Update for the week Thursday, August 14, through Thursday, August 21, 2014
THIS WEEK
OUR PATRONAL FEAST: DORMITION OF THE THEOTOKOS – We celebrate the Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, our Patronal Feast, this evening - Thursday, August 14, the eve of the Feast. The Vigil for the Dormition of the Theotokos will include:
Vespers at 4:15 pm,
Orthros with Lamentations 5:30, and
Festal Divine Liturgy at 7:00 pm, followed by a
“Dormition Feast feast” provided by the Fellowship of St. John the Divine.
FELLOWSHIP PICNIC - Come join FSJD on Sunday, August 17 for some fellowship and fun in the sun! WHAT TO BRING: blankets or lawn chairs, some eats or drinks (for yourself or to share), balls, frisbees, bathing suits (if you want splash in the sprinklers)! Please, if you have any portable beach chairs you could bring for our older parishioners, we would appreciate it! TIME: after church (rain-date September 14). LOCATION: Dana Park again (10-20 McTernan St, Cambridge, 5-10 minute walk from Church). Dana Park has an enclosed playground, hoops, water spouts, and beautiful green. WHY: 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 ).
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
DIOCESAN TEEN OUTING – The diocesan teens will be taking a trip down to McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island on Thursday, August 21 to watch the Pawtucket Red Sox play in a Triple-A tilt against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at 7:05pm. Tickets are $10 each. RSVP no later than this coming Tuesday, August 19 if you would like a ticket with the group. You can RSVP by email to newenglandteensoyo@gmail.com or abudjohn@gmail.com.
CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED – The church office will be closed Thursday and Friday, August 21-22. Notices for the August 24 Sunday Bulletin must be received by noon on Tuesday, August 19.
REMINDERS
GREETERS NEEDED - In the next few weeks a Greeter Schedule for the Fall and Winter months will be assembled. Please let Barbara in the office or Buddy Mabardy know that you would be available to give your time to greet on Sunday. It is necessary to have NEW greeters as we can’t rely on the same people all the time. It would be great to have another 10 people to volunteer one hour on a Sunday. Please consider being a Greeter and helping with this important ministry. Thanking you in advance for your positive response!! Please contact Buddy Mabardy at 781-729-6303 or e-mail: buddy@cjmabardy.com. Or call the Church office 617-547-1234.
PARISH COUNCIL - The next Parish Council meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, August 27 at 7:45 pm (note time change) at the church.
BIBLE STUDY – The Bible Study will not meet on Thursday, August 14, but come join us Thursday, August 28, at 7:00 pm in the church library as we conclude our study of Exodus. Listen to the podcasts at http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/exodus-part-11/ and http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/exodus-part-12/ The Bible Study at St. Mary, sponsored by the Fellowship of St. John the Divine, meets every other Thursday, and is based on a course originally broadcast on Ancient Faith Radio, entitled Search the Scriptures. For more information contact Marianna Sayeg (mailto:mksayeg@gmail.com) or Fr. Antony (mailto:frawhj@gmail.com). New members are always welcome.
CHURCH SCHOOL TEACHERS NEEDED – The Church School is looking for Teachers, Assistants and Substitutes for the 2014-2015 school year. In particular, we are looking for 2 Assistants for 2nd and 3rd Grade. As an assistant you would help the Teacher during Church School as required or substitute when the Teacher is absent. Teachers are provided with all the materials they will need. Anyone interested in Teaching or being an Assistant or Substitute please contact Barbara@dsaarchitects.com. Being a Church School Teacher/Assistant can be a very rewarding and exciting opportunity.
THEOPHANY SCHOOL - The Theophany School in Needham is looking for a preschool teacher for their youngest preschool classroom on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from 8:30am-2:30pm throughout the school year. If you have any interest please call 781-444-3058 or e-mail Emily Pappas (theophanyschool@gmail.com )
ROOMS NEEDED – Two women who will be starting graduate school this fall have contacted us asking for help in finding rooms and/or roommates. Please help them if you can:
1. Lianour Barakat, a Syrian student from the Antiochian Orthodox church in Mezze, Damascus, will be a graduate student at Northeastern this fall and is looking for a room or roommates in the Boston area. Please feel free to contact Lianour at 857-389-4313 or by e-mail: lia.barakat@gmail.com .
2. A young woman from Kentucky will be starting at Harvard this fall to work on an Ed.M. degree, and needs a place to live. If you, or anyone you know, are looking for a female roommate in the Cambridge/Somerville area, please let Fr. Antony know (frawhj@gmail.com) and he will put you in touch with her.
2015 CONVENTION COMMITTEE – St. Mary will be hosting the 2015 National Convention of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America. The next meeting of the Convention Committee will be on Wednesday, September 10 (note revised time) at 7:45 at the church.
MEN'S RETREAT WITH BP. JOHN – There will be a Men’s Retreat with His Grace, Bishop John, at the St. Methodios Center in New Hampshire on September 19-21. The retreat will be a four-part call to action addressing Jesus’ final commandment. Cost: $199, includes meals. Contact Jeff St. Jean at 413-348-2878 or mensgroup@stoc.org for more info.
