Update for the week Thursday, April 30, through Thursday, May 7, 2015
THIS WEEK
THURSDAY, 4/30 – The Bible Study group meets tonight - Thursday, April 30 - at 7:00 pm in the church library. This week’s discussion will continue Samuel & Hanna, parts 3 and 4.
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.
SATURDAY, 5/2 – Great Vespers 5:00
SUNDAY, 5/3 - Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; Church School lesson: Creative Arts preparation
+ Bible Bowl participants will meet in the library after Liturgy.
+ The teens will be heading over to Skyzone -- an amazingly fun trampoline park -- after church this Sunday. Tickets will be purchased in advance so everyone attending must RSVP beforehand. All parents must fill out a permission form online for their teens. Contact Greg or Hannah Hakim for more details.
+ A workshop for all choir members in the Diocese will be held this Sunday, May 3, 2:30 – 5:30pm at St. John of Damascus in Dedham. Led by Orthodox Church musician, choral singer and scholar Richard Barrett, the workshop, entitled “Find Your Voice,” will focus on breath coordination, posture, healthy projection, vocal stamina, intonation, and how to apply these ideas to singing in church. Register at www.findyourvoice53.eventbrite.com
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEW ORTHODOX JOURNAL – Fr. Antony highly recommends a new quarterly journal of Orthodox Christian thought, entitled “The Wheel.” The current, inaugural issue can be seen at http://www.wheeljournal.com/current/. Check it out!
“A LAND OF ACHING HEARTS” - The St. George Women's Club in Worcerster invites you to a presentation by Professor Leila Tarazi Fawaz, Professor of Lebanese and Eastern Mediterranean Studies at Tufts University/Fletcher School of Diplomacy, on Tuesday, May 12 at 6:00 pm at St. George Cathedral. 30 Anna St., Worcester. She will be speaking on her recently published book, “A Land of Aching Hearts.” Reservations are requested for dinner ($10) – contact Pam at www.stgeorgewomen@gmail.com or 508-769-8338.
NO VESPERS – On Saturday, May 16, there will not be a Vespers service at St. Mary
FEAST OF THE ASCENSION - We will celebrate the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord on Wednesday, May 20 with an Evening Liturgy at 6:30 pm.
BLESSING OF GRAVES – On Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 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
PARISH COUNCIL – The next meeting of the Parish Council will be Wednesday, May 27, at 7:30 at the church.
CHURCH SCHOOL GRADUATION – The St. Mary Church School Closing and Graduation festivities will be Sunday, June 7 (note the revised date). Please plan on joining us as we close the 2014-2015 Church School year. All Church School children who attended Church School for most of the school year will be recognized as they move up to the next grade or graduate.
CHINESE MARTYRS MISSIONS BREAKFAST – Please join us on June 7 (note the revised date for this event also) for the 2015 Chinese Martyrs Missions Breakfast to benefit the Chinese Translation Project via the Orthodox Fellowship of All Saints of china (OFASC). We look forward to your support of this worthwhile project and seeing you at this event! Suggested minimum donation $5 per adult (Checks made payable to “St. Mary Orthodox Church-Fellowship” earmarked “Chinese Missions”).
REMINDERS
NO FASTING – There is no fasting on Wednesday or Friday, not only during Bright Week but for the entire forty days from Pacha until the Feast of the Ascension. (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.
THEOPHANY SCHOOL BENEFIT - The 15th Annual Benefit for Theophany School will be held Saturday, May 9, at 6:30 pm, at St. George, West Roxbury. Tickets: $65. Contact: Alexis 781-444-3058 or theophanyschool@gmail.com.
CONVENTION COMMITTEE – The next meeting of the planning committee for the 2015 Antiochian Archdiocese Convention will be held on Wednesday, May 13, at 7:00 pm at the church.
AWARDS CEREMONY – The Syrian-Lebanese Women’s Club Awards Ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 21, at 6:30pm at St. John of Damascus Church, 300 West St. Dedham, MA. This year’s guest speaker will be Attorney Albertina Hajjar, President of the American Arabic Benevolent Association.
HAFLI - St. George Orthodox Cathedral, Worcester, will be sponsoring a Hafli featuring Superstar Joseph Attieh on Saturday, May 30. Doors open at 8:00 pm, Mazza and Dinner are at 9:00 pm. For reservations contact Michael Houssan 508-981-4327, email: hafli2009@gmail.com.
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE:
- The New England Region Fellowship of St. John the Divine is awarding scholarships to students who are faithful and active Orthodox Christians, whose high school records indicate a potential for being successful in an accredited college and who are in need of financial assistance. Applications are available through the Church Office and must be received by the Scholarship Committee Chairperson by Friday, May 1, 2015.
- The Francis Maria Scholarship is available through the Archdiocese Scholarship page, www.antiochian.org/scholarships. Several $2500 scholarships will be awarded to students attending an accredited 4-year college. Applications must be postmarked by May 15, 2015.
- Antiochian Women’s 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 June 1, 2015. Applications are available in the Church Office. E-mail cindy@cnyhondas.com with any questions.
- Nicholas G. Beram 49th Scholastic Achievement Awards 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 http://www.stjohnd.org/ngberam. Application deadline is June 1, 2015.
