Update for the week Thursday, November 13, through Thursday, November 20, 2014
THIS WEEK
NATIVITY FAST - The Nativity Fast, also known as the season of Advent, begins Saturday, November 15. This is the forty days of fasting and prayer in preparation for the Great Feast of the Nativity of Christ.
Every Wednesday during this period except November 19 (Day before the Eve of the Presentation of the Theotokos) and 26 (Thanksgiving eve) there will be a Paraklesis service at 6:30 pm.
TEEN BOWLING NIGHT - The Teens will be going bowling on Saturday, November 15 (note revised date) from 7-9pm at Lanes and Games in Cambridge. Please notify Greg or Hannah (grehakim@gmail.com) if you plan to come so we can reserve lanes!
BYZANTINE MUSIC FESTIVAL - The Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture at Hellenic College Holy Cross invites you to its Second Boston Byzantine Music Festival, presenting a dynamic and engaging collection of performances that explore the musical tradition of the Byzantine Empire and its points of contact with the music of Western Europe and the Ottoman Empire. A series of free lectures and workshops related to the concerts will be presented throughout the day on Friday and Saturday, November 14 and 15. For details and to buy tickets see www.BostonByzantineMusic.org
CHILDREN'S SERMON - Church School children will remain in church after Communion for a Children’s Sermon this Sunday, December 16.
NATIONAL CONVENTION – There will be a meeting of the 2015 National Convention committee on Tuesday, November 18, at the church.
DIOCESAN FSJD MEETING – The next meeting of the diocesan-level Fellowship of St. John the Divine will be held at the home of His Grace Bishop John (2 Lydia’s Path, Westboro, MA) on Tuesday, November 18 at 6:30 pm. Dinner will be served, and the president of the NAC Fellowship, Khalil Samara, will be there to talk about important changes that are happening to the Fellowship throughout the Archdiocese. Ideas for events/service projects for the coming year will also be discussed. Please RSVP to Brendan Ferguson at brendanferguson76@gmail.com so enough food can be planned.
PRESENTATION OF THE THEOTOKOS - The Feast of the Presentation of the Theotokos in the Temple will be celebrated with Evening Divine Liturgy on Thursday, November 20, at 6:30pm
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
THANK YOU – The Liturgical Service Ministry Coordinators and Supervisors wish to thank all the parents and friends who came to help with the Fall Liturgy Retreat – The Liturgy of the Body – on Tuesday. Over 70 church school children, family members, and friends attended the day. A special thank you to Shannon Sakellariou and Bob Kowalik for coordinating the prosphora making, to Natasha Smith for organizing the arm knitting, and to all the teachers (Bonnie Michal, Cyathy Alias, Tom Perkins, Bob Kowalik and Teva Regule) and dance leaders (Doreen Bargoot, Socrates Deligeorges, Mary Michael and Furtuna Risom, and Teva Regule.) We hope to continue the tradition next year.
BIBLE STUDY – The next Bible Study meeting will be Thursday, December 4, at 7:00 pm in the church library, as we begin our study of Numbers, using the podcasts found at http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/numbers-part-1/ and http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/numbers-part-2/
(Note that there will be no meeting on November 20, because of the Evening Liturgy on that date.)
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.
ST. MARY PARISH CHRISTMAS CARD LISTING - Save yourself time; let the Women's Club do the work and have all proceeds benefit Antiochian Women Project 2014-2015: Nurturing the Seeds of Orthodoxy (Monastic Communities and Regional Camping and Learning Centers) – let the Women’s Club send a lovely Christmas card on your behalf to our parishioners. You will receive this card with the names of parishioners, like yourself, who are wishing a Blessed Nativity and a Merry Christmas to all. Please use the form in the Sunday Bulletin. Deadline: Sunday, December 7, 2014
ANGEL TREE UPDATE - We have so many parishioners interested in participating in the gift purchasing process for the children this year that we have more requests than available children assigned to our parish. What a terrific problem!!!!! Anyone interested in participating is greatly encouraged to do so, using the gift suggestions in the Sunday Bulletin as a guide. If you do not have an assigned child, once you purchase your gift(s) please bring them to church, unwrapped, by December 7th. In that way, we can determine from our information which child or children would most benefit from your added generosity. Thanks so much to everyone for such willing hearts!
