Update for the week Friday, September 28, through Thursday, October 4, 2012
THIS WEEKEND AT ST MARY
PASTORAL VISIT – Join us for the Pastoral Visit of His Grace, Bishop JOHN this Saturday and Sunday, September 29 & 30, 2012.
Saturday, September 29: Great Vespers at 5:00 pm, followed by Dinner with Bishop JOHN
in the Church Hall (a fund raiser to send our children to Antiochian
Village in July, 2013). Tickets for Adults: $45.00 per person includes
Dinner, Beer, Wine & entertainment by Fouad Hajjar. Children Under
18: $35 per person. NO TICKETS SOLD AT DOOR.
Sunday, September 30: Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am, followed by a Celebratory Coffee Hour.
For reservations contact Mary Winstanley O’Connor at 617-523-1010 moconnor@koilaw.com, or Diane Mabardi at 617-720-6100 diane@ggatravel.com Tables of 8 may be reserved in advance.
SEMINARIANS WELCOME RECEPTION – The Antiochian Women of our Diocese invite you to a Reception honoring our Seminarians on Sunday, September 30, at St. George West Roxbury, 55 Emmonsdale Rd., West Roxbury, MA. Vespers will be at 4:00 pm, followed by the reception in the Church Hall. Hot & cold hors d’ouevres and dessert will be served. All are welcome.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
BOOKS FOR SALE – The Fellowship of St. John the Divine has several copies of the book "A Life Together: Wisdom of Community from the Christian East," by last year's von Holzhausen lecturer, Bishop Seraphim Sigrist. List price is $15.99, but you can purchase it for our cost of $9.00 per copy. This is your last chance to buy it at cost before we return our unsold books to the publisher. Please talk to or email Michael Decerbo, Fellowship treasurer at mdecerbo@alum.mit.edu, if you are interested in buying the book. If you are out of town, send your check to the church with an additional $4 for postage -- and please also email Mike so he can expect it and set your copy aside.
WOMEN’S CLUB – The next meeting of the Women’s Club will be Tuesday, October 9, at 7:30 pm in the kitchen.
PARISH COUNCIL – The next meeting of the Parish Council will be Wednesday, October 10, at 7:30 pm in the kitchen.
MIRACULOUS ICON VISIT - With the blessing of His Grace Bishop +JOHN, on Monday evening October 15 the miraculous Icon of the Mother of God of Hawaii will visit St. George Church in West Roxbury, MA. The Paraklesis service of intercession will be served at 7:00 pm followed by the anointing of the faithful. In June 2008, this icon was officially recognized by bishops of the Orthodox Church as miraculous and genuine. The icon and its bearer have been given the blessing to travel to various churches and monasteries of Orthodox Church. This holy icon of the Mother of God continues to stream its fragrant myrrh to this day. This will be its only visit to Boston. Please plan to be with us for this very special blessing. The sick, elderly and shut-ins are especially encouraged to be with us. Visit the “News and Events” section at http://stgeorgeofboston.org for more information.
MEMORY ETERNAL – We regret to advise of the falling asleep in the Lord of Margaret Homsy Little of Lynn on Tuesday, September 18, 2012. She is survived by her children, grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren and her sister, Priscilla Goss and sister-in-law, S. Louise Homsy. Interment was on Friday, September 21, 2012, at Pine Grove Cemetery in Lynn. May her memory be eternal.
REMINDERS
ENQUIRERS' CLASS – The St. Ignatius Catechetical Group - Enquirers’ Class - meets every Sunday at 9:00 am in the library (next door to Fr. Antony’s office), led by Bob Kowalik. If you would like to participate, please talk to Bob during coffee hour; or get in touch by phone at 617-889-3436 or e-mail r.kowalik@comcast.net. Brochures are available on the Rack behind Bengarri. For those seeking to be received into the Orthodox Church, participation in the group and Fr. Antony’s blessing are required.
