Update for the week Friday, July 13, through Thursday, July 19, 2012
THIS WEEKEND
CROSSROAD – CrossRoad is a summer institute for high school juniors and seniors on the campus of Hellenic College/Holy Cross. Participants will be attending Great Vespers and dinner HERE at St. Mary Church, Cambridge, this Saturday, July 14, 2012 at 5:00 pm.
SUMMER HOURS – Every Sunday during July and August, Orthros begins at 8:15 am, and Divine Liturgy at 9:30 am.
FR. ANTONY TO BE AWAY – Fr. Antony will be attending the 17th Biennial Clergy Symposium Monday through Friday, July 16-20, at the Antiochian Village Heritage and Learning Center. (The St.
Mary Church office will be open Monday through Wednesday during that
time.)
Note: In case of emergency during his absence, please
contact Dino Takles, Vice President of the Parish Council, at
617-650-2417 (cell).
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
PARISH OFFICE TO BE CLOSED – The Summer Meetings of the Antiochian Women, Fellowship of St. John the Divine, and Teen SOYO will be held next weekend, Friday through Sunday, July 20-22, at Antiochian Village Heritage and Learning Center. At this time our winning Bible Bowl team will compete in the North American Bible Bowl Competition!
Note: St. Mary Church office will be closed Thursday through Sunday, July 19-22, for these meetings. Early deadline for next week’s Sunday Bulletin is Wednesday, July 18, by 10:00 am.
COFFEE HOUR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED– Volunteering always falls off this time of year, but the need for fellowship and hospitality stays strong. Please sign up to sponsor a coffee hour, individually or with friends. It can be as simple as coffee, juice, and cookies, and plenty of help is available. Signup sheets are on the bulletin board downstairs outside the Hall.
DORMITION FAST – The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is our Patronal feast day. The Dormition fast begins on Wednesday, August 1, and continues through Tuesday, August 14. There will be a Paraclesis Service at 6:30 pm on the Wednesday evenings during the fast, August 1 and August 8.
BAPTISM INVITATION – Nelson Mitrophan and Michelle Chin cordially invite the parish to the Holy Baptism and Chrismation of their daughter, Mariah Elisabetta, at St Mary’s Orthodox Church on Sunday August 5, 2012 at 2:00 pm, followed by a Chinese reception in the church hall. Please RSVP with number of attendees by August 3 to javachip23@hotmail.com
REMINDERS
BEST WISHES TO OUR BIBLE BOWL TEAM – St. Mary’s Bible Bowl team, consisting of Alex Dalton, Anthony Marge, and Theo Smith, and coached by Violet Robbat, won the Bible Bowl at the Parish Life Conference this year. Now they will go on to represent the Diocese of Worcester and New England at the North American Bible Bowl Competition at Antiochian Village at the Summer Meetings next weekend, July 20-22, 2012.
SUMMER GREETERS NEEDED – Volunteers are needed for most Sundays in July and August, plus September 2 (Labor Day Weekend). Please contact Buddy Mabardy at 781-729-6303 or e-mail: buddy@cjmabardy.com. Summer Hours: Orthros: 8:15 am & Liturgy: 9:30 am. Summer might be a GREAT time for you to start participating in this Ministry!
CONFERENCE THANKS AND PHOTOS– The Parish Life Conference in Ogunquit was a tremendous success. The PLC Committee in Norwood is so grateful to everyone who traveled to Maine, participated in the events and ate lobster. To Bishop John, to those who made the fine services so beautiful and prayerful, to the Archdiocese Trustees, Clergy, Parish and Diocesan leaders, to those who attended meetings and workshops, to the participants in the Bible Bowl and Oratorical, to the students in the Creative Arts Festival, to everyone who shared their talents, our very generous sponsors, and all of you…A job well done, God Bless. Enjoy the photos at https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4hi2aackz154gtw/TN3PpUQb8M, or check out the slide show at www.stgeorgenorwood.org.
ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE CAMP – Registration and information about summer camp at the Antiochian Village can be found at http://antiochianvillage.org/camp/programs/campdates.html
A big “Thank you” to the organizers and benefactors of St. Mary’s
Antiochian Village Camp Scholarship fundraiser. The fundraiser is
enabling eighteen of St. Mary's kids to attend with generous partial
scholarships. You can view the daily photos for Session 3, July 15 – 27, 2012, (when our kids attend) at http://www.antiochianvillage.org/camp/memories.
The photos currently posted are from last year but they will be updated
daily from July 15-27. The spiritual growth they experience at The
Village returns with them to St. Mary's each fall.
NEW SKETE PILGRIMAGE – The Monastic Communities of New Skete Monastery in Cambridge, New York (www.newskete.org), invite you to their Annual Summer Festival on Saturday, August 11, 2012, between 8:30am - 6:00pm. The day will include Church Services, Church Tours, Food Court, Photo Exhibit, Gardens, Children's Activities, Gift Shops, Guided Hike, and a Healing Service with Anointing. This year’s guest speaker will be Dr. Kyriaki Karidoyanes Fitzgerald, Theologian and Psychologist, whose theme will be Persons in Communion: A Theology of Authentic Relationships. Information and Registration: http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1x7fv/NewSketeAnnualPilgri/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ffree.yudu.com%2Fitem%2Fdetails%2F540613%2FNew-Skete-Annual-Pilgrimage-Program---2012For housing arrangements and more information contact Teva Regule, teva@mit.edu no later than July 29.
VACATION CHURCH SCHOOL 2012– St. Mary Church, 535 Salisbury St., Worcester, will offer Vacation Church School for Grades K – 7, Tuesday through Friday, August 14 – 17. Theme: Our God-Bearing Fathers. Registration: $40 per child (includes ticket for Tornadoes Picnic & Game); Adult Ticket: $25. For more information, contact Greg Abdulah 724-518-6811; abdulah.g@gmail.com
VACATION CHURCH SCHOOL 2012– St. George Church, West Roxbury will offer Vacation Church School, Tuesday through Friday, August 21 – 24, for Pre-School (at least 3 yrs. old AND potty trained) through 4th Grade. Theme: Heroes of the Bible. There will be lessons, crafts, playtime, singing and fun! Snack provided each morning. Registration Donation: $15/1 child; $20/2 children; $25/3 children. Volunteers are needed. Contact Elisabeth: Elisabeth@stgeorgeofboston.org or call 617-323-0323.
ARCHDIOCESE SCHOLARSHIPS – In order to download scholarship applications and information available through our Archdiocese, log on to http://www.antiochian.org/scholarships(note corrected link).
MEN’S WEEKEND – There will be an Orthodox Men's Get-Away Weekend September 21-23, 2012, at The Saint Methodios Faith and Heritage Center - 329 Camp Merrimac Road Contoocook, NH 03229 (www.boston.goarch.org/faith_heritage_center.html), sponsored by St. Stephen's Orthodox Church (www.stsoc.org). Guest Speakers will be Fr. Michael Keiser and Fr. Kenneth DeVoie, both of the Department of Missions & Evangelism for the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America, and others TBA. Cost: $189.00 (2 night stay, all meals, snacks and use of recreational facilities). For more information see the brochure at https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=c173523fb2&view=att&th=138145dad9b77f31&attid=0.1&disp=safe&zw or contact Jeff St. Jean at jeffstjean11@verizon.net.
REGULAR REMINDERS
COFFEE HOUR SIGNUP – A signup sheet for coffee hours is
posted on the bulletin board outside the coat room. There are plenty
of dates to choose from after Pascha – sign up now for the date you will sponsor the coffee hour!
DONATE VIA eGIVE– Did you know that you can make your donations to St. Mary through eGive, and have no more envelopes or checks to worry about? If you have not yet set up an account, you can do it at www.egive-usa.com, or contact Charlie Marge (marge@alum.mit.edu) for help. The Recipient Organization is “St. Mary’s Orthodox Church.”
STREAMING VIDEO – St. Mary’s Church services are broadcast live each week through an internet video stream. If you can't attend a service in person or want to share this ministry with a friend or loved one, the live stream can be viewed at www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/live during regularly scheduled service times (see the schedule of services below or online). If you have questions or comments about this ministry please contact us at live@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org.