PARISH LIFE CONFERENCE - The 2015 Diocese of Worcester Parish Life Conference will be hosted by St. Mary Church of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Thursday to Sunday, June 18-21.
FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN - On Saturday, June 27 at St. George Orthodox Cathedral in Worcester, volunteers from all over the Diocese will be measuring and scooping 100,000 meals of MannaPack Rice, a scientifically formulated food that is culturally acceptable worldwide, for starving children. Organizations in nearly 70 countries distribute these meals to children in greatest need. We need 500 volunteers on that day as well as donations to help meet the $22,000 goal for the cost of the MobilePack Rice. This Humanitarian project is being conducted in conjunction with Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) a Christian non-profit organization committed to feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit. You can help in these ways:
- Volunteers - Registration will be live 6 weeks prior to the event at www.fmsc.org/mobilepack .
- Donations - submit online at http://www.fmsc.org/mobilepack or checks, made out to FMSC, Memo line Mobil Pack #1506-99, can be given at the Bengarri or church office.
Please consider volunteering and/or making a donation to this worthy cause. If you would like to learn more you can contact Fr. Milad Selim at St. George Worcester 508-752-9150 or mailto:fr.milad.selim@gmail.comfr.milad.selim@gmail.com.
ARCHDIOCESE CONVENTION – The 52nd Antiochian Archdiocese Convention, hosted by St. Mary Church, will be held Sunday, July 19, 2015-Sunday, July 26, 2015 at the Sheraton Boston Hotel, Boston, MA. The convention room rate is $199.00 per night, plus tax. To book rooms at the hotel, register for the convention, purchase convention event tickets and tickets for Boston excursions and obtain forms to place a message in the Souvenir Journal, go to www.acboston2015.com. Rooms are booking quickly for this historic convention. Please call the church at (617) 547-1234 with any questions.
THEOPHANY SCHOOL REGISTRATION - Theophany School is now enrolling for Fall 2015. They are excited to announce Theophany School's expansion into Elementary School and offering Preschool, Pre-K, Kindergarten, and First Grade Enrollment for this Fall. For more information visit their website at http://www.theophanyschool.org or contact them at 781-444-3058 or theophanyschool@gmail.com
THIS WEEK'S VOLUNTEERS
Liturgical Service:
Epistle: TBD
Procession: Thais Traumann-Davis, Nathan Nebiye, Nico Bezzerides, Saron & Salina Nebiye, Zanta Ephrem, Panayiotis Sakellariou
Bell ringers: All/any kids who come to the front left pews
Communion: TBD
SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THIS SUNDAY, The Sunday of the Paralytic
Epistle:
In those days, as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints that lived at Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years and was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed." And immediately he rose. And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord...
- Acts 9:32-42
Gospel:
At that time, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool... which has five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and troubled the water; whoever stepped in first after the troubling of the water was healed of whatever disease he had. One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your pallet, and walk." And at once the man was healed, and he took up his pallet and walked...
- John 5:1-15
REFLECTION
At the Sheep's Pool, a man lay in illness; and on seeing Thee, O Lord, he cried: "I have no man, that, when the water is troubled, he might put me in it. But when I go, another precedes me and receives the healing, and I lie in illness." And immediately, taking compassion him, the Savior said to him: "For you I became man, for you I am clothed in flesh, and do you say, 'I have no man?' Take up your bed and walk." All things are possible for Thee, all things are obedient to Thee, all things are subject to Thee. Remember us all and have mercy on us, O Holy One, since Thou art the Friend of man.
- Glory of the Entreaty (Liti) from The Pentecostarion
If a single word of an earthly king causes great deeds to come to pass in his kingdom -- he speaks, the work begins and is accomplished -- then will not the word of the Lord of all material and spiritual, visible and invisible creatures, accomplish everything He desires? Shall He speak and it not be created? Shall He speak and it not be done? O Almighty Power, able to accomplish everything in one single moment, do not leave us on account of our sins, and above all on account of our incredulity and despair, to be tormented by our own infirmities, lest we be destroyed like earthen vessels. Grant that we may not doubt in the fulfillment of our every right request.
- St. John of Kronstadt, My Life of Christ
Every kind of help comes to our souls through Him, and an appropriate title has been devised for each particular kind of care. When He presents a blameless soul to Himself, a soul which like a pure virgin has neither spot nor wrinkle, He is called "Bridegroom," but when He receives someone paralyzed by the devil's evil strokes, and heals the heavy burden of his sins, He is called "Physician." Because He cares for us, will this make us think less of Him? Or will we not be struck with amazement at our Savior's mighty power and love for mankind, who patiently endured to suffer our infirmities with us, and condescended to our weakness?
- St. John Chrysostom, On the Holy Spirit
By your divine intervention, O Lord, raise up my soul, which by every kind of sin and unbecoming deeds is so grievously paralyzed, as of old you did raise up the paralytic; that, being saved, I may cry to you: Grant healing unto me, O Christ Compassionate.
- Troparion to Jesus Christ, the Compassionate God (Tone 3), from The Office of Holy Unction on Holy Wednesday Evening