MARRIAGE SEMINAR – The Deanery of Worcester & New England will offer a Seminar for Couples on Thursday and Saturday, October 4 & 6, at St. John of Damascus Church, 300 West St., Dedham, MA. The seminar is for those preparing for marriage and all those interested, and guest speaker will be His Grace, Bishop JOHN. Registration forms are available on the St. Mary church bulletin board; cost is $30/couple. Talks and sessions will include A Vision of Marriage; Betrothal – Commitment and Grace; Crown Them With Honor; For This Cause Shall a Man Leave Father & Mother – Family Dynamics; and You Just Don’t Understand – Man/Woman Communication and Culture
DANCING WITH THE AABA STARS – The American Arabic Benevolent Association invites you to “Dancing With the AABA Stars” next Friday, October 5
at Moseley’s-on-the-Charles, Dedham, MA at 7:30 pm. Each parish will
have one contestant competing for their respective parish - our parish
will be represented by Erica (Bezreh) Dooley. Individual Ticket: $50
per person includes Appetizer Buffet, Munchies at Tables, Coffee &
Dessert. Reservations ONLY – No tickets sold at door. For tickets,
tables reservations and Sponsor Forms, contact Shirley Bezreh
781-648-0685.
In addition to food vouchers and scholarships, AABA’s major project
is the funding and construction of federally subsidized elderly
housing. AABA has broken ground on another elderly subsidized facility
and is utilizing this fundraising project to assist in building the
building. Please consider sponsoring Erica. Sponsor forms can be found
on the Bengarri and given to Shirley Bezreh.
FELLOWSHIP MEETING – The Fellowship of St. John the Divine (FSJD) will hold its first meeting of the year next Sunday, October 7, after Liturgy. We will introduce our new President, Julie Wasilko. review the calendar of events for the year, and discuss what the Fellowship has done in the past and can do perhaps differently in the future. We hope to generate lots of new ideas – please come!
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 – or half 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! Please use the order form in the Sunday bulletin, or contact the church office for a copy. Order deadline is next Sunday, October 7. Pick-Up Dates are Sunday, October 21 for Sfeeha, and Sunday, October 28, for Kibbeh.
REQUEST FOR DONORS – In order to make Saturday’s Dinner/Antiochian Village Fundraiser with His Grace, Bishop JOHN a financial success, we are asking that parishioners donate to reduce the costs. Please sign up on the list on the bulletin board downstairs, or see Mary Winstanley O’Connor or any Parish Council member, or contact Mary at moconnor@koilaw.com or 617-523-1010.
ESSAY AND RESUME EDITING – All teens applying to college (or jobs) are welcome to bring their application essays and resumes on Sunday, October 14, to be edited and looked at during/after coffee hour by "experts!" We can sit down and brainstorm or work on an existing piece. Please email Nadia if you think you'll be attending: nabuelezam@gmail.com. "Experts" are also available at other times for 1-1 sessions.
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 afternoon, December 2, at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are just $25 – even less if we have a big enough group. We will carpool to Symphony Hall after Liturgy and have lunch together before the concert. Those who have done this before have thoroughly enjoyed it - not only do we hear a world-class orchestra and chorus with famous soloists singing glorious words (taken directly from the Bible), but we also have an opportunity to spend time getting to know some fellow parishioners we normally may not encounter. Good seats go fast - please contact Melissa Nassiff at mnassiff@gmail.com by Sunday, October 14, or order your own tickets online at http://www.handelandhaydn.org.
PRISON MINISTRY TRAINING – If you are interested joining the Prison Ministry, there will be an upcoming training for volunteers on Friday, October 19 at 4:00 pm at the Rectory of Immaculate Conception Parish , 11 Prospect Street, Marlborough, MA 01752. Dinner will be served by the Knights of Columbus. Training is required if you would like to come into prison to volunteer. Please see Deacon Jeff or Father Anthony if you have questions or would like to join this ministry.
“BREAKFAST SEARCH” – All teens and young adults are encouraged to participate in our first ever St. Mary's breakfast search, on Sunday, October 21. Our very own Theo Smith will lead us in a brief orientation during coffee hour before we head out to feed and talk to people on the streets! Please put this into your calendar! If you have questions, please contact Nadia: nabuelezam@gmail.com.
