Update for the week Thursday, August 6, through Thursday, August 13, 2015
THIS WEEK
SATURDAY, 8/8 – No Vespers at St. Mary's
+ The Monastic Communities of New Skete Monastery in Cambridge, New York (www.newskete.org), invite you to their Annual Pilgrimage next 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?” Contact Reva Regule (teva@mit.edu ) for more information, especially about housing.
SUNDAY, 8/9 – Orthros 8:45 am. Divine Liturgy 10:00
WEDNESDAY, 8/12 - Paraclesis for the Dormition 6:30.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
CONGRATULATIONS - St. Mary’s is pleased to announce that at the Antiochian Archdiocese Convention Hosted by our parish, Metropolitan JOSEPH appointed Mary Winstanley O'Connor to the Archdiocese Board of Trustees for a four year term. We congratulate her and thank her for her dedicated service to our parish and the Archdiocese.
PARKING AROUND CITY HALL - Please be aware that workers are repairing the City Hall windows and are working on Sundays to complete this task. Therefore, parking spaces around City Hall will be scarce as contractors are utilizing these spaces for their trucks and equipment.
DORMITION DECORATON – Trish Orlovsky could use some assistance on Friday, August 14, from 9:00 till around noon, decorating the bier with flowers for the Feast of the Dormition. Many hands make light work, so please email her at t_orlovsky@hotmail.com if you are able to lighten this work. Many thanks.
TEACHERS STILL NEEDED – The Church School is still in need of teachers for the fall, in particular an assistant for Pre-School and teachers for Kindergarten/First grade and for Second/Third grades. Please contact the church office or Barbara Shoop at Barbara@dsaarchitects.com if you can help with the Church School.
SONIA'S RUN/WALK – The 7th annual Sonia’s 5K Run/Walk and Fall Fair will be held on Saturday, September 19, at St. George Orthodox Church, West Roxbury, MA. This race is held annually to benefit the Theophany School in honor of our beloved friend Sonia Belcher. The proceeds from Sonia's Run go towards Theophany School's "Building on a Dream" campaign, to fulfill Sonia's dream of a permanent home for Theophany School. For more information see http://www.soniasrun.org/
REMINDERS
DORMITION – Our Patronal Feast Day is the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, on August 15. Join us for the Vigil for the Dormition on Friday, August 14, the eve of the Feast, with Vespers at 4:15 pm; Orthros with Lamentations 5:30 pm; and Festal Divine Liturgy at 7:00 pm; followed by a meal offered by the Hospitality Group.
+ The meal will be $8 person/$16 family. Checks shoulod be payable to St. Mary's Church with "Hospitality Group" on the memo line. We look forward to seeing you there!
+ We need 5 volunteers to help with the meal - if you can help, please contact Socrates Deligeorges at dr.socrates@gmail.com.
BIBLE STUDY – The Bible Study group will meet again on Thursday, August 20 in the Church library. St. Mary's Bible Study group is based on a very interesting and accessible course originally broadcast on Ancient Faith Radio, entitled Search the Scriptures – see http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info. The next discussion will cover Solomon – listen to the podcasts at http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/solomon-part-1/ and http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/solomon-part-2/
New members are always welcome. For more information contact Marianna Sayeg (mksayeg@gmail.com) or Fr. Antony (frawhj@gmail.com) Note: during the summer this year the Bible Study meets just once each month.
NO VESPERS – There will be no Vespers at St. Mary on Saturday, August 22
PARISH COUNCIL - The next Parish Council meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, August 26 at 7:30 pm at the church.
HOUSE OF STUDIES – The 35th anniversary celebration of the Antiochian House of Studies (AHOS), Antiochian Village, Ligonier, PA will be Friday-Sunday, September 4-6. The theme is: “Orthodox Theological Education: St. Raphael to Modernity." The program will feature expositions of St. Raphael's era of theological education at the Halki Seminary, up to our contemporary endeavors. His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph will preside over the weekend events. For information, please contact cherimullins@yahoo.com; or Archdeacon Peter Boulukos at (201) 569-0095, theoedul@aol.com.
CHURCH SCHOOL REGISTRATION – Registration for new Church School students, age 3 and over, will take place Sunday, September 13, after Liturgy.
WOMEN'S CLUB – The Women's Club will meet Monday, September 14 at 7:30 in the church. At this meeting we will formulate our yearly calendar, so come with any ideas you may have. We usually meet just once a month, and we welcome all women of the parish to join us! The Women’s Club does charitable work locally, nationally and internationally, and also supports the Church School. Call Marilyn Robbat (781-729-3033) or the church office (617-547-1234) if you have any questions or want to be a part of this wonderful group of women.
