Update for the week Thursday, May 15, through Thursday, May 22, 2014
THIS WEEK
HOTEL FOR PARISH LIFE CONFERENCE – This year's Parish Life Conference will be held at the Radisson Hotel Plymouth Harbor Thursday through Sunday, June 19-22, hosted by St. George Church of Boston. Hotel reservations should be booked by this Friday, May 16, using Promotional Code PLC14 – after that date no rooms will be available, because of another function using the hotel that weekend. (Other hotels in the area may have vacancies.) Discounted rate is $139 per night. See www.stgeorgeofboston.org/plc2014 for more information.
AABA ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION POSTPONED – The American Arabic Benevolent Association's 40th Anniversary Celebration, scheduled for this Saturday, May 17, has been postponed due to the forecast of inclement weather. Watch for announcement of a new date.
GUEST PRIEST – We are pleased to welcome Fr. Gregory Harrigle, who will be officiating at Liturgy this Sunday, May 18.
CHURCH SCHOOL GRADUATION – Please plan to join us this Sunday, May 18 as we close the 2013-2014 Church School year. All Church School children who attended Church School will be recognized as they move up to the next grade or graduate. The recognition ceremony will be followed by a Luncheon in the church hall to thank the Teachers and honor the Students for their weekly attendance. Suggested Donation: $5.00 for Adults, Children Free.
TALK ON SYRIA – Mother Agnes-Mariam of the Cross, Mother Superior of St. James Monastery and Convent in Qara, Syria, will speak on Syria: Challenges of the Real Situation at St. John of Damascus Church, Dedham at 4:00pm this Sunday, May 18.
WOMEN'S CLUB DINNER - The Women’s Club will be going out to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory in the Chestnut Hill Mall on Tuesday, May 20 at 7:00 pm to close the year. Everyone is welcome - any woman interested in going out, please call Mary Ellen Mabardy (781-729-6303) or the church office (617-547-1234) for more information. Think about joining the women’s club next year! We meet only once a month (usually not in the winter), and we would love to have you with us!
PARISH COUNCIL - The next Parish Council meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, May 21,, at 6:30 pm (note new earlier time) at the church.
BIBLE STUDY – Join us next Thursday, May 22 at 7:00 pm in the church library as we begin our study of Exodus. Listen to the podcasts at http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/introduction-to-exodus/ and http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/exodus-part-2/. The Bible Study at St. Mary, sponsored by the Fellowship of St. John the Divine, meets every other Thursday, and is based on a series of talks originally broadcast on Ancient Faith Radio, entitled Search the Scriptures. For more information contact Marianna Sayeg (mksayeg@gmail.com) or Fr. Antony (frawhj@gmail.com ). New members are always welcome.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
FEAST OF THE ASCENSION – The Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord is Thursday, May 28. Evening Liturgy for the Feast will be celebrated Wednesday, May 28, at 6:30. Fasting on Wednesday and Friday, suspended since Pascha, resumes after the Feast.
HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN KALLISTOS WARE TO SPEAK – Metropolitan Kallistos will be the keynote speaker at the Divine Compassion Conference to be held at Holy Cross Hellenic College on Friday, June 20, 2014 at 7:00 pm. This conference seeks to cultivate a deeper theological appreciation regarding ways Divine Compassion, the eleos of God, affects the participation of women and men in the life of the Church today. The title of His Eminence's address will be "Divine Compassion and the Ministry of Women." For tickets and event details see https://divinecompassionwomenofthechurch.eventbrite.com
REMINDERS
DIOCESAN ORATORICAL FESTIVAL – The Diocese of Worcester and New England is looking for teens ages 13-19 to participate in the Oratorical Festival. Prepare an oration about loving God and your neighbor. Participants will present at the Parish Life Conference in Plymouth in June. Contact Marianna Sayeg at mksayeg@gmail.com if you are interested.
BLESSING OF GRAVES – On Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, Fr. Antony will be blessing graves at Fairview Cemetery in Hyde Park, MA. starting at 9:00 am. If you would like him to bless the graves of loved ones in other cemeteries, please let him know by calling the Church Office at 617-547-1234 or e-mail frawhj@gmail.com
NO FASTING – Fasting is not required, not only during Bright Week, but for the entire forty days until the Feast of the Ascension, May 29. (This is the decision of the Holy Synod of the Church of Antioch.) This cessation of fasting, however, is purely voluntary; you may fast if you wish.
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE:
Antiochian Women’s Scholarship: Scholarships are available to females 25 years of age and older in good standing of the Antiochian Archdiocese, actively involved in their parish and who demonstrate need. The application deadline is Sunday, June 1, 2014. Applications are available in the Church Office. E-mail cindy@cnyhondas.com with any questions.
Nicholas G. Beram Scholastic Achievement Award - Applications are available for high school seniors of our Arab American Community planning to attend a 4 year college full time. Applications are available in the Church office or on-line at www.stjohn.org/ngberam. Application deadline is June 1, 2014.
ST. MARY’S PENTECOST POTLUCK PICNIC – Come join FSJD as we’ll be gathering at nearby Dana Park (10-20 McTernan St, Cambridge) after church on Sunday, June 8 (rain date June 15). Bring a blanket, some eats or drinks to share, balls, frisbees, even bathing suits if you want to splash in the sprinklers! Dana Park is a 5-10 min walk south of the Church, with an enclosed playground, hoops, water spouts, and beautiful green space. This is a great opportunity to relax and spend time with our church family. If you would like to help us out, please email Diana Yousef (yousefd@post.harvard.edu).
