Update for the week Thursday, June 11, through Thursday, June 18, 2015
THIS WEEK
THURSDAY, 6/11 – Note the change: The Bible Study group will NOT meet this evening (Thursday, June 11); during the summer this year they will meet just once each month. The next meeting will be Thursday, June 25.
This group is based on a very interesting course originally broadcast on Ancient Faith Radio, entitled Search the Scriptures – see http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info. Our next discussion will cover Saul and David, lessons 91 and 92. For more information contact Marianna Sayeg (mksayeg@gmail.com) or Fr. Antony (frawhj@gmail.com) New members are always welcome.
SATURDAY, 6/13 – Great Vespers 5:00 pm
SUNDAY, 6/14 – Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am
+ Note changes: The Parish Potluck Picnic, most recently scheduled for this Sunday, June 14 at Riverside Press Park, has been changed to Sunday, June 28th at Dana Park (10-20 McTernan St, Cambridge) – the same park as previous picnics! 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 (walk down Magazine St), 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 people need assistance getting to the park, we can coordinate rides. If you would like to help us out, please email Diana Yousef (yousefd@post.harvard.edu ).
MONDAY, 6/15 – A second Diocese Choir rehearsal with Paul Jabara, to prepare for the Parish Life Conference and the National Convention, will be held Monday at 7:00 pm, at St. John of Damascus, Dedham.
THURSDAY, 6/18 through the weekend - 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. All events will be held at Providence Marriott, Providence, RI. Go to http://stmarypawtucket.org/conference for registration and information.
+ Note: There will be NO church services at St. Mary next weekend – no Vespers Saturday, June 20, and no Liturgy Sunday, June 21 – all services will be held at the Marriott in Providence. Conference registration is not required to attend these services.
+ The St. Mary Church office will be closed during the Parish Life Conference.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
APOSTLES' FAST - The fast leading up to the Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul began Monday, June 8, and lasts for three weeks this year, through Sunday, June 28.
BOURELL FAMILY UPDATE – After being burned out of their home, Amanda and their kids have found temporary lodging with family in Michigan and Texas, while Peter will stay here with a colleague near the hospital where he's working. They greatly appreciate everyone's prayers, support and suggestions for local housing during this difficult time. Some of their close friends and colleagues have begun a fundraising site that Larisa Patacchiola (larisademshuk@yahoo.com ) will be happy to share details about if anyone would like.
PICK UP YOUR ST. MARY'S SHIRT ORDERS - The new St-Mary's shirts -- sponsored by Teen SOYO -- have arrived. Orders can be picked up during coffee hour on June 14th or 28th. All orders must be paid for in full. A very limited number of extra shirts are available; please see a member of Teen SOYO if interested. If you cannot make church on the 14th or 28th, orders will also be made available for pickup at select coffee hours in July.
CONGRATULATIONS! - St. Mary’s Church School is pleased to announce that all four projects submitted to the Diocese of Worcester and New England Creative Arts Competition won awards. There were three achievement levels, Gold, Silver and Bronze. Grades K/1 won Gold and grades 2/3, 4/5 and 6 won Silver. We want to recognize the teachers and their children for their participation – see the list in the Bulletin this Sunday. WELL DONE! Award ribbons will be given to the children in the fall at a special presentation.
TANGLEWOOD OUTING – Join your music-loving friends from St. Mary’s as we carpool out to Tanglewood after Liturgy on Sunday, August 2 (the weekend after the Convention). We’ll picnic on the lawn and listen to music by Haydn, Dean and Strauss featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma, with violinist Joshua Bell and new BSO conductor Andris Nelsons. For more information see http://www.bso.org/Performance/Detail/69833 . The concert starts at 2:30; lawn tickets are $21.00 (pay at the door). Bring lawn chairs if you want them, and picnic food for yourself and to share. For more information and to let us know you're coming, especially if you'll need a ride, contact Melissa Nassiff by email (mnassiff@gmail.com) or phone (508 877-7483).
NEW SKETE PILGRIMAGE - The Monastic Communities of New Skete Monastery in Cambridge, New York (www.newskete.org), invite you to their Annual Pilgrimage on Saturday, August 8, 2014, between 8:30am - 6:00pm. The day will include Church Services, Church Tours, a Photo Exhibit, and a Healing Service with Anointing as well as talks by the monastics on Monastic Life and Iconography and by Chapel Community members on their relationship with the monastery. In addition, pilgrims will have the opportunity to visit with the New Skete German Shepherds and take a hike on the monks' mountain. Activities for kids are also planned. This year's guest speaker is Dr. Anton Vrame. Dr. Vrame is the Director of the Department of Religious Education for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. He will be exploring the trends in society and their effects of Christianity in the US today and into the future. His talk is entitled, "Does the Future Have a Church?
+ In years past, a number of us have gone out for the weekend to help the Communities with this event—to be extra sets of "helping hands" for the day. They are hoping a number of us will do so again this year. Would you like to help? In the past, this has been a wonderful community building activity for all of us. Moreover, if you have never been to the monastery, this may be a good way to be introduced to their life and work. Contact Reva Regule (teva@mit.edu ) for more information, especially about housing. Note that the Emmaus house is now a guest house. Anyone wishing to stay there should contact Br. Gregory directly (brgregory@newskete.org) by Monday, July 6. They will hold the rooms for us until that date.