DONATIONS FOR THE HOLY NATIVITY – If you would like to donate toward the Poinsettias and Nativity decorations please use the form in the Sunday Bulletin to provide us with the necessary information. Donations will be printed in the December 21, 2014 Bulletin. Deadline is December 16, 2014.
PASTORAL CHALLENGES IN MARRIAGE – The Center for Family Care of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese will host a second conference on Pastoral Challenges in Marriage, January 28-31, 2015, at the Doubletree Hotel in Santa Ana, CA. This conference will offer resources and tools, along with discussion and networking opportunities for clergy and laity regarding some of the pressing pastoral challenges in marriage today. Early bird rate until December 30. For info and registration see http://www.family.goarch.org/oneness
REMINDERS
LOCK-IN AT ST. JOHN'S IN DEDHAM - On Friday, November 21 at St. John of Damascus Church in Dedham, teens are invited to come stay the night for fun and fellowship with teens from all over the Boston area! Please notify Greg or Hannah (grehakim@gmail.com) if you plan to come.
BAKE SALE – The Women’s Club will hold its annual Thanksgiving Charity Bake Sale on Sunday, November 23, 2014 (the Sunday before Thanksgiving). Plan on purchasing all your holiday breads, pies, goodies, Syrian pastries and much more! All proceeds will benefit the Convent of Saidnaya in Syria. Call Mary Ellen Mabardy at 781-729-6303 if you can help bake or donate something to sell.
PARISH COUNCIL – The next Parish Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 25 at 7:30pm at the church.
DIACONAL MINISTRY CONFERENCE – A conference on "Women and Diaconal Ministry in the Orthodox Church: Past, Present, Future," sponsored by the St. Phoebe Center for the History of the Deaconess, will be held at Union Theological Seminary in NYC on Saturday, December 6, 2014. This conference will focus particularly on women in diaconal ministry – what they have done, are doing, and could possibly do in the future to help build up the Body of Christ – and is open to anyone interested in diaconal work, including men and women, clergy and laity. (Note: one of the speakers will be our own Teva Regule.) For more information and registration, see http://www.orthodoxdeaconess.org
This conference is a particular follow-on to the yearly conference of the Sophia Institute focusing on "Healing, Reconciliation, and Forgiveness in Eastern Orthodox Perspectives," held the previous day – see http://sophiainstitutenyc.org/conference) Participation at both events is encouraged.
ANNIVERSARY BANQUET - A banquet to honor Father Timothy Ferguson of St. George Antiochian Church in West Roxbury, will be held on Saturday, December 13, on the occasion of his 35th Anniversary of his Ordination to the Holy Priesthood. Great Vespers will begin at 5:30pm followed by a reception and banquet in the church hall. $35 for adults and $10 for children up to 18. For reservations contact Amal Hourani, 781-793-0219, ahourani19@comcast.net by December 6th.
CHURCH SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PAGEANT - If your child is interested in participating in the 2014 Christmas Pageant, please see Sarah Byrne-Martelli (not Charlie Marge as announced earlier). We also need parents to assist at all rehearsals. Rehearsals will be Sundays, November 23 and December 7 after church, with Dress Rehearsal on Saturday, December 13, at 2:30pm. The Pageant will be Sunday, December 14, (note new date) after liturgy.
LESSONS AND CAROLS - Please join us for a Diocesan Christmas Concert, which will be our Western Rite Lessons & Carols service with the Hallelujah Chorus on Sunday, December 14, at 5:00pm. If you are a singer, join us for rehearsals: Sunday, November 16, 4pm – 6pm @ St. John’s in Dedham; Sunday, November 30, 7pm – 9pm @ St. Johns’ in Dedham; and Dress Rehearsal with brass quintet on Sunday, December 7, 4pm – 6pm @ St. Mary’s in Cambridge. If you would like to sing or have questions, please e-mail Charlie Marge: marge@alum.mit.edu
FOOD FOR HUNGRY PEOPLE - Canned Food Drive: October, 2014 – December 31, 2014. Since 1984, we have collected over 3,281,200 pounds of food. Please bring in canned goods ONLY and place them in the plastic bins in the room outside the kitchen. They will be distributed to food pantries in our area.