NATIONAL CONVENTION OPPORTUNITIES – Letters have been mailed to all parishioners outlining the many opportunities for you to contribute to the 2015 Antiochian Archdiocesan National Convention. Please consider participating: volunteer your time and talent and/or financially support the event by sponsoring one of the many activities or placing an ad in the souvenir journal/ad book. Please complete the Volunteer Sign-up Sheet that was mailed to you and return it to Shirley Bezreh at the Bengarri/Narthex. Extra Sign-up Sheets are available on the table outside the hall.
HELP PROVIDE A WARM WELCOME – Two things we do every week to welcome visitors and newcomers, and to strengthen the bonds of fellowship with all who worship at St. Mary, are: 1.) Greet everyone who enters the church, and 2.) Provide coffee hour after Liturgy. We need more help with both of these ministries. To become a greeter please contact Buddy Mabardy at 781-729-6303 or email at Buddy@cjmabardy.com ; to provide a coffee hour please sign up on the sheet downstairs on the bulletin board or contact Barbara in the office at 617-547-1234 or secretary@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org .
HELP FOR THE TRAUMANN-DAVIS FAMILY – Anyone who would like to help Elisabeth Traumann (wife of Seraphim Davis and mother of Isis, Thais and Tycho Traumann-Davis) with meals, transportation, etc. may visit the family's Lotsa Helping Hands community at: https://www.lotsahelpinghands.com/c/713408/ If delivering a meal to Somerville would be difficult, you can bring it to Seraphim (or in his absence, to Natasha Smith) at the church on Sunday mornings, as long as you coordinate with them ahead of time. For updates on Elisabeth’s condition, just friend Elisabeth on Facebook and then check this Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/groups/197726897092134/
THIS WEEKEND'S VOLUNTEERS
Greeter: Paul Nahass
Liturgical Service: Candle Bearers: Nazret Nebiye & Sabrina Nebiye; Icon Bearer: Barbara Shoop; Bread Baskets: Victoria Sayeg & Melissa Sayeg; Bells: All are welcome to ring; Adult Supervisor: Doreen Bargoot
Epistle: Bob Kowalik; Left Cloth: Henry Swift and TBA; Right Cloth: Melissa Nassiff and John Odom; Left Bread: Anna Higgins; Right Bread: Lea Crea
Coffee Hour: Church School Luncheon
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Saturday, May 17: NO Vespers at St. Mary
Sunday, May 18: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; Church School Closing/Graduation with Luncheon following Liturgy
Scripture Readings for Sunday, May 18:
Epistle: Acts of the Apostles 11:19-30
In those days, those apostles ... were ... speaking the word to none except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number that believed turned to the Lord. … and in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians.
Gospel: John 4:5-42
… Jesus said to [the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well], "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." … The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain; and you say that Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday, May 17: NO Vespers at St. Mary
Sunday, May 18: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; Church School Closing/Graduation with Luncheon following Liturgy
Thursday, May 22: Bible Study
Monday, May 26, Memorial Day: Blessing of Graves at Fairview Cemetery 9:00 am.
Wednesday, May 28: Evening Liturgy for the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord 6:30 pm
Sunday, June 8, Sunday of Pentecost: St. Mary’s Pentecost Potluck Picnic after Liturgy
Thursday-Sunday, June 19-22: Parish Life Conference, Plymouth, MA
REFLECTION
Prayer does not consist merely in standing and bowing your body or in reading written prayers….it is possible to pray at all times, in all places, with mind and spirit. You can lift up your mind and heart to God while walking, sitting, working, in a crowd and in solitude. His door is always open, unlike man’s. We can always say to Him in our hearts Lord, Lord have mercy.
St. Tikhon of Zadonsk
There is a kind of love that is similar to a brook following a rainfall which quickly ceases after the rain stops. But there is a love similar to a spring which erupts through the earth, which never ceases. The first love is human love, and the second love is Divine Love.
St. Isaac the Syrian
The prayer of simplicity consists of placing yourself in the presence of God and maintaining yourself in His presence for a certain time, in an interior silence which is as complete as possible, while you concentrate on the divine Object, reduce to unity the multiplicity of your thoughts and feelings, and endeavor to 'keep yourself quiet' without words or arguments. It is not difficult...it is marvelously fruitful. It is like a welcome shower of rain falling on the garden of the soul. It gives a most powerful assistance to the efforts which we make in order to avoid sin and to accomplish the divine will.
A Monk of the Eastern Church, Orthodox Spirituality
Some people prefer solitude. They say their peace of mind depends on this. Others say they would be better off in church. If you do well, you do well wherever you are. If you fail, you fail wherever you are. Your surroundings don't matter. God is with you everywhere – in the market place as well as in seclusion or in the church. If you look for nothing but God, nothing or no one can disturb you. God is not distracted by a multitude of things. Nor can we be.
- Meister Eckhart
[S]piritual knowledge illuminates men through its inner energy while wisdom does so through being expressed outwardly. Spiritual knowledge comes through prayer, deep stillness and complete detachment, while wisdom comes through humble meditation on Holy Scripture and, above all, through grace given by God.
St. Diadochos of Photiki