HCHC OPEN HOUSE - Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology will hold its Fall open house on Saturday, September 26. Prospective undergraduate and graduate students are invited to be their guests for a half day of worship, learning and fellowship. More information is available on their website www.hchc.edu/visit.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE
There are a number of ways you can help the Church, your fellow worshipers and those in need. Consider serving in one of these ways:
Greeter: Welcome people into the church and help to direct visitors upstairs to the Liturgy, as well as keeping an eye on the vestibule, hallways and entrance ways during Church. To volunteer contact Buddy Mabardy at 781-729-6303 or e-mail: buddy@cjmabardy.com, or call the church office at 617-547-1234
Liturgical Service – Epistle: The Epistle is read each Sunday by a volunteer parishioner. To volunteer please contact Jeff Wasilko, jeffw@smoe.org
Liturgical Service – Procession: Church School children or parishioners carry the candles, icon, and bread baskets in the great procession. For information about this ministry contact Teva Regule at teva@mit.edu
Liturgical Service – Communion: Volunteers are needed every Sunday to hold the Communion cloths and the Holy Bread baskets during Communion. To volunteer please contact Jeff Wasilko, jeffw@smoe.org
Coffee Hour: People are needed every week to provide coffee, juice and cookies, or more if desired, and set it up Sunday morning. To sign up for an available Sunday, please put your name on the signup sheet on the bulletin board outside the Hall, or contact Barbara Shoop in the Parish Office at secretary@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org or 617-547-1234.
Prison Ministry: For information about the Prison Ministry at St. Mary you can subscribe to our mailing list at http://groups.google.com/group/ocpm-concord. If you are interested in helping with this ministry, talk with Fr. Antony or Deacon Jeff. Another way to help is to donate Orthodox books, icon cards, and magazines (for security, please remove any personal mailing address) – Mitrophan Chin collects these to share with the inmates.
THIS WEEK'S VOLUNTEERS
Greeter: George Mayah
Liturgical Service:
Epistle: Melissa Nassiff
Procession: Panayiotis Sakellariou, Shannon Sakellariou, Sophia Sakellariou, Iliana Sakellariou, and TBD
Communion: Linda Arnold, Sophia Sakellariou, Iliana Sakellariou and TBD.
Coffee Hour: No volunteers, so no coffee hour.
SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THIS SUNDAY
Epistle:
… When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become, and are now, as the refuse of the world, the off-scouring of all things. ... I urge you, then, be imitators of me.
- 1 Corinthians 4:9-16
Gospel:
… Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it [a demon] out?" He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move hence to yonder place,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting."
- Matthew 17:14-23
REFLECTION
Every morning you put on your clothes to cover your nakedness and protect your body from inclement weather. Why don't you also clothe your soul with the garment of faith? Remember each morning the truths of your creed, and look at yourself in the mirror of your faith. Otherwise, your soul will soon be naked with the nakedness of oblivion.
- St. Augustine
The key that opens the door to the faith is prayer.... When a Christian does not pray, ... his witness is an arrogant witness.... He who does not pray is arrogant, is proud, is sure of himself. He is not humble. He seeks his own advancement. Instead, when a Christian prays, he is not far from the faith; he speaks with Jesus."
- Pope Francis
Miracles are not impossible from a logical standpoint, and right reason does not deny them. Natural laws do not have the claim to be the only ones, nor are they threatened with being overturned by the appearance of other laws, supernatural ones, which also are conducive to the development and furtherance of creation... Miracles are consequence of the Creator's love for his creatures.
- St. Nectarios of Aegina
Do not let pass any opportunity to pray for anyone, either at his request or at the request of his relatives, friends, of those who esteem him, or of his acquaintances. The Lord looks favorably upon the prayer of our love, and upon our boldness before him. Besides this, prayer for others is very beneficial to the one himself who prays for others; it purifies the heart, strengthens faith and hope in God, and enkindles our love for God and our neighbor. When praying, say thus: ‘Lord, it is possible for Thee to do this or that to this servant of Thine; do this for him, for Thy name is the Merciful Love of Men and the Almighty.’
- St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ
Faith without works and works without faith will both alike be condemned, for he who has faith must offer to the Lord the faith which shows itself in actions. Our father Abraham would not have been counted righteous because of his faith had he not offered its fruit, his son (cf. James 2:21; Romans 4:3).
- St. Diadochos of Photiki