Weekly Newsletter for the week Friday, September 18, through Thursday, September 24, 2009
THIS WEEKEND
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, this 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. For information phone 781-762-4396 or see their website, www.StGeorgeNorwood.org
MILAD SELIM ORDINATION - On Sunday September 20 our seminarian, Milad Selim, will be ordained to the Diaconate by Metropolitan PHILIP during the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at St. George. Fr. Antony will be there; Fr. Peter Day of Manchester , NH, from the Greek Archdiocese, will celebrate the Liturgy at St. Mary in Fr. Antony's absence.
CHURCH SCHOOL - Classes begin this Sunday, September 20, after Liturgy.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
ALMOST SOLD OUT! - Only a few tickets are left for the Welcome Reception and Cocktail Party for Bishop ALEXANDER'S visit to St. Mary - get yours today! See "Bishop Alexander To Visit St. Mary" under Reminders, below, for more information.
FR. ANTONY WILL BE AWAY - Fr. Antony will be out of town Monday through Saturday, September 21 - 26. In case of emergency while he is away, please contact Fr. Timothy Ferguson at St. George Church, West Roxbury at 617-323-0323.
REMINDERS
INTER-ORTHODOX YOUNG ADULT RETREAT -An Inter-Orthodox Young Adult 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 the theme to life with interactive workshops and relevant discussions. Full Registration Package: $75. For more information, see www.youth.goarch.org. Sponsored by the Greek Orthodox Department of Youth and the Antiochian Archdiocese FSJD.
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.
Questions? 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 .
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 September to May from 9:00 until 10:00 a.m. Classes will begin next Sunday, 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.
BISHOP ALEXANDER COMING TO 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.
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.
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 19: David Vermette
LITURGICAL SERVICE
September 20: Epistle: ; Left Cloth: Larisa and Marc Patacchiola; Right Cloth: Matt Weaver and ; Left Bread: Jeanne Brickman; Right Bread: Jen Nahass
COFFEE HOUR
September 20: Women's Club and Fellowship of St. John the Divine
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Saturday, September 19: No Vespers at St. Mary (Vespers with Metropolitan PHILIP at St. George, Norwood 6:00 pm)
Sunday, September 20: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am;
Church School lesson 1
SCRIPTURE READINGS for September 20:
Epistle: St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 2:16-20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Gospel: Mark 8:34-38; 9:1 The Lord said: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ... For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday, September 26: No Vespers at St. Mary
Sunday, September 27: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; Church School lesson 2
Saturday, October 3: Vespers 6:00 pm, followed by Welcome Reception and Cocktail Party for Bishop ALEXANDER 7:30 pm (advance reservations only)
Sunday, October 4: Orthros 8:45 am; Hierarchical Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; No Church School
INSIGHT
Beloved, are you a Christian through God's grace? Keep the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ; for it is written, In truth I understand that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation one who fears him and works justice is acceptable to him. But if you wish to walk the strict way of life of the monks so that you may meet with greater things, unless you fix in your thought that you have already passed over from this life and consider that this world and its glory are as a tent that has been struck, you cannot conquer the earthly passions and worldly desires which overwhelm people to the ruin and destruction of the flesh; for he is without deception who said, If any one wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For he who wishes to find his soul will lose it; but he who loses it for my sake will find it. For what advantage will someone have if he gain the whole world but pay the price of his life?
- St Ephrem the Syrian
Of course, it would be easier to get to paradise with a full stomach, all snuggled up in a soft feather-bed, but what is required is to carry one's cross along the way, for the kingdom of God is not attained by enduring one or two troubles, but many!
- Elder Anthony of Optina
Has someone offended thee? Guard thy breast with the sign of the Cross; remember what took place on the Cross, and all will be extinguished. Think not of offenses only, but recall also whatever good thou hast received from the one who has offended thee, and at once thou shalt grow meek. Bring to mind the fear of God, and quickly thou shalt grow more temperate and calm. Train thyself not to offend another during offenses themselves, and then, when offended, thou wilt not feel grief. Think to thyself that he who is offending thee is in a frenzy and not in his right mind, and then thou wilt not be vexed at the offense.
- St. John Chrysostom
Therefore if you want to have in your heart the affections and dispositions that were those of Christ on earth, consult not your own imagination but faith. Enter into the darkness of interior renunciation, strip your soul of images and let Christ form Himself in you by His Cross.
- Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation