Update for the week Friday, January 15 through Thursday, January 22, 2015
THIS WEEK
SATURDAY, 1/17 – Great Vespers 5:00
SUNDAY, 1/18 – Enquirers Class (St. Ignatius Catechetical Group) 9:00 am; Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am, Church School lesson 12
+ The Order of St. Ignatius of the Diocese of Worcester and New England will hold its Annual Get Together at the home of Bishop JOHN, 2 Lydia’s Path, Westborough, MA from 3-6pm on Sunday. RSVP to Elizabeth Votruba, Votruba_family@msm.com or Debbie Laham, debbielaham@aol.com .
WEDNESDAY, 1/21 – The next meeting of the National Convention committee is scheduled for Wednesday. In case of snow, the meeting will be January 28.
THURSDAY, 1/22 – The Bible Study group will meet at 7:00 pm in the church library as we begin looking at Joshua, using the podcast at http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/joshua-part-1-2/ and http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/joshua-part-2-2/
The Bible Study at St. Mary meets every other Thursday, and is based on a very interesting 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:mksayeg@gmail.com ). New members are always welcome.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
FSJD IS NOW HOSPITALITY GROUP – The Fellowship at St. Mary has a new name. The National FSJD is reclaiming its name for activities related to a young adult ministry, so the St. Mary's group formerly known as the FSJD is now renamed the "Donald DiFiore Memorial Hospitality Group." Please contact Julie Wasilko (julie31415pi@gmail.com) with any questions.
BE A GREETER - We want to thank all the greeters that have helped over the past few years to make this ministry a success, in particular Marc Patacchiola, Deno Takles, Barbara Shoop, Alyssa Shoop, Buddy Mabardy, Andrew Bargoot, Jeanne Brickman, Jan Randolph , George Mayah, Ray Sayeg, Paul Demerjian, Richard Robbat, Paul Nahass, Mike Decerbo, Bob Kowalik and Azeb Mitiku. The parishioners who volunteer for this ministry find this task to be both rewarding and enjoyable. It is with their help that we are able to provide a warm welcome on Sunday morning to St. Mary’s parishioners and visitors. The greeter program is continuing to look for new volunteers to help. Please consider being a greeter and helping with this important ministry Please contact Buddy Mabardy at 781-729-6303 or e-mail: buddy@cjmabardy.com. Or call the Church office 617-547-1234.
MEATFARE SUNDAY BREAKFAST - Our annual Meatfare Sunday Breakfast will be Sunday, February 15. The suggested donation – $8 per person, $15 per family – will help support the many activities of the Hospitality Group at St. Mary's.
We need the following volunteers for this event:
Feb 14th (Sat.) food preparation from 12:00- 2:00 pm: need 3 volunteers for food prep
Feb 15th (Sun.) during Liturgy: need 4-5 volunteers for remaining food prep & serving
Feb 15th (Sun.) after the breakfast: need 4 different volunteers for cleanup
Contact Chef Socrates (dr.socrates@gmail.com) to sign up to help.
YES FAMILY DAY – There will be a YES (Youth Equipped to Serve) Family Day at St. Mary’s on Saturday, February 28. This event is organized and led by YES Program Director Katrina Bitar of FOCUS, for parents and their Children (ages 8 and up). We’ll begin with breakfast and orientation; followed by a service project and lunch in Cambridge; and concluding with Vespers at St. Mary's. Registration Contribution: $5 per person, max of $20 per family.
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE - Scholarships ($1,000) are available to young women of Syrian and Lebanese origin, residing in Massachusetts within 50-mile radius of Boston, who plan to pursue a four-year college education. Scholarships are based on outstanding academic achievement, extra-curricular activities, charitable and civic involvement and good character; and applicants must be in good academic standing in her school and possess those personal attributes, which best serve the community. Applications are available through the Church Office and must be postmarked by March 31, 2015. If you have any questions, contact Mary Winstanley O’Connor at 617-523-1010 or email at moconnor@koilaw.com .
REMINDERS
HOUSE BLESSING - Fr. Antony will be blessing homes after Theophany and between Pascha (April 12) and Pentecost (May 31). We bless homes to reveal the home as what God created it to be, a way to heaven; to rid the home of every evil; to show that the family is a small church unit in Christ; to consecrate the home and all activity in it to God; and to fill the home and all who live in it with the fullness of God. To schedule the blessing of your home, please use the form in the weekly Bulletin or call the church office at 617-547-1234.
NO VESPERS – There will be no Vespers at St. Mary on Saturday, January 24.
PARISH MEETING – The Annual Meeting of St. Mary's Parish will be held on Sunday, January 25, immediately after Liturgy. (Snow date: February 1)
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. For info and registration see http://www.family.goarch.org/oneness.
CHURCH SCHOOL TEACHERS MEETING – There will be a brief meeting for Church School teachers and assistants on Sunday, February 1, following Liturgy.
CHINESE NEW YEAR BREAKFAST - Please join us on Sunday, February 8, for the 2015 Chinese New Year Missions Breakfast to benefit the Chinese Translation Project via the Orthodox Fellowship of All Saints of China (OFASC). RSVP to Mitrophan Chin at mitrophan@orthodox.cn by Wednesday, February 4. We look forward to your support of this worthwhile project and seeing you at this event!
DIOCESAN RETREAT AND FAMILY DAY - A Diocesan Pre-Lenten Retreat and Family Day will be held at Saint John of Damascus in Dedham, on Saturday, February 14, 11:30m-5:00pm. This event is sponsored by the Antiochian Women & Missions Council. The featured speaker will be Fr. Ted Pulcini. Cost is $20, under 18 free. Questions? ErinMaryK@aol.com.
PARISH COUNCIL WORKSHOP - The Diocese of Worcester and New England is holding a Parish Council Workshop at St. John of Damascus Church in Dedham, on Saturday, February 28, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Our own Richard Robbat will be the Facilitator.
ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE SUMMER CAMP - Summer Camp registration is now open. Last year most sessions were full by the end of February, so make sure you register right away! There are currently over 300 campers registered. Please visit the Registration Page for instructions on how to register. Please note that you are not registered until they receive a deposit and you receive a confirmation email. For more information go to http://www.antiochianvillage.org/camp.html
CALENDARS AND OFFERING ENVELOPES - New Church Calendars and 2015 Offering Envelopes are available for pick-up. The envelopes are on the desk in the Church Hall and the calendars are on the Bengarri. Please only one calendar per family.
SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THIS SUNDAY, January 18
Epistle:
Brethren, remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever... Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
- Hebrews 13: 7-16
Gospel:
At that time, as Jesus entered a village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices and said: "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." When He saw them He said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus's feet, giving Him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then said Jesus: "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" And He said to him: "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."
- Luke 17:12-19
REFLECTION
A man has no right to be called faithful, if his faith is a bare word and if he has not in him a faith made active by love or the Spirit. Thus faith must be made evident by progress in works, or it must act in the light and shine in works, as the divine Apostle says: "Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works" (James 2:18), thus showing that the faith of grace is made evident by works performed in accordance with the commandments, just as the commandments are fulfilled in deed and are made bright through the faith which is in grace.
- St. Gregory of Sinai (Texts on Commandments and Dogmas no. 119)
“Faith without works is dead" (James 2:26). The works of faith are love, peace, longsuffering, mercy, humility, bearing one’s cross and life by the Spirit. True faith cannot remain without works. One who truly believes will also surely perform good works.
- St. Seraphim of Sarov
Let us also live in imitation of all the Saints, to have them always as aids and protectors. Let us imitate their struggles and virtues and especially humility, faith, hope and love.
- Elder Joseph the Hesychast
Such are the souls of the saints: they love their enemies more than themselves, and in this age and in the age to come they put their neighbor first in all things, even though because of his ill-will he may be their enemy. They do not seek recompense from those whom they love, but because they have themselves received, they rejoice in giving to others all that they have, so that they may conform to their Benefactor and imitate His compassion to the best of their ability; "for He is bountiful to the thankless and to sinners" (cf. Luke 6:35).
- St. Peter of Damascus