SONIA'S RUN/WALK – The 6th annual Sonia’s 5K Run/Walk., at St. George Orthodox Church, West Roxbury, MA, will be held on Saturday, September 20. The 5k road race is held annually to benefit the Theophany School in honor of beloved friend Sonia Belcher. The proceeds from Sonia's Run go towards Theophany School's "Building on a Dream" campaign, to fulfill Sonia's dream of a permanent home for Theophany School. For details, registration, etc see http://www.soniasrun.org/ or contact Theophany School at 781-444-3058.
ST. THEKLA AND ST. RAPHAEL PILGRIMAGE - Registration is open for the annual St. Thekla & St. Raphael Pilgrimage, held at the Antiochian Village on Friday-Sunday, September 26-28, with His Grace Bishop Thomas of the Diocese of Charleston, Oakland, and the Mid-Atlantic presiding. Lodging for both adults and children is available for the weekend. Registration form and additional information is available at http://www.antiochian.org/sites/default/files/2014_brochure.pdf
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Thursday, August 14, Vigil for the Dormition of the Theotokos (Patronal Feast): Vespers 4:15 pm, Orthros with Lamentations 5:30, Festal Divine Liturgy 7:00 pm, followed by Dormition feast
Saturday, August 16: Great Vespers 5:00
Sunday, August 17: Summer hours - Orthros: 8:15 am, and Liturgy: 9:30 am
Scripture Readings for Sunday, August 17:
Epistle: First Corinthians 4:9-16
... We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. ... When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become, and are now, as the refuse of the world, the off-scouring of all things.
Gospel: Matthew 17:14-23
... "Lord, have mercy on my son ... I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not heal him." ... and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move hence to yonder place,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting."
LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday, August 23: No Vespers at St. Mary
Sunday, August 24: Last Sunday of summer hours (Orthros 8:15 am, Liturgy 9:30 am)
Thursday, August 28: Bible Study
Saturday, August 30: Great Vespers 5:00
Sunday, August 31: Regular hours resume – Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am
Thursday, September 11: Bible Study
Sunday, September 14: Church School Registration (for new students and children age 3 and older)
Sunday, September 21: Church School classes start
REFLECTION
THE DORMITION OF THE MOST-HOLY THEOTOKOS
The Lord Who, on Mt. Sinai, commanded by His Fifth Commandment: "Honor your father and your mother" (Exodus 20:12), showed by His own example how one should respect one's parent. Hanging on the Cross in agony, He remembered His mother and indicating to the Apostle John, said to her: "Woman behold your son" (St. John 19:26). After that, He said to John: "Behold your mother" (St. John 19:27). And so providing for His mother, He breathed His last.
John had a home on Zion in Jerusalem in which the Theotokos settled and remained there to live out the end of her days on earth. By her prayers, gentle counsels, meekness and patience, she greatly assisted the apostles of her Son. She spent most of her remaining time on earth in Jerusalem, often visiting those places which reminded her of the great events and of the great works of her Son. She especially visited Golgotha, Bethlehem and the Mount of Olives. Of her distant journeys, her visit to St. Ignatius the God-bearer in Antioch is recorded, as well as her visit to Lazarus (whom our Lord resurrected on the fourth day), the Bishop of Cyprus. She also visited Mount Athos, which she blessed, and she stayed in Ephesus with St. John the Evangelist during the time of the great persecution of Christians in Jerusalem.
In her old age, she often prayed to the Lord and her God on the Mount of Olives, the site of His Ascension, that He take her from this world as soon as possible. On one occasion, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her and revealed to her that within three days she would find repose. The angel gave her a palm-branch to be carried at the time of her funeral procession. She returned to her home with great joy, desiring in her heart once more to see in this life, all of the apostles of Christ. The Lord fulfilled her wish and all of the apostles, borne by angels in the clouds, gathered at the same time at the home of John on Mount Zion. With great rejoicing, she saw the holy apostles, encouraged them, counseled them and comforted them. Following that, she peacefully gave up her soul to God without any pain or physical illness. The apostles took the coffin with her body from which an aromatic fragrance emitted and, in the company of many Christians, bore it to the Garden of Gethsemane to the sepulcher of her parents, Saints Joachim and Anna. By God's Providence, they were concealed from the evil Jews by a cloud. Even so, Anthony, a Jewish priest, grabbed the coffin with his hands with the intention of overturning it but, at that moment, an angel of God severed both his hands. He then cried out to the apostles for help and was healed upon declaring his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Thomas was absent, again according to God's Providence, in order that a new and all-glorious mystery of the Holy Theotokos would again be revealed. On the third day, Thomas arrived and desired to venerate the body of the Holy All-pure one. But when the apostles opened the sepulcher, they found only the winding sheet and the body was not in the tomb. That evening, the Theotokos appeared to the apostles surrounded by a myriad of angels and said to them, "Rejoice, I will be with you always." It is not exactly known how old the Theotokos was at the time of her Falling Asleep but the overwhelming opinion is that she was over sixty years of age.
- St. Nikolai Velimirovic, The Prologue of Ohrid