Update for the week Friday, November 12, through Thursday, November 18, 2010
THIS WEEKEND
CPR and AED TRAINING – The Parish Councilis offering training in Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) this Saturday, November 13 – CPR 1:30-3:30, and AED 3:30–5:00. There is no cost for the training and certification, which has been generously donated by a family in the parish. We have 15 spots to fill. Participants need no special equipment or knowledge, and should wear comfortable clothes and bring a desire to learn. The instructor will supply models/dummies for the CPR training and exact replicas of the AED machine recently installed in the Church Hall. Contact Ray Sayeg if interested: rsayeg@dennerpellegrino.com or 617-872-9774.
FAMLY VESPERS, CONFESSION, AND PIZZA – Church School children and their families are invited to come for Vespers this Saturday, followed by Pizza. There will also be an opportunity for Confession with Fr. Antony. Vespers begins at 5:00 pm.
SPAGHETTI DINNER– This Sunday, November 14, the Teen SOYO will sponsor a spaghetti dinner after Liturgy. The menu will feature spaghetti and meatballs (just before the fast!), salad, bread, dessert and coffee/beverage. Everyone is invited; your goodwill donation will be much appreciated.
NATIVITY FAST– The Nativity Fast, also known as the season of Advent, begins this Monday, November 15. This is the forty days of fasting and prayer in preparation for the Great Feast of the Nativity of Christ. On Wednesdays during this period there will be a Paraklesis service at 6:30 pm.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
CHRISTMAS PAGEANT - Rehearsals for this year’s Christmas Pageant will take place following liturgy on Sunday, November 21st and Sunday, December 5th, with a dress rehearsal on Saturday, December 11th before Lessons and Carols. The Pageant is planned for Sunday, December 12th (with a rain/snow date of December 19th). Our thanks to Charlie Marge for his directing the pageant this year. All church school children and teens are invited to participate. Parent volunteers will also be needed.
N.G. BERAMS BANQUET – The N. G. Beram Veterans Association’s Distinguished Service Award and 11 Scholastic Achievement Awards will be presented at their Banquet on Saturday, November 27 2010, at 12:30 pm, at the Holiday Inn in Dedham. For more information see www.stjohnd.org/ngberam.
ROCKETTES– The Antiochian Women of the Diocese invite you to a performance of the Rockettes on Saturday December 11, 2010 at 11:00 AM. The tickets are $48.25 each; these are balcony but you get a full view of the stage and can see all of the formations that the dancers perform. Parking under the Boston Common is $11.00, a short walk away and plentiful. It’s a two hour show so Lunch after may be a possibility. If ANYONE (not just Women’s Club members) is interested, contact MaryEllen Mabardy at 781-729-3033.
VALUABLES - Please do not leave valuables unattended in the Church Hall or Cloak Room.
REMINDERS
PARISH COUNCIL– The next meeting of the Parish Council will be this Wednesday, November 17, following the Paraclesis service. If you would be willing to serve on the Parish Council, please see Ray Sayeg or e-mail him at rsayeg@dennerpellegrino.com, immediately.
BAKE SALE– The Women’s Club presents its Annual Thanksgiving Charity Bake Sale next Sunday, November 21, 2010. All proceeds will benefit the Convent of Saidnaya in Syria. Plan on purchasing all your holiday breads, pies, goodies, Syrian pastries and much more! Call MaryEllen Mabardy at 781-729-6303, if you can help bake and/or donate.
PARISH CHRISTMAS CARD- Save yourself time, let us do the work and have all proceeds benefit the Convent of St. Theklaat Antiochian Village. Let the Women’s Club send a lovely Christmas Card on your behalf to our parishioners. You will receive this card with the names of parishioners, like yourself, who are wishing a Blessed Nativity and a Merry Christmas to all. Please use the form in the Sunday Bulletin. Deadline: Sunday, December 5, 2010.
COME SEE THE MESSIAH - Join friends from St. Mary’s for the Handel and Haydn Society’s annual performance of Handel’s Messiah, on Sunday, December 5, at 3:00 p.m. We will carpool to Symphony Hall after Liturgy and have lunch together before the concert. Contact Melissa Nassiff at mnassiff@gmail.comfor discounted tickets – possibly separate from the rest of the St. Mary group - or order your own tickets online at http://www.handelandhaydn.org. Either way, plan to join us for lunch first!
YOUTH EQUIPPED TO SERVE– Middle school and high school students are invited on a service trip to Providence RI from Friday, December 17, at 5:00 pm through Sunday, December 19th, at 3:00 pm. Nadia is hoping a group of teens from St. Mary's will join her in a weekend of service, fellowship, and prayer. To register visit yesnorthamerica.orgor for more information email Nadia at nabuelezam@gmail.com.
MEMORY ETERNAL- We are saddened to advise of the falling asleep in the Lord of Anthony K. Teebagy, Sr. of Somerville and Florida on Monday, October 25, 2010 in Florida. Beloved husband of Mary Rose (Maloof); beloved father of Judith DeFreitas and her husband, Daniel; Barbara Capuano and her husband, Michael; Anthony Teebagy, Jr. and his wife, Kathleen Buckley; James Teebagy and his wife, Sanaa; Laura Shuman and her husband, Mark; Kaser Teebagy and his wife, Patricia. Donations may be made to the Church or to the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701. May his memory be eternal.
