Update for the week Thursday, May 7, through Thursday, May 14, 2015
THIS WEEK
SATURDAY, 5/9 – Great Vespers 5:00
+ The 15th Annual Benefit for Theophany School will be held this Saturday at 6:30 pm, at St. George, West Roxbury. Tickets: $65. Contact: Alexis 781-444-3058 or theophanyschool@gmail.com.
SUNDAY, 5/10 - Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; Final Church School lesson: Creative Arts preparation
+ Bible Bowl participants will meet in the library after Liturgy. The Bible Bowl will be held at the Diocesan Parish Life Conference June 18-21.
MONDAY, 5/11 – The Women's Club will meet this Monday, May 11, at 7:30 at the church. All women of the parish at welcome to join them! The Women’s Club does charitable work both locally, nationally and internationally and supports the Church School. Call Mary Ellen (781-729-6303) or the church office (617-547-1234) if you have any questions or want to be a part of this wonderful group of women.
TUESDAY, 5/12 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.
THURSDAY, 5/14 – The Bible Study group meets next Thursday, May 14 at 7:00 pm in the church library. This week’s discussion will focus on Saul and David.
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
GET YOUR ST. MARY'S APPAREL - The teens of St. Mary's have created two St Mary's shirts and will be taking orders this week and next. The shirts cost $20 each and all proceeds will go to St. Thekla's Monastery in Syria. The first shirt is designed as a testament to St. Mary's diverse community. It's long sleeve and available in adult and kids sizes. The second shirt is short sleeve (available in only adult sizes) and features the Hymn to the Theotokos. Please see the teens during Coffee Hour to place your order or email hoakley18@gmail.com
HELP WITH CONVENTION - As you all know, our parish will be hosting the 2015 Archdiocesan Convention at the Sheraton-Boston Hotel in Copley Square the week of July 19-26, 2015. There are numerous and various committees on which you may volunteer. We will require everyone’s involvement at St. Mary’s to make this convention truly a success spiritually, socially and financially. If you are interested in participating, please see either Father Antony or the co-chairs, Raymond Sayeg and Mary Winstanley O’Connor.
FR. ANTONY WILL BE AWAY - Fr. Antony will be out of town May 14-19. In cases of emergency please call Fr. Timothy Ferguson at 617-323-0323.
TEEN SOYO FELLOWSHIP AND SERVICE DAY – On Saturday May 16 the New England SOYO is hosting a day of fellowship, service and fun. The day includes bowling, creating scarves that will be donated to those in need on the next YES trip, Vespers, Pizza and hang out time. Teens from all over New England will be in attendance. The event starts at 2:30pm at Academy Lanes (725 South Main Street, Bradford MA 01835) and will end at St. George's in Lawrence (8 Lowell Street, Lawrence, MA 01840). Please let Hannah or Greg know if you can make it.
ST HERMAN SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE - St. Herman School, 62 Harvard Ave., Allston, MA, invites you to its annual Open House on Friday, May 29. St, Herman School provides Orthodox Christian Education, K-8th Grade.
ST. MARY POTLUCK PICNIC - Come join the St. Mary’s Hospitality Group and your fellow parishioners at nearby Dana Park (10-20 McTernan St, Cambridge) after church on Sunday, June 14 (rain-date June 21)! Bring a blanket, some eats or drinks to share, balls, frisbees, even bathing suits if you want splash in the sprinklers! Dana Park is a 5-10min walk south of the Church, with an enclosed playground, hoops, water spouts, and beautiful green. This is a great opportunity to relax and spend time with our church family. Open to all ages! If you would like to help us out, please email Diana Yousef (yousefd@post.harvard.edu )
DIVINE COMPASSION AND THE ICON – You are invited to a lecture entitled “Divine Compassion and the Icon,” part of the St. Catherine’s Vision Lectureship Series, on Saturday, June 20 at Hellenic College, Brookline. For more information visit www.saintcatherinesvision.com.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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”).
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.
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!
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
Greeter: Jim Higgins
Liturgical Service:
Epistle: John Odom
Procession: Gabi Popa, Rahal Mahari, Maia Popa, Essey Teclezghi & TBD, Danait Teclezghi, Doreen Bargoot
Bell ringers: All/any kids who come to the front left pews
Communion: Left Cloth: Lea Crea and Dena Fehrenbacher, Right Cloth: Anna Higgins and TBD, Left Bread: Aura Brosnan, Right Bread: Melissa Nassiff
Coffee Hour: Church School parents, teachers, and friends
SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THIS SUNDAY, The Sunday of the Samaritan Woman
Epistle:
Those apostles who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to none except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number that believed turned to the Lord.
- Acts 11:19-30
Gospel:
Jesus came to a city of Samaria, ... wearied as he was with his journey, sat down beside the well. ... There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." … Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."
Jesus said to her, "… the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that the Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he."
- John 4:5-42
REFLECTION
The Well-spring of the principle of life, Jesus, our Savior, came to the well of the Patriarch Jacob, and sought water from a Samaritan woman that He might drink. And when she addressed Him and said that the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans, the wise Creator diverted her by the sweetness of His words rather to seek of Him the everlasting water, the Knower of things hidden, God Who is come in the flesh to save man.
- Doxasticon (Glory of the Stichera) of Vespers of Friday of the Samaritan Woman
Christ manifested Himself to the world; He filled it with light and joy; He sanctified the waters and diffused His light in the souls of men.
- St. Proclus
Is there anyone more perverted than he who has sweet and savory water and does not give a drink to his thirsty soul? … And can you imagine a lazier man than one who is thirsty and sits next to a well, not raising his hand to take water and satisfy his thirst?
- Saint Ephraim
Ascesis is an awakening from the sleep-walking of daily life. It enables the Word to clear the silt away in the depth of the soul, freeing the spring of living waters. The Word can restore to its original brightness the tarnished image of God in us, the silver coin that has rolled in the dust but remains stamped with the king's likeness (Luke 15:8-10). It is the Word who acts, but we have to co-operate with him, not so much by exertion of will-power as by loving attentiveness.
- Olivier Clement
Abba John said that the saints are like a group of trees, each bearing different fruit, but watered from the same source. The practices of one saint differ from those of another, but it is the same Spirit that works in all of them.
- Sr. Benedicta Ward, The Sayings of the Desert Fathers