Update for the week Thursday, November 19, through Friday, November 27, 2015
THIS WEEK AT ST. MARY'S
FRIDAY, 11/20 - Evening Liturgy for the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple 6:30 pm.
SATURDAY, 11/21 – There will be no Vespers at St. Mary until further notice.
+ A Seminar for Couples preparing for marriage will be held on Saturday, November 21, at the Chancery, 2 Lydia’s Path, Westborough, MA. Bishop JOHN will be the featured speaker.
SUNDAY, 11/22 – Adult catechism 9:00; Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00; Church School lesson 9
+ The Women's Club will sponsor its annual Thanksgiving Charity Bake Sale on Sunday, November 22. All proceeds will benefit the Convent of Saidnaya, northwest of Damascus in Syria. Plan on purchasing all your holiday breads, pies, goodies, Syrian pastries and much more – and please volunteer to bake! Call Marilyn Robbat@ 781-729-3033 or the church office, if you can bake and/or donate.
+ St. Mary’s own Gabi Popa, daughter of Cristian and Andrea Popa, will be performing in The Trumpet of the Swan at Wheelock Family Theatre through this Sunday, November 22 - Friday nights at 7:30; Saturday & Sunday matinees at 3:00. St. Mary's Orthodox Church parishioners can purchase tickets for only $10 by using the promo code "community10" when ordering online. The performance will run 1 hour 45 minutes, including a 15 minute intermission. The play, which is based on E. B. White’s award-winning novel, is recommended for all ages, 6 through adult. For more information and to order tickets online, go to www.wheelockfamilytheatre.org.
TUESDAY, 11/24 – Early deadline for the Sunday 11/29 bulletin
THURSDAY, 11/26 – Thanksgiving Day (no services)
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
BIBLE STUDY – The Bible Study group will meet again on Thursday, December 3, at 7:00 pm in the church library. Our discussion will conclude an introduction to the prophets and begin exploring the prophecies of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection in Isaiah 53, using the podcasts at http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/introduction-to-the-prophets-part-2/ and http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/isaiah-53-part-1/
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.
CHRISTMAS POPS AND SING-ALONG - You're invited to a Christmas Pops and Sing Along with the Metropolitan Wind Symphony, to benefit St. John of Damascus, Dedham, on Saturday, December 5, 6:00-9:00 pm. Cocktail hour and hors D’oeuvres, coffee and pastry, $15 Adult, $5 Children. Purchase tickets online at www.stjohnd.org/pops.
WOMEN'S CLUB DINNER - The St. Mary Women’s Club will be going out to the Cheesecake Factory in Chestnut Hill for a holiday dinner meeting on Monday, December 7, at 7:00. We welcome all women of the parish to join us! Any woman interested in going out, please call Marilyn Robbat (781-729-3033) or the church office (617-547-1234)
WOMEN'S CLUB MEETING - The next meeting of the Women's Club will be Monday, January 11, at 7:30, at the church.
ANNUAL MEETING – The Annual Meeting of St. Mary's Parish will be held on Sunday, January 24, 2016 (snow date: January 31.) At this time we will vote on the budget for 2016, among other things. It is important that all members of St. Mary’s Church attend this meeting. Note: Only members of the parish may vote. If you are a parishioner but not yet a member, please consider becoming a member and pledging. See Fr. Antony, Deno Takles or Barbara Shoop for a Member Packet or if you have any questions. Member packets are also available on the wall to the right of the Bengarri.
REMINDERS
NATIVITY FAST - The Nativity Fast, also known as the season of Advent, began last Sunday. This is the forty days of fasting and prayer in preparation for the Great Feast of the Nativity of Christ.
ANGEL TREE HELP NEEDED - St. Mary's is participating in the Angel Tree Prison Ministry, which provides Christmas gifts to children in our local community on behalf of their parent serving time in prison. Together with Angel Tree, we can help these children feel loved and valued. Our parish received the names of 20 children in need this season. We need volunteers to help make gift deliveries. This can be done at a time convenient for you. All the children have been selected by St. Mary’s Parishioners but if you would like to make a monetary donation please see Linda or Kate. In addition, we will have a bin out during the next few coffee hours prior to the gift due date, November 29, where folks can leave their wrapped gifts for the children with tag attached. Please see or email Kate Arnold (katherine.arnold@gordon.edu) or Linda Arnold (mmarmee52@aol.com) if you can help or have questions. Thank you for helping with this important ministry!
SEE THE MESSIAH – You can still join friends from St. Mary’s for the Handel and Haydn Society’s annual performance of Handel’s Messiah, on Sunday, November 29, at 3:00 p.m., and meet us for lunch before the concert. Order your tickets online at http://www.handelandhaydn.org. Contact Melissa Nassiff at mnassiff@gmail.com for more information.
PARISH COUNCIL – The next meeting of the Parish Council is scheduled for Wednesday, December 2, at 7:30 pm, at the church.
CHURCH SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PAGEANT - If your child is interested in participating in the Christmas Pageant, please see Sarah Byrne-Martelli or e-mail her at sarahebyrne@gmail.com . We also need parents to assist at all rehearsals, which will take place Sunday, December 6 during coffee hour; Sunday, December 13 during coffee hour; and Saturday, December 19, 2:30 – 4:30pm (dress rehearsal). The Pageant will be on Sunday, December 20 after liturgy.
PARISH CHRISTMAS CARD - Save yourself time, let us do the work and have all proceeds benefit the Antiochian Women Project 2015-2016: Help Feed Hungry Children Home and Abroad. Let the Women’s Club send a lovely Christmas card on your behalf to our parishioners. You will receive this card with the names of parishioners, like yourself, who are wishing a Blessed Nativity and a Merry Christmas to all. Please use the form in the Sunday Bulletin – deadline is Sunday, December 6.
