-students. Please RSVP so we'll know how much food to prepare: call the church office at 617-547-1234, or reply to this e-mail.
REMINDERS
INQUIRER'S CLASS - The St. Ignatius of Antioch Catechetical Group: Inquirer's Class at St. Mary's is open to any Non-Orthodox adult who is interested in learning more about the Orthodox Church. It meets each Sunday from Sept. to May from 9:00 until 10:00 a.m. Classes will begin September 27, 2009. The class meets in the St. Mary library which is next to Fr. Antony's office. For more information please contact David Vermette: dgvermette@sysmatrix.net
or 617-776-5635.
CHURCH CLEANUP - Please plan to stay after coffee hour on Sunday afternoon, September 27, and help clean up the church in preparation for the Bishop's visit the following week. If many people help, it shouldn't take more than a couple of hours.
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
ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE: ST. THEKLA PILGRIMAGE - The annual St. Thekla pilgrimage will take place over the weekend of September 25-27, 2009, at Antiochian Village. 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 .
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.
FURNITURE AVAILABLE - Gently-used furniture in need of good homes - all free, all clean, requires your car or truck & your selected family/friends to help you move it. Please email Susan Holman at sholman@hsph.harvard.edu or povertystudies@aol.comto arrange a time you can come and take away what will be useful to your daily life: mattresses -- two clean twin-size, each with a box spring; bed frames - twin size, 4 head-footboard combos, from the 1940s/1950s with wooden slats that go under the box spring; may have one old double-size brass bedstead with large spring base (probably need a small truck or van for this item); dishes - probably a full set of ordinary plain cream-colored stoneware for about 6-8 people; one huge old dresser that is sort of an antique but has had its share of wear; has a beautiful intact mirror and a good surface and huge drawers; some chairs and little side tables (functional but nothing special); 5-6 aluminum lawn chairs from the early 60s; and an old wardrobe--quite bulky but functional & a conversation piece
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.
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, 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
September 12: Socrates Deligeorges and Lan Hu
LITURGICAL SERVICE
September 13: Epistle: Teva Regule; Left Cloth: Ethan Mabardy Higgins and Christine Mabardy; Right Cloth: Chris Minindis and Melissa Nassiff; Left Bread: Sarah Jabbour; Right Bread: Linda Arnold
COFFEE HOUR
September 13: FSJD
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
September 12: Great Vespers 5:00 pm
Sunday, September 13: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am, with Procession
SCRIPTURE READINGS for September 13:
Epistle: St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 6:11-18 But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
Gospel: John 3:13-17 The Lord said, "No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "
Monday, September 14: Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross (no services)
LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday, September 19:
No Vespers at St. Mary (Vespers with Metropolitan PHILIP in Norwood 6:00
pm)
Sunday, September 20:
Orthros
8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am
Saturday, September 26:
No Vespers at St. Mary
INSIGHT
"Far be it for me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal. 6:14).
Truly this symbol is thought despicable; but it is so in the world's reckoning, and among men; in Heaven and among the faithful it is the highest glory. Poverty too is despicable, but it is our boast; and to be cheaply thought of by the public is a matter of laughter to them, but we are elated by it. So too is the Cross our boast. He does not say, 'I boast not,' nor, 'I will not boast,' but, 'Far be it from me that I should,' as if he abominated it as absurd, and invoked the aid of God in order to his success therein. And what is the boast of the Cross? That Christ for my sake took on Him the form of a slave, and bore His sufferings for me the slave, the enemy, the unfeeling one; yea, He so loved me as to give Himself up to a curse for me. What can be comparable to this?
- St. John Chrysostom
"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up" (John 3:14). And just exactly as all who were bitten by the serpents looked upon the bronze serpent which was suspended and were healed, thus also every Christian who believes in our Christ and has recourse to His life-bearing wounds, who eats His Flesh and drinks His all-holy Blood, is cured of the bites of the spiritual serpent of sin and by this most holy nourishment is made to live unto the renewal of a new creation, that is, new life in harmony with His life-giving commandments.
- Elder Ephraim of Philotheou Mount Athos, "Counsels from the Holy Mountain"
The holy Fathers relate that when the thief of the Gospel, too, came to the gates of the Kingdom, the Archangel with the flaming sword wanted to chase him away, but he showed him the Cross. Immediately the fire-bearing Archangel himself withdrew and permitted the thief to enter. Understand here not the wooden cross. But which? The Cross in which the chief Apostle Paul boasts and concerning which he writes, "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus (Gal. 6:17)."
- St. Anatoly of Optina, A Collection of Letters to Nuns
The one who knows God will follow the Lord's footsteps, bearing the cross of the Savior. It is said, "The world is crucified to him and he to the world." The Lord says, "He who loses his life will save it." We can "lose our lives" in one of two ways. First, we can risk our lives just as the Lord did for us. Secondly, we can separate our lives from the customary things of this world. Bearing the cross means to separate our souls from the delights and pleasures of this life. If you do this, you will find your life again - resting in the hope of what is to come. Dying to ourselves means being content with the necessities of life. When we want more than these necessities it is easy to sin.
-- St. Clement of Alexandria