Update for the week Thursday, September 18, through Thursday, September 25, 2014
THIS WEEK
NO VESPERS – There will be NO Vespers service at St. Mary this Saturday, September 20. (Note change)
SONIA'S RUN/WALK – The 6th annual Sonia’s 5K Run/Walk., at St. George Orthodox Church, West Roxbury, MA, will be held this 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.
MAHRAJAN - St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, Lowell, MA, invites you to their 1st Annual Mahrajan this Saturday, September 20, from Noon to 11:00pm at Holy Ghost Park, 61 Village St., Lowell. Free admission, live Arabic music, food, kids’ activities and playground.
CHURCH SCHOOL – Church School classes start this Sunday, September 21.
“WELCOME BACK" BREAKFAST – This year's “Welcome Back” breakfast is being organized by both the FSJD and the Sunday School Administration.
WHEN: After Liturgy this Sunday, September 21, 2014
WHERE: Downstairs in the church hall.
WHY: 1. To join us in welcoming back visiting Orthodox college students and St. Mary's Sunday School students.
2. To help showcase all of the volunteer organizations. Be involved at St. Mary's!
WHO: Everyone is invited to attend!
COST: Free!
Important details: There will be a reserved table for college students, and a reserved table for Sunday School students. Besides those, each table will showcase 1-2 groups - each group is bringing a coffee hour food, so be prepared to mingle and partake of this special, church-wide coffee hour. (If you lead a St. Mary's group and haven't yet received an email from Julie Wasilko on signing up for the breakfast, please email her at julie31415pi@gmail.com.)
PARISH COUNCIL – The next meeting of the Parish Council will be Wednesday, September 24, at 7:45 pm.
BIBLE STUDY - Join us Thursday, September 25, at 7:00 pm in the church library, as we discuss an introduction to Leviticus, using the podcasts found at http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/leviticus-part-1-2/ and http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/leviticus-part-2-2/ The Bible Study at St. Mary, sponsored by the Fellowship of St. John the Divine, meets every other Thursday, and is based on a 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.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
PARISH COUNCIL WORKSHOP – There will be a workshop for parish councils from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm on Saturday, September 27, at St. John of Damascus Church in Dedham. The topic of this workshop will be “Missions and Outreach: Developing strategies to enhance the witness and growth of our parishes.” For more information go to www.worcesterdiocese.net.
PATRISTICS CONFERENCE - The Stephen and Catherine Pappas Patristic Institute of Holy Cross will hold its upcoming conference on “Patristic Homilies and their Reception History,” on the campus of Hellenic College/Holy Cross Thursday-Saturday, October 9-11, 2014. Download more info at http://goo.gl/9FuBOU
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, November 30, 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 19.
CHARITY BAKE SALE - The Women’s Club will hold a Charity Bake Sale Sunday, October 19, immediately following Liturgy, in the church hall. All proceeds will benefit the charitable projects we sponsor, from the YWCA Family Shelter in Cambridge to the Antiochian Women’s project “Operation Lace Up” providing children with shoes nationwide.
WOMEN'S CLUB - The Women’s Club will be going out to the Cheesecake Factory in Chestnut Hill for an October dinner meeting on Monday, October 27, at 7:00. We welcome all women of the parish to join us! Any woman interested in going out, please call Mary Ellen Mabardy (781-729-6303) or the church office (617-547-1234) for more information. The Women’s Club does charitable work both locally and internationally and supports the Church School. We would love for you to join us. Call Mary Ellen or the church office if you have any questions or want to be a part of this wonderful group of Women.
REMINDERS
CHURCH SCHOOL TEACHERS – Thanks to all those who are volunteering their time to be Teachers/Assistants and Substitutes for the 2014-2015 school year: Pre-K-Alyssa Shoop/ Laran Matta /Klorela Alcala; Kindergarten/Grade 1- Esther Porr/ Cyatharine Alias; Grade 2/3- Georgia Cambra/Shannon Sakellariou; Grade 4/5- Natasha Smith/Jack Souweha; Grade 6- Marianna Sayeg/Dino Takles; Grade7/8- Peter Nassiff/Tom Perkins; Discussion Group (Gr. 9-12) - Greg Hakim/Hannah Oakley
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
ATTENTION COLLEGE STUDENTS – If you are a new or returning college or university student, please fill out a yellow “College Student Address Form” on the Bengarri (desk in Narthex) so that we can send you St. Mary’s church announcements and information about college activities. Please leave the form on the Bengarii or give directly to Greg or Hannah Hakim (greghakim@gmail.com ).
TEEN SOYO ELECTIONS – Elections for Teen SOYO officers will take place in late September. See Hannah or Greg if you're interested in running for office.
DIOCESAN FALL MEETINGS – The Fall Diocesan Delegates Meetings of Teen SOYO, Fellowship of St. John the Divine, and Antiochian Women will be held on Saturday, October 4, at Emmanuel Church, Warren, MA. Morning Prayer (Western Rite) will be at 9:30 am, meetings at 10:30 am. A hot lunch will be served at noon – please RSVP to frchris@emmalueloc.org or 413-436-5582.