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Saturday, November 15: Nativity Fast begins; Great Vespers 5:00 pm
Sunday, November 16: Enquirers Class (St. Ignatius Catechetical Group) 9:00 am; Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; followed by Church School lesson 8
Scripture Readings for Sunday, November 16:
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 4:9-16
Brethren, God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. ... When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we try to conciliate; ... I urge you, then, be imitators of me.
Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13
... as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."
Wednesday, November 19: No Paraclesis
Thursday, November 20: Evening Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Presentation of the Theotokos in the Temple 6:30 pm (no Bible Study)
LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday, November 22: No Vespers at St. Mary's
Sunday, November 23: Enquirers Class (St. Ignatius Catechetical Group) 9:00 am; Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; followed by Church School lesson 9; Women's Club Thanksgiving Bake Sale
Wednesday, November 26: No Paraclesis (Thanksgiving eve)
Saturday, November 29: No Vespers at St. Mary's
Sunday, November 30: Enquirers Class (St. Ignatius Catechetical Group) 9:00 am; Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; no church school. Handel & Haydn Society Messiah 3:00pm at Symphony Hall.
Wednesday, December 3: Paraclesis 6:30 pm
Thursday, December 4: Bible Study 7:00 pm
Sunday, December 7: Church School St. Nicholas Festivities
Wednesday, December 10: Paraclesis 6:30 pm
Sunday, December 14: Christmas Pageant after Liturgy; Lessons & Carols 5:00pm followed by Potluck Supper
REFLECTION
… Only those who are totally sinless can punish another person for sin, and He, Who is the only sinless one, declines to do so. Jews must not speak with Samaritans or eat with sinners. Christ Jesus does both. Jesus did not reveal to us a totalitarianism, but love full of hope and hope full of love. He never cloaked that hope in a devious robe of fear, nor did He make fulfillment of it dependent upon a blind, total conformity, but upon the manifestation of love, empathy and the works of love and empathy (Matt.25). How did we Christians take these golden threads and weave so dark a shroud from them?
-- Archbishop Lazar Puhalo
We have to remember that no one does everything right. We are all sinners. God speaks and we do not listen. On the other hand, the mercy of God is constant. It cannot be overcome. God’s promises are absolute. Being a Christian doesn’t mean “being on the right side.” A Christian does not always know where justice lies, does not always see clearly. But the Christian is aware that, while in the human being there is falsity and infidelity, in the mercy of God there is always absolute fidelity. So we reject no one, but still try to dissociate ourselves from anything that is going to hurt other people.
- Thomas Merton, The Springs of Contemplation: A Retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemani
What we must start with, if we wish to pray, is the certainty that we are sinners in need of salvation, that we are cut off from God and that we cannot live without Him and that all we can offer God is our desperate longing to be made such that God will receive us, receive us in repentance, receive us with mercy and with love. And so from the outset prayer is really our humble ascent towards God, a moment when we turn Godwards, shy of coming near, knowing that if we meet Him too soon, before His grace has had time to help us to be capable of meeting Him, it will be judgment. And all we can do is turn to Him with all the reverence, all the veneration, the worshipful adoration, the fear of God of which we are capable, with all the attention and earnestness we may possess, and ask Him to do something that will make us capable of meeting Him face to face, not for judgment, nor for condemnation, but for eternal life.
- Metropolitan Anthony Bloom, Beginning to Pray
Lord Jesus Christ, my God, let Your sacred Body be unto me for eternal life and Your precious Blood for forgiveness of sins. Let this Eucharist be unto me for joy, health and gladness. And in Your awesome Second Coming make me, a sinner, worthy to stand at the right hand of Your glory; through the intercessions of Your pure Mother and of all Your Saints. Amen.
- Anonymous, Prayer after Communion