PRISON MINISTRY– If you would like to find out more about Prison Ministry at St. Mary Orthodox Church, please subscribe to the mailing list at http://groups.google.com/group/ocpm-concord
CANNED FOOD DRIVE– The annual FOOD FOR HUNGRY PEOPLE Canned Food Drive will be held through December 26, 2010. Bring in your canned goods to the Church and place them in the large, blue plastic containers outside the Church Office – they will be distributed to local food pantries in our area. Since 1984 we have collected over 3,281,200 pounds of food.
TEEN SOYO– Congratulations to the newly elected officers of the Teen SOYO: President Theo Smith, Vice-President Sabrina Nebiye, Secretary Gabe Smith, and Treasurer Esther Porr.
PROJECT MEXICO – Project Mexico is an ongoing Orthodox Christian mission project. Groups of Orthodox Christians, led by experienced builder/leaders, build houses for poor Mexican families near St. Innocent Orthodox Orphanage in Rosarito, Mexico. Families (with children at least 10 yrs. old), teens over 14, and adults are welcome to join a Home Building Team. Anyone interested in forming a St. Mary's Project Mexico Home Building Team for August 2011 please contact Fr. Anthony, or Kera Dalton (a 2009 Project Mexico attendee and new member of St. Mary's) at billandkeradalton@comcast.net or (781)789-8458.
ON-LINE STEWARDSHIP SIGN-UP - There will be a table at Coffee Hour for the next few Sundays for those who would like to try eGive. We’ll have a laptop to help walk you through the process on the spot. All you need to bring is a sample check from your checking account. Please e-mail Jamil Samara (jamil@jamilsamara.com) or Charlie Marge (marge@alum.mit.edu) if you have any questions.
COFFEE HOUR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – Please sign up to provide a coffee hour – it can be as simple as coffee, juice, and cookies. Lots of Sundays are available in the Fall, and plenty of help is available! Signup sheets are on the bulletin board downstairs outside the Hall, or call Marilyn in the office at 617-547-1234 or secretary@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org.
STREAMING VIDEO- Divine Liturgy at St. Mary is broadcast live every week! Do come to church… but if you can’t, then join us on your computer! To see live broadcasts go tohttps://www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/livestream. Divine Liturgy starts at 10:00 am every Sunday September through June, and at 9:30 am during the summer.
If you are interested in helping, please contact Erick Straghalis (estraghalis@gmail.com).
FIRST IN, LAST OUT– Please do not park in the small lot behind the church unless you intend to stay through the end of coffee hour. The only way out is the single lane driveway. Please pull all the way in to the parking space, and please do not block the driveway – if the lot is full, you can park on the street or in the lot at the corner of Prospect Street and Bishop Allen Drive.
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 Communionby 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
and six people to hold cloths and baskets. If you would like to read the Epistle or assist during 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.orgor 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 atliztutella@gmail.com phone 617-974-5005, or Tiffany Conroy at trattus1@gmail.com.
St Paul’s Food Pantry - Volunteers are needed each week in the food pantry at St Paul's Roman Catholic Church in Harvard Square, Saturday mornings from 9:30-11:45.
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.
Canned Goods-The annual Food For Hungry People canned food drive is held October through December each year. Bring in your canned goods to the Church and place them in the large, blue plastic containers outside the Church Office – they will be distributed to local food pantries in our area.
"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
LITURGICAL SERVICE – Epistle: James Wilcox; Left Cloth: Bob Kowalik and
TBD; Right Cloth: Dimitrios Antos and James Wilcox; Left Bread: TBD; Right Bread: Linda Arnold
COFFEE HOUR – Church School Spaghetti & Meatball dinner
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Saturday, November 13: Church School Family Vespers and Confession, followed by pizza, 5:00 pm
Sunday, November 14, The Feast of St. Philip the Apostle: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; Church School Lesson 8
SCRIPTURE READINGS for November 14:
Epistle: Acts of the Apostles 8:26-39
In those days, an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and to toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert road. And he rose and went. And behold, an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a minister of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of all her treasure, had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?”
Gospel: Luke 10:25-37
At that time, a lawyer stood up to put Jesus to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." And Jesus said to him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live." But the lawyer, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied [with the story of the Good Samaritan].
INSIGHT
Acts of mercy must be concrete, physical actions. They cannot be “in word and speech, but in deed and truth” (First letter of John and letter of James). Acts of mercy are acts done to Christ himself who was hungry, thirsty, naked, homeless, in prison and sick in the form of being wounded for our transgressions on the cross, taking up our wounds, and dying our death. Christian acts of mercy must be sacrificial. By this, we understand that we must not simply give to others what is left over. We have to be sharing our possessions with others in ways that limit ourselves in some way (the widow’s mite). And, acts of mercy should be done without qualification or condition to everyone, no matter who, what or how they are (parable of the Good Samaritan).
- Fr. Thomas Hopko
Love should never be sacrificed for the sake of some dogmatic difference.
- St Nectarios of Aegina
He in whom there is love, does not consider anyone alien to himself, but all are to him his own people; he in whom there is love, does not become irritated, is not proud, does not become inflamed with anger, does not rejoice over injustice, is not mired in falsehood, does not consider anyone as his enemy; he in whom there is love, endures everything, is compassionate, is long-suffering. Therefore, he who has acquired love is blessed. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God (I John 4:16).
- St. Ephraim the Syrian
'But I say to you,' the Lord says, 'love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who persecute you.' Why did he command these things? So that he might free you from hatred, sadness, anger and grudges, and might grant you the greatest possession of all, perfect love, which is impossible to possess except by the one you loves all equally in imitation of God.
- St. Maximus the Confessor