ENQUIRERS CLASS - The St. Ignatius Catechetical Group (Enquirers’ Class) will begin meeting on Sunday, October 5 at 9:00am in the library (next door to Fr. Antony’s office). The group is for non-Orthodox adults who are interested in exploring the Christian Faith as it has been – and continues to be – understood, preached, and lived by members of the Holy Orthodox Church who descend from the early Christian community of Antioch, where “the disciples were for the first time called Christians” (Acts 11:26). Bob Kowalik will be teaching the group using materials developed and piloted by St. Mary catechist emeritus David Vermette. If you would like to participate, please talk to Bob during coffee hour; or get in touch by phone 617-889-3436 or e-mail r.kowalik@comcast.net. For those seeking to be received into the Orthodox Church, participation in the group and Fr. Antony’s blessing are required.
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, October 21, at 7:30pm at the church.
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 – If you do not sing in the choir, or chant, serve in the Altar or at the Bengarri, and are not a Church School teacher, please consider serving the Church as a Greeter! Greeters arrive 15 minutes before Liturgy, get a Greeter Name Tag from the Bengarri, pin it on and greet visitors/parishioners at the Church Entrance and direct them upstairs to the Church, or to the cloakroom or restrooms. Greeting time ends when Communion starts. Send your name and e-mail address to Buddy Mabardy: buddymabardy@cjmabardy.com or phone him 781-729-6303. Or call the Church office 617-547-1234.
LITURGICAL SERVICE – Each Sunday, members of the congregation are needed to read the Epistle and assist during Communion by holding the Communion Cloths and Blessed Bread. All Orthodox Christians in the Parish are welcome and encouraged to participate. We usually need one Epistle reader and four people to hold the cloths. If you would like to read the Epistle or assist during Communion, please contact Jeff Wasilko, 781-820-0882, jeffw@smoe.org.
Also, members of the Church School and others help by carrying the Icon, Candlesticks, and Bread Baskets in procession during the Great Entrance, and presenting the Bread to be blessed during the Liturgy. To volunteer for this service please contact Teva Regule at teva@mit.edu.
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 Barbara Shoop 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 monthly Cornerstone), or ask Barbara 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. Also - please donate unwanted past issues of Orthodox magazines such as The Word, OCMC or other periodicals to our prison ministry to hand out to inmates. Please remove any personal mailing address for security purposes and give them to Mitrophan Chin.
VIDEO EDITING – Volunteers are wanted to assist with video editing of sermons and lectures. We are looking for volunteers to assist with some basic video editing to post the sermons and lectures from St. Mary's online. If you have experience with digital video editing, please let Jamil Samara or Erick Straghalis know you are interested - email live@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org.
PHOTOGRAPHERS AND GRAPHIC DESIGNERS – Are you a photographer or a graphic designer? Would you be willing to share your talents with St. Mary Church and her ministries? We are looking for you to help photograph the divine services and events and to design promotional material for events and programs at our parish. Please contact Jamil Samara at webmaster@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org with any questions, and to let him know that you are interested in getting more involved.
"As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me," says our Lord.
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Saturday, September 20: No Vespers at St. Mary
Sunday, September 21: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; Church School classes start; Welcome Back Breakfast (new format)
Scripture Readings for Sunday, September 21:
Epistle: Galatians 2:16-20
Brethren, you know that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ ... because by works of the law shall no one be justified. .... I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Gospel: Mark 8:34-9:1
The Lord said: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? ...
LOOKING AHEAD
Thursday, September 25: Bible study 7:00 pm
Saturday, September 27: Great Vespers 5:00
Sunday, September 28: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; followed by Church School
lesson 2
Saturday, October 4: Great Vespers 5:00
Sunday, October 5: Enquirers Class (St. Ignatius Catechetical Group) 9:00 am; Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; followed by Church School lesson 3
Sunday, October 12: No Church School
Sunday, October 19: Women's Club Charity Bake Sale
REFLECTION
To be crucified in Christ is to die to one's own death in order to enter into the sacrifice that restores wholeness, and to understand, as St. Paul says, "the breadth and length and height and depth" of love (Ephesians 3:18-19).
- Olivier Clement, The Roots of Christian Mysticism
Before the divine sojourn of the Savior, even the holiest of men were afraid of death, and mourned the dead as those who perish. But now that the Savior has raised His body, death is no longer terrible, but all those who believe in Christ tread it underfoot as nothing, and prefer to die rather than to deny their faith in Christ, knowing full well that when they die they do not perish, but live indeed, and become incorruptible through the resurrection.
- St. Athanasius, On the Incarnation
We, who used to kill one another, do not make war on our enemies. We refuse to tell lies or deceive our inquisitors; we prefer to die acknowledging Christ.
- Justin Martyr
For every man who has attained to justification by means of faith in Christ, and is adorned by all virtue, is counted worthy of the kingdom of heaven".
- St Cyril of Alexandria
The struggle and constraint we undertake, even if correctly performed, do not qualify us for justification. Neither do they move us closer to God. They only remove us a long distance from our ego and sever us from the life of sin…As for justification, it is freely given by God, and as for growing close to God, it is for Christ to bring this about.”
- Fr. Matthew the Poor, Orthodox Prayer Life: The Interior Way