VIDEO STREAMING FOR EVENTS – Now you can video stream your wedding or baptism live from St. Mary’s to friends and family who can't attend your event in person. The cost for Event Video Streaming is $150 for members, $300 for non-members, and includes a password- protected viewing page and setup and breakdown of the streaming service for your event by a trained staff member. You can also get a copy of your streamed event on CD: $50 for members, $100 for non-members. Fees are payable to the church. Streaming is subject to staff availability. For general questions on the video streaming ministry or event streaming, please contact live@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org. To schedule your event and/or request Event Video Streaming, please contact the Church Office.
PROTECT YOUR VALUABLES – Please do not leave valuables unattended in the Church Hall or Coat Room.
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.
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:
BE A GREETER - The Parish Council is continuing the
Greeter Program, similar to other churches, to greet and aid
parishioners, guests and visitors into the Church each Sunday. As a
Greeter, you will welcome people into the Church and help to direct
visitors upstairs to the Liturgy, as well as keeping an eye on the
Vestibule, hallways and entrance ways during church, arriving at Church
at 9:45 am. Greeting time ends when Communion starts. We need
volunteers. If you would like to be a Greeter, a Sign-Up Sheet is
posted on the Church Bulletin Board. If you have any questions, please
contact Buddy by e-mail buddy@cjmabardy.comor call him at 781-729-6303. “I was a stranger, and you invited me in………” (Matthew 25:35)
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 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 new 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.
PRISON MINISTRY – If you would like to find out more about Prison Ministry at St. Mary’s Church, please subscribe to our mailing list at http://groups.google.com/group/ocpm-concord
"As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me," says our Lord.
THIS SUNDAY'S VOLUNTEERS
GREETER: If you would like to be a Greeter, please contact Buddy Mabardy at 781-729-6303 or buddy@cjmabardy.com
LITURGICAL SERVICE: If you would like to read the Epistle or assist during Communion, please contact Jeff Wasilko, 781-820-0882, jeffw@smoe.org.
COFFEE HOUR: Andreea Bodnari
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Saturday, July 14: Great Vespers 5:00 pm
Sunday, July 15: Orthros 8:15 am, Divine Liturgy 9:30 am (Summer Hours)
SCRIPTURE READINGS for Sunday, July 15, Sunday of the Holy Fathers:
Epistle: St. Paul's Letter to the Titus 3:8-15
Titus, my son, the saying is sure. I desire you to insist on these
things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to apply
themselves to good deeds; these are excellent and profitable to men. …
And let our people learn to apply themselves to good deeds, so as to
help cases of urgent need, and not to be unfruitful.
Gospel: Matthew 5:14-19
… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works
and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Think not that I have
come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish
them but to fulfill them.
LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday, July 21: No Vespers at St. Mary
Sunday, July 22: Orthros 8:15 am, Divine Liturgy 9:30 am (Summer Hours)
Saturday, July 28: Great Vespers 5:00 pm
Wednesday, August 1: Dormition Fast begins
INSIGHT
There would be no need for sermons, if our lives were shining; there
would be no need for words, if we bore witness with our deeds. There
would be no pagans, if we were true Christians.
- Saint John Chrysostom
"And let your good works shine before men, that they, seeing them, may
glorify your Father which is in heaven." For we ought not to strive
[i.e. quarrel]; neither has He desired us to be imitators of wicked men,
but He has exhorted us to lead all men, by patience and gentleness,
from shame and the love of evil.
- St. Justin, Martyr, The First Apology
What does it mean, "that they be careful to maintain good works"? That
they wait not for those who are in want to come to them, but that they
seek out those who need their assistance. In this way the considerate
man shows his concern, and with great zeal will he perform this duty.
For in doing good actions, it is not those who receive the kindness that
are benefited, so much as those who do it that make gain and profit,
for it gives them confidence towards God. … For almsgiving is the mother
of love, of that love which is the characteristic of Christianity.
- St. John Chrysostom, Homily 6 on Titus
Some think they believe rightly, while not practicing the commandments;
others, while practicing them, expect the kingdom as a just reward. Both
sin against truth.
- St. Mark the Ascetic