FALL DELEGATES MEETING – The Fall Diocesan Delegates Meetings of Teen SOYO, Fellowship of St. John the Divine and Antiochian Women will be held on Saturday, October 27, at St. Mary Church, 249 High St., Pawtucket, RI. Watch for more information.
ATTENTION COLLEGE STUDENTS – If you are a new or returning college or university student, please fill out a pink College Student Address Form on the Bengarri (desk in the Narthex) so that we have your current address and information and you can receive announcements about activities at St. Mary's and on campus. Please leave the form on the Bengarri. 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 pink College Student Address Forms and return it to Marilyn Robbat.
ABBA SENIOR HOUSING – AABA (American Arabic Benevolent Association) encourages seniors who may want to live in either of their senior housing facilities to fill out an application now and get your name on the waiting list. If you are handicapped or 62 years or older, you qualify for Cheriton Grove, their present facility. If you are 62 years of age or older, you qualify for Cheriton Heights, their 70-unit senior housing facility under construction and ready for occupancy by June 2012. Call Cheriton Grove at 617-325-1939 and speak with Rita Ludington to schedule an appointment with her, or ask Rita to send you an application.
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 – 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.org or 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: Barbara Shoop
LITURGICAL SERVICE: To volunteer, please contact Jeff Wasilko, 781-820-0882, jeffw@smoe.org.
COFFEE HOUR: St. Mary Women’s Club
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Saturday, September 29: Pastoral Visit of Bishop JOHN – Great Vespers 5:00 pm, followed by Dinner
Sunday, September 30: Pastoral Visit continues – Orthros 8:45 am; Enquirers’ Class 9:00 am; Hierarchical Divine Liturgy 10:00 am, followed by a Celebratory Coffee Hour. No Church School.
SCRIPTURE READINGS for Sunday, September 30:
Epistle: St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians 6:16-7:1
Brethren, you are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will
live in them and move among them, and I will be their God, and they
shall be my people. … “ Since we have these promises, beloved, let us
cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make
holiness perfect in the fear of God.
Gospel: Luke 6:31-36
The Lord said, "And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to
them…. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing
in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the
Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. Be
merciful, even as your Father is merciful."
LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday, October 6: Great Vespers 5:00 pm
Sunday, October 7: Orthros 8:45 am; Enquirers’ Class 9:00 am; Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; No Church School
Saturday, October 13: Great Vespers 5:00 pm
Sunday, October 14: Orthros 8:45 am; Enquirers’ Class 9:00 am; Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; Church School lesson 3
REFLECTION
"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 who loves all
equally in imitation of God.
- St. Maximus the Confessor
Prayer for our enemies is the very highest summit of self-control.
- St. John Chrysostom
The soul cannot know peace unless she prays for her enemies. The soul
that has learned of God's grace to pray, feels love and compassion for
every created thing, and in particular for mankind, for whom the Lord
suffered on the Cross, and His soul was heavy for every one of us.
- Saint Silouan on Love
It is joyful to feel that we do not and cannot have any enemies among
men, but only unhappy brethren, who are deserving of pity and help, even
when, through misunderstanding, they become our enemies and fight
against us. Woe! They do not understand that the enemy is found within
ourselves, and that first of all one must cast him out of oneself, and
then also help others to do the same. We have only one enemy: the devil
and his evil spirits. But man, no matter how far he has fallen, never
loses certain sparks of light and goodness which may be blown into a
bright flame. But for us there is no reason to fight against people,
even when they consistently send against us all kind of blows and
rebukes ... To fight against people is to take a false position of our
enemies. Even if we succeed, we gain nothing from this fight, but rather
become estranged from our own success.
- Martyr Roman Medved, Letter to His Daughter from the Gulag, 1932
That your enemies have been created is God's doing; that they hate you
and wish to ruin you is their own doing. What should you say about them
in your mind? "Lord be merciful to them, forgive them their sins, put
the fear of God in them, change them!" You are loving in them not what
they are, but what you would have them to become.
- St. Augustine