DIOCESAN CHRISTMAS CONCERT - A Christmas Concert, sung by the combined choirs and chanters of the Diocese of Worcester and New England, will be held on Saturday, December 5 at 6:00 pm at St. George Cathedral in Worcester immediately following Vespers, and on Sunday, December 6 at 3:00 pm at St. John of Damascus in Dedham. Mark Haddad, choir director at St. John’s, will be conducting the Diocesan Choir with Charles Marge of St. Mary’s conducting the Diocesan Chanters. This will be a beautiful event open to parishioners, families, and friends as well as the public. Please plan on joining us! For more information or questions, please contact: Mark Haddad at mhh42@me.com or Charlie Marge at marge@alum.mit.edu.
CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON – The Syrian-Lebanese Women's Club is sponsoring a Christmas luncheon on Saturday, December 12 at noon at St. John of Damascus Church in Dedham. Donation: $25, with all proceeds going to the Scholarship Fund. Come and join us for an elegant afternoon of fine food, pastries and fellowship. Reservations and questions: Carolyn Ganim, 781-329-0830, or Norma Janvrin, 781-326-5131. Tables of 8 may be reserved.
DONATIONS FOR THE HOLY NATIVITY - If you would like to donate toward the Poinsettias and Nativity decorations for the Nativity services please use the form printed in the Sunday bulletin. Deadline is December 14, 2015. Please pass it in with your check at the Bengarri on Sundays or mail to: St. Mary Church, 8 Inman St., Cambridge, MA 02139-2407. Donations will be printed in the December 20 bulletin.
FOOD FOR HUNGRY PEOPLE – Once again St. Mary's is holding its annual Canned Food Drive: October through December 31, 2015. Since 1984, we have collected over 3,281,200 pounds of food. Please bring in canned goods ONLY and place them in the plastic bins in the room outside the kitchen. They will be distributed to food pantries in our area.
FAMILY SHELTER - The Women’s Club provides the Cambridge YWCA Family Shelter with baskets filled with household goods, to help residents ready to move to their own apartments. We ask for your help by providing monetary donations to offset the cost of the items. Please give your donation to Marilyn Robbat or Barbara Shoop or mail it to the Church office c/o the Woman’s Club.
COFFEE HOUR MADE EASY! - To make sponsoring a Coffee Hour a little bit easier, St. Mary’s will be offering a delivery service through “Instacart”, for the basic foods necessary to host a Coffee hour. Simply select a date, mail a check to the office and we will order the food and have it delivered to the church on that Sunday between 9:00 and 10:00 am. You will need to be at the church to accept the order and you will be required to set up for the coffee hour and clean up both the kitchen and hall at the end of the coffee hour. Two menus will be offered. Menu one will include: bagels, mini muffins, fruit, hummus/Syrian bread, juice and coffee for $160. Menu two will include: bagels, juice and coffee for $70. Prices DO NOT include a 20% tip for delivery and are subject to change based on current market pricing of items. Cream cheese, peanut butter, jam and coffee creamer are included with each menu. As usual, St. Mary’s will provide the plates, cups, napkins, utensils, serving platters, and sweetener for coffee. If you are interested in taking advantage of this service and signing up for a coffee hour please contact the office at 617-547-1234 or e-mail secretary@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org.
SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THIS SUNDAY
Epistle:
Brethren, I, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
- Ephesians 4:1-7
Gospel:
The Lord said this parable: "The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
- Luke 12:16-21
REFLECTION
The all-pure temple of the Savior, the most precious bridal chamber and Virgin, the treasure house of the glory of God, today enters the Temple of the Lord, bringing with her the grace which is in the divine Spirit: whom also the angels of God do celebrate in song; for she is the heavenly tabernacle.
- Kontakion of the Presentation of the Theotokos
Thanksgiving and gratitude is a heartfelt joyous recognition of the divine benevolence and mercy toward us, unworthy ones, shown by Him freely and testified by our heart and mouth.
- St. Tikhon of Zadonsk
You who are strong, help the weak. You who are rich, help the poor. You who stand upright, help the fallen and the crushed. You who are joyful, comfort those in sadness. You who enjoy all good fortune, help those who have met with disaster. Give something in thanksgiving to God, that you are of those who can give help, and not of those who stand and wait for it.
- St. Gregory of Nazianzus
God teaches you to be as merciful to those in need as He is merciful to you. It is dangerous and sinful to ignore the voice of God, to remain unrepentant and unimproved during times of hardship, to fail to thank God, or not to help others when you have plenty. Even more ruinous is to do the opposite of that to which God is leading us: to grumble and become embittered in difficult circumstances or to forget God and live only for pleasure in fortunate surroundings.
- St. Innocent of Irkutsk, The Way Into the Kingdom of Heaven
But how can those who are tethered to their inheritance be following Christ? And those who are weighed down by earthly desires be seeking heaven and aspiring to the heights above? They think of themselves as owners, whereas it is they rather who are owned: enslaved as they are to their own property, they are not the masters of their money but its slaves. The Apostle was pointing to our times and to these very men when he said: "For they that will become rich, fall into temptation and into snares and into many hurtful desires, which drown a man into perdition and destruction. For the desire of money is the root of all evil; which some coveting have erred from the faith, and have entangled themselves in many sorrows." (1 Timothy 6:9-10)
- St. Cyprian of Carthage, The Lapsed