Update for the week Thursday, August 27, through Thursday, September 3, 2015
As you may know, Father Antony suffered a heart attack a little over a week ago. Fortunately, he received immediate medical care and is currently recovering under the care of his medical team and his family. Father, Carol and the family appreciate that our church family and friends keep them in their prayers, but the family is requesting that the church family and friends refrain from phone calls and visits to allow him to recover and continue resting.
THIS WEEK
THURSDAY-FRIDAY, 8/27-28 – Church Offices closed.
FRIDAY, 8/28 - Fr. Ed Hughes will be serving a Paraclesis Service for Fr. Antony at the church 7:00 pm.
SATURDAY, 8/29 – No Vespers
SUNDAY, 8/30 – Orthros 8:45 am. Divine Liturgy 10:00
+ Fr. Gregory Harrigle will be officiating this Sunday
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
NO VESPERS – While Fr. Antony is recovering, Vespers will be cancelled until further notice. Fr. Antony appreciates your understanding and hopes to be back with us soon.
IN CASES OF EMERGENCY - While Fr. Antony is recuperating, in cases of emergency from now through Sunday, August 30, please call Fr. Joseph Kimmett at 781-255-0057.
+ Starting Monday August 31 please call Fr. John Teebagy at 781-326-3046.
WELCOME BACK BREAKFAST - Please join us Sunday, September 13 after Liturgy in the Hall downstairs to once again welcome students back to the area after summer and to showcase all the different volunteer organizations within St. Mary's. This year, we will put the food on rectangular tables along the wall. Each group will have a sign by their donated food, and each group is encouraged to also have an informational flyer. Julie Wasilko will contact each group's leader soon to coordinate the breakfast sign-up.
MEN'S RETREAT - The Annual Men’s Retreat with Bishop JOHN is scheduled for Friday-Sunday, September 18-20, at St. Methodios Spiritual Center in NH. The theme of the Retreat is “Sin, Repentance, Reconciliation and Redemption”. The cost for lodging and all meals is $199. For more information pick up a flyer at the Bengarri or contact Jeff St. Jean at 413-348-2878.
FALL RETREAT – You are invited to the Fall Retreat sponsored by the Antiochian Women of the diocese on Saturday, September 26 at St John of Damascus Church in Dedham. Featured Speaker Father Ted Pulcini will talk about Hearing Your Call and Responding To It. The Retreat is open to Women, Men, Families and Friends. Advance registration and payment of $20 is requested, by September 10, to Kh Erin Kimmett, 17 Austin St, Norwood 02062 – see schedule and registration form in this week's Sunday bulletin.
PAN-ORTHODOX YOUNG ADULT RETREAT - Join a diverse group of Orthodox young adults October 2-4, 2015 in Syracuse, NY for a Pan-Orthodox Young Adult Retreat to explore and reflect on the mystery of the human person and why knowing ourselves matters! The Syracuse Pan-Orthodox Young Adult Retreats are sponsored by Holy Transfiguration (Bulgarian) Orthodox Church and St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church as part of an ongoing program to provide forums for young orthodox adults to network and socialize with one another, address their common problems and interests, and grow in their faith. To register contact Mike Tishel at michael.tishel@gmail.com, or see www.thepersonproject.com
REMINDERS
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.
TEACHERS STILL NEEDED – The Church School is still in need of teachers for the fall, in particular for Pre-School, 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.
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.
NICK BELCHER ORDINATION - With the Blessing of Metropolitan JOSEPH, Bishop JOHN will Ordain ArchDeacon Nicholas Belcher to the Holy Priesthood during the Hierarchal Divine Liturgy to be celebrated at St. George, West Roxbury on Labor Day, Monday, September 7, at 10:00 am (Orthros at 8:45). (This will be celebrated on Monday to give priests the opportunity to attend.) Following the Liturgy, St. George will host a reception in the Church Hall to honor Fr. Nicholas.
NATIVITY OF THE THEOTOKOS – The Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos is September 8. We will celebrate on the Eve of the Feast with Divine Liturgy for Feast of the Holy Theotokos on Monday, September 7, at 6:30pm.
CHURCH SCHOOL REGISTRATION – Registration for new Church School students, age 3 and over, will take place after Liturgy during the Welcome Back coffee hour on Sunday, September 13, the Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross. Church School classes will begin on Sunday, September 20.
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.
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/
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.
POTLUCK PICNIC – All St. Mary parishioners are invited to a potluck picnic sponsored by the Hospitality Group, on Sunday, September 27 (note new date) 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!!! For people who need assistance getting to the park, we can coordinate rides. If you have questions or would like to help us out, please email Diana Yousef (yousefd@post.harvard.edu)
BIBLE STUDY – The Bible Study will not meet in September; we will resume bi-weekly meetings in October on Thursday, October 15 and Thursday, October 29, 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. New members are always welcome. For more information contact Marianna Sayeg (mksayeg@gmail.com) or Fr. Antony (frawhj@gmail.com)
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.
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.
SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THIS SUNDAY
Epistle:
BRETHREN, be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. … All the brethren send greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. If any one has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
- 1 Corinthians 16:13-24
Gospel:
The Lord said this parable, "There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. Afterward he sent his son to them, saying 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.' And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" ...
- Matthew 21:33-42
REFLECTION
A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds.
- St. Basil
"Like a tree planted by streams of water," [Psalm 1:3] the soul is irrigated by the Holy Scriptures and acquires vigour, produces tasty fruit, namely, true faith, and is beautified with a thousand green leaves, namely, actions that please God.
- St. John of Damascus
From the Scriptures you will learn also of His second manifestation to us, glorious and divine indeed, when He shall come not in lowliness but in His proper glory, no longer in humiliation but in majesty, no longer to suffer but to bestow on us all the fruit of His cross—the resurrection and incorruptibility.
- St. Athanasius, On the Incarnation
He, indeed, assumed humanity that we might become God. He manifested Himself by means of a body in order that we might perceive the Mind of the unseen Father. He endured shame from men that we might inherit immortality.
- St. Athanasius, On the Incarnation
While you are on earth, regard yourself as a guest of the Host, that is, of Christ. If you are at table, He honors you thus. If you breathe the air, you breathe His air. If you bathe, you bathe in His waters. If you travel, you travel around His earth. If you accumulate goods, you accumulate what is His; if you squander them, you squander what is His. If you are influential, you are so by His permission. If you are in company with others, you are with His other guests. If you are in the countryside, you are in His garden. If you are alone, He is present. If you set off anywhere, He sees you. If you do anything, He has it in mind. He is the most careful Host whose guest you have ever been. And be, in your turn, careful towards Him. A good host merits a good guest. These are all simple words, but they speak a great truth to you. All the saints knew this truth, and ordered their lives accordingly. Therefore the immortal Host rewarded them with eternal life in heaven and with glory on earth.
- St. Nikolai Velimirovich