REMINDERS
HOUSING HELP NEEDED – An Orthodox family of 3, new to the area, is looking for a place to live starting on June 14. If you know of a place to rent or temporary place to stay, please contact Richard Barrett, rrbarret@indiana.edu or 812-219-0286. (Richard led the recent Diocesan Vocal Workshop).
+ A young woman who will be starting a Master's program in Speech and Language Pathology at Emerson College this fall is looking for housing, and is open to both studio and 2-bedroom options; she is on the lookout for a roommate as well. She will not have a car so an apartment close to the T would be ideal. Please contact Elyse Timothy, elyse.timothy@gmail.com
CHILDREN STAY UPSTAIRS - Parents, please be sure that your children remain in church after Communion; there is no church school during the summer months. Children should not be in the church hall at any time during Liturgy unless supervised by their parents.
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.
GREEK FESTIVIAL - Archangels Greek Orthodox Church is having a Greek Festival June 26-28, with Greek music, dancing, food, bookstore and more. Time: 11:00am-11pm, Sunday noon-8pm. 25 Bigelow Ave. Watertown. For more info call 617-924-8182.
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 fr.milad.selim@gmail.com
SACRED MUSIC INSTITUTE - The 30th Anniversary SMI will be held July 8-12 at the Antiochian Village, with Metropolitan JOSEPH as the Keynote Speaker. To register, go to http://registration.antiochianvillage.org/Registration/Welcome.aspx?e=7413B331578E5950B91A801CA88B0AFF
LITURGY BEFORE THE CONVENTION – On Sunday, July 19, there will be no Liturgy at St. Mary's Church. Liturgy will be held at St. George Cathedral, Worcester with Patriarch JOHN and Metropolitan JOSEPH. All are welcome to attend.
ARCHDIOCESE CONVENTION - As you know, our parish will be hosting the 2015 Archdiocesan Convention at the Sheraton-Boston Hotel in Copley Square Tuesday through Sunday, July 21-26, 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.
The convention room rate is $199.00 per night, plus tax. To book rooms at the hotel, register for the convention, and purchase convention event tickets and tickets for Boston excursions, go to www.acboston2015.com. Rooms are booking quickly for this historic convention. Please call the church at (617) 547-1234 with any questions.
PATRISTICS INSTITUTE – You are invited to take part in the ninth annual Summer Program in Patristic Studies sponsored by the Pappas Patristic Institute of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. This five-day program is for theology and religious studies students, including masters-level students and undergraduates, and others, including clergy and lay people, with a background in religious studies, who would like to pursue their interests in the early Church. This year’s program will be held from July 19 – 24, 2015 on the campus of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts. See http://www.hchc.edu/assets/files/patristics/2015%20AnnouncmentProgram_150502.pdf for more information.
PARISH COUNCIL - The next Parish Council meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, August 26 at 7:30 pm at the church.
CHURCH SCHOOL TEACHERS NEEDED - We are in need of teachers for the fall, in particular Pre-School and Kindergarten/1st grade. Anyone interested in teaching, or being an assistant or substitute, please contact Barbara@dsaarchitects.com.
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
SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THIS SUNDAY, the Sunday of All Saints of North America
Epistle:
... God shows no partiality. ... For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. When Gentiles who have not the law do by nature what the law requires, ...They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, ...
- Romans 2:10-16
Gospel:
At that time, as Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him... And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people.
- Matthew 4:18-23
REFLECTION
In creating man God implanted in him something Divine - a certain thought, like a spark, having both light and warmth, a thought which illumines the mind and shows what is good and what bad. This is called conscience and it is a natural law. By following this law - conscience - the patriarchs and all the saints pleased God, even before the law was written. But when, through the fall, man covered up and trampled down conscience, there arose the need of written law, of the holy Prophets, of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, to uncover and raise it up, to rekindle this buried spark by the keeping of His holy commandments.
- St. Abba Dorotheos
We became sinners through the disobedience of Adam in this way: For Adam was created for incorruption and life, and his life in the Paradise of delight was holy, his whole mind was continually caught up in divine visions, and his body was tranquil and serene, since every shameful pleasure was calmed, for there was no disturbance of intemperate emotions in him. However, since he fell under sin and sank into corruption, thence pleasures and pollutions penetrated into the nature of the flesh, and so there was planted in our members a savage law. Nature became diseased with sin through the disobedience of the one, i.e, Adam; thus the many also became sinners, not as transgressing together with Adam—for they did not exist at all—but as being from his nature which had fallen under the law of sin… because of disobedience, human nature in Adam became infirm with corruption, and so the passions were introduced into it.... "
- St. Cyril of Alexandria, Interpretation of the Epistle to the Romans
One who wants to be saved must remember, must never forget, the Apostolic commandment: "Carry one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the Law of Christ." This commandment is of great significance; one we must first and foremost strive to obey.
- Elder Amvrossy of Optina
For the man who believes, all things are possible because "Faith is counted as righteousness," and "Christ is the end of the Law." Belief in Him justifies and perfects the believer, for belief in Christ is considered to correspond to the works of the law. It is confirmed and witnessed by the evangelic precepts and so earns for the faithful a participation in eternal life, in Christ Himself.
- St. Symeon the New Theologian