Update for the week Thursday, January 2, through Thursday, January 9, 2014
THIS WEEK
THEOPHANY – This Sunday after Liturgy we will celebrate Theophany with the Blessing of the Waters. Church School students will go downstairs into the hall for a short music lesson with Charlie Marge to learn Theophany hymns before going back upstairs for the Blessing of the Waters.
PARISH COUNCIL MEETING – The Parish Council will meet on Wednesday, January 8, at 6:30 pm, at the church.
PLEDGE CARDS – Pledge cards for 2014 have been mailed. If you have not yet returned yours, please do so ASAP. Or you can make your pledge online at https://www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/ministries/stewardship.php
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
PARISH MEETING - The Annual Meeting of the Parish will be held Sunday, January 26, after Liturgy. All members are urged to attend.
REMINDERS
CHURCH CALENDARS & OFFERING ENVELOPES - New Church Calendars and 2014 Offering Envelopes are available on the desk in the Church Hall.
BIBLE STUDY – The Bible Study at St. Mary, sponsored by the Fellowship of St. John the Divine, meets every other Thursday in the church library, and is based on a series of talks originally broadcast on Ancient Faith Radio. For more information contact Marianna Sayeg (mksayeg@gmail.com) or Fr. Antony (frawhj@gmail.com ). New members are always welcome. Note: Bible Study has been taking a break until after Christmas. We will resume again on January 16, 2014 at 7:00 pm.
ANTIOCHIAN WOMEN – There will be a Diocesan Meeting of the Antiochian Women with Bishop JOHN on Saturday, January 25, at 10:30am at the Chancery, 2 Lydia’s Path, Westborough, MA. Luncheon will follow the meeting.
DIOCESAN FAMILY DAY – There will be a celebration of Diocesan Family Day at Saint John of Damascus in Dedham on Saturday, February 1. The day begins at noon with a luncheon for everyone; followed by various events and concluding with Great Vespers at 5:00 pm. Family Day is coordinated by the Diocesan Mission Council. For information contact Father Joseph Kimmett (stgeorgenorwood@gmail.com) or Greg Abdalah (abdalah.g@gmail.com)
REAL BREAK – OCF Real Break aims to prepare college students to be socially informed Orthodox Christian citizens of this world, while directing their focus on the world to come, the kingdom of heaven. Built on a foundation of fellowship, education, worship, and service, Real Break provides students the opportunity to understand the true meaning of seeing Christ in the other – traveling to all parts of the world deepening their faith, serving those in need, and cultivating relationships with like-minded peers. To find detailed information regarding the 2014 Real Break trips and to register, please visit www.ocf.net/realbreak. Be a part of this year's life-changing week-long Real Break experience.
VIBRATION MONITORING - Please be advised that vibration monitoring equipment has been placed in a large orange metal Knaack Storage Chest up against the back of the church. Please DO NOT PARK in front of the chest.
PARKING RESTRICTIONS – Parishioners must not park in the City Hall Electric Car Charging Station across from the Church. This spot must be available at all times to Cambridge residents who have electric cars.
Also, there is no parishioner parking in the Church parking lot Mondays through Fridays until after 6:00 pm.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE
There are a number of ways you can help the Church, your fellow worshipers, and those in need. Consider serving in one of these ways:
- Be a Greeter
- Participate in Liturgical Service*
- Provide a Coffee Hour
- Join the Prison Ministry
- Help with Video Editing
- Share your talent as Photographer Or Graphic Designer
For information about these opportunities, and who to contact, seehttps://www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/ministries/volunteering
*Also, during the school year, the Church School students participate in our liturgical celebration by holding candles at the Gospel reading; processing with candles, a festal icon, and the baskets of Antidoron (i.e. extra bread) at the Great Entrance; and then presenting the Antidoron for a blessing during the Hymn to the Theotokos.
THIS WEEK'S VOLUNTEERS
Greeter: Barbara Shoop
Church School Liturgical Service - Candle Bearers: Saimon Teclezghi & Yoel Yohannes (Sub, if needed: Kasonet Mehary); Icon Bearer: Malek Abdellas; Bread Baskets: Rahel Mahari & Meley Ephrem; Team Leaders: Danait Teclezghi and Robel Mahari
Coffee Hour:
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Saturday, January 4, 2014: Great Vespers 5:00 pm
Sunday, January 5, Holy Theophany: Orthros 8:45 am, Enquirers' class 9:00 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am, followed by Blessing of the Waters; No Church School classes.
SCRIPTURE READINGS for Sunday, January 5:
Epistle: Second Epistle of St. Paul to Timothy 4:5-8
Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me at that day, and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved His appearing.
Gospel: Luke 3:1-18
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. … And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday, January 11: Great Vespers 5:00 pm
Sunday, January 12: Orthros 8:45 am, Enquirers' class 9:00 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; Church School lesson 12
Saturday, January 18: Great Vespers 5:00 pm
Sunday, January 19: Orthros 8:45 am, Enquirers' class 9:00 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; Church School lesson 13
Saturday, January 25: Great Vespers 5:00 pm
Sunday, January 26: Annual Parish Meeting following Liturgy
Sunday, February 2: Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple
REFLECTIONS
The Lord’s Forerunner did not guide men just to the starting point of repentance, which is keeping away from evil things and profitable contrition of heart, but also sought first fruits worthy of repentance (Matt 3:8). What are these? Firstly, confession, as practiced by those who came to him at that time. “Then they went out,” it says, “and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins” (Matt 3:5-6). Next, he looked for righteousness, almsgiving, moderation, love, truthfulness, … The Baptist also says, “The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of our God” (Lk 3:5-6). Lying, deceit and slander are crooked, and the rough paths are anger, hatred, envy and remembrance of wrongs, all of which are made straight and level when transformed by the works of repentance. And so “all flesh,” that is, every person of every nation and race who straightens and smoothes himself out through repentance, “shall see the salvation of God.”
- St. Gregory Palamas, Homily on the Eve of Theophany
Let your baptism be ever your shield, your faith a helmet, your charity a spear, your patience a panoply. Let your works be deposits, so that you may receive the sum that is due you.
- St. Ignatius of Antioch
Baptism does not take away our free will or freedom of choice, but gives us the freedom no longer to be tyrannized by the devil unless we choose to be. After baptism it is in our power either to persist willingly in the practice of the commandments of Christ, into Whom we were baptized, and to advance in the path of His ordinances, or to deviate from this straight way and to fall again into the hands of our enemy, the devil.
- St Symeon the New Theologian
Through the Holy Spirit comes our restoration to Paradise, our ascension to the Kingdom of heaven, our adoption as God's sons, our freedom to call God our Father, our becoming partakers of the grace of Christ, in a word, our inheritance of the fullness of blessings, both in this world and the world to come. Even while we wait for the full enjoyment of the good things in store for us, by the Holy Spirit we are able to rejoice through faith in the promise of the graces to come. If the promise itself is so glorious, what must its fulfillment be like? We are also able to distinguish between the grace that comes from the Spirit and mere baptism in water. John baptized in water for repentance, but our Lord Jesus Christ baptized in the Holy Spirit.
- St. Basil the Great, On the Holy Spirit