Update for the week Thursday, February 11 – Thursday, February 18, 2016
THIS WEEK AT ST. MARY'S
SATURDAY. 2/13 – No Vespers at St. Mary. The next Vespers service will be Saturday, March 5.
SUNDAY, 2/14 – Adult catechism 9:00; Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; no Church School
WEDNESDAY, 2/17 - The next meeting of the Parish Council will be Wednesday, February 17, at 7:30 pm.
THURSDAY, 2/18 - The Bible Study group will meet next Thursday, February 18, at 7:00 pm in the church library. We will continue our discussion of Isaiah, using the podcasts at http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/isaiah-7-part-3/ and http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/isaiah-7-part-4/. 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 (mksayeg@gmail.com) or Fr. Antony (frawhj@gmail.com). New members are always welcome.
THIS WEEK ELSEWHERE
THURSDAY 2/11 - Theophany School is now enrolling for fall 2016, and will hold an Open House today (Thursday, February 11) from 6:30-8:00 pm. They are located at 754 Greendale Ave., Needham, MA. For further information contact 781-444-3058 or theophanyschool@gmail.com
SUNDAY, 2/14 - The Order of St. Ignatius Winter Get Together will be Sunday, February 14 at Ken’s Steak House in Framingham. Cocktails at 4:00 pm and dinner at 5:00 pm. Any questions contact Debbie Laham at debbielaham@aol.com.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
MEATFARE SUNDAY BREAKFAST– The Hospitality Group invites you to join us downstairs after Liturgy on Sunday, March 6 for a delicious breakfast of bacon, hash browns, sausage, pancakes, and more, cooked by our own Chef Socrates and hopefully a few volunteers - please email Soc at dr.socrates@gmail.com if you can help. The cost is just $8/person, $16/family. This is the last Sunday we can eat meat until Pascha.
WOMEN’S MONTH - March is Antiochian Women’s month. Each Sunday in March women of our parish will be reading the Epistle, taking the collection, assisting during Communion, and giving the homily. They will also participate in the Liturgical Services ministry: carrying candles for the Gospel and the Great Entrance, carrying the icon of the day for the Great Entrance, and carrying and presenting the bread baskets. We invite all women of St. Mary Church to be included. If you wish to participate in reading the Epistle, taking the collection or assisting during Communion (homilies have already been assigned), please sign up on the sheet at the Bengarri, or contact Marilyn Robbat at 781-729-3033 or the Church office at 617-547-1234. To participate in the Liturgical Services ministry contact Teva Regule at teva@mit.edu .We look forward to your help with Women’s Month.
LENT – Great Lent will begin on Monday, March 14, 2016
CANON OF ST. ANDREW – On Tuesday and Thursday, March 15 and 17, we will pray Little Compline with the Great Canon of St. Andrew at 7:00 pm.
PRE-SANCTIFIED POTLUCK SUPPERS - Every Wednesday during Lent (March 16, 23, 30, April 6, 13, 20), we need a lead to coordinate a potluck supper after pre-Sanctified Liturgy. Being the lead means a) providing a main dish, b) coordinating what others bring if asked, and c) coordinating setup and cleanup. As with coffee hour, if there is no potluck leader, then there is no potluck. Contact Julie Wasilko (julie31415pi@gmail.com) for the potluck lead instruction sheet, or to sign up as a potluck lead.
AKATHIST (MADAYEH) - On Fridays, March 18, April 1, 8 and 15, we will pray the Akathist to the Theotokos at 7:00 pm.
ANNUNCIATION – Join us on Friday, March 25, for Vesperal Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Annunciation to the Holy Theotokos, 6:30 pm.
ST. MARY T-SHIRTS - The Teens have a few T-shirts remaining from their sale last spring, and will be selling them during coffee hour until they are gone. Get your St. Mary T-shirt while they last!
REMINDERS
TEEN SOYO PROJECT: Health and Hygiene Kits for Syrian Refugees - The teens of St. Mary's are looking for your support in collecting items and putting together hygiene and health kits to send to refugees in Syria. We are in need of the following donations:
- Individual hand towels & washcloths
- Combs
- Metal nail files and/or nail clippers
- Bars of soap
- Toothbrushes
- Band-Aids
Basic items like this may seem small, but putting them together can have a major impact to those in need. Please bring and place donations in the marked bins located in the room next to the church kitchen. If you have any questions, please ask a member of Teen SOYO.
CHINESE NEW YEAR – Plan to join the Hospitality Group on Sunday, February 21 after Liturgy, for the annual Chinese New Year Missions Breakfast, to benefit the Chinese Translation Project via the Orthodox Fellowship of All Saints of China (OFASC). RSVP to Mitrophan Chin at mitrophan@orthodox.cn by Wednesday, February 17. We look forward to your support of this worthwhile project and to seeing you at this event!.
PRE-LENTEN RETREAT - The Antiochian Women of the Diocese of Worcester & New England invite you to a Pre-Lenten Retreat on Saturday, February 27. The Retreat, entitled “The Light at the End of the Tunnel,” will be from 9:00 - 2:30 at St. John of Damascus Church, Dedham. See the flyer insert in the Sunday Bulletin for reservation and payment form.
ALL THAT JAZZ – You are invited to a musical reception to benefit IOCC (International Orthodox Christian Charities) on Saturday, February 27, at the Maliotis Cultural Center at Hellenic College, 50 Goddard Avenue Brookline, MA. For information and to register or donate on line, go to IOCC.org/Boston
ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE SUMMER CAMP - Registration for Summer Camp at Antiochian Village has begun. St. Mary’s Children attend 3rd session. The camper fee is $750 for the two-week camp session. Camper fees paid in full by March 1 receive a $50 discount. Register on line at https://avcamp.org/summer-camp.
LENTEN FOOD SALE - The Women's Club is now taking orders for their annual Lenten food sale. Use the order form in the Sunday bulletin to place your order for Spinach Triangles, Hoomos, and Mjadara. Order deadline is Sunday, March 6; order pick-up is Sunday, March 13.
ICONOGRAPHY PRESENTATION - The St. Mary Women’s Club will be hosting an Iconography presentation by Iconographer Khouria Erin Kimmett of St. George Norwood on Friday evening, March 18, immediately following the Medayeh/Akathist service. Watch for more information.
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, you are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will live in them and move among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. …
- 2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1
Gospel:
At that time, Jesus went to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon." But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." And he answered, "It is not fair to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table." Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly.
- Matthew 15:21-28
REFLECTION
The earth and the sea are enclosed in the hollow of his hand. And although he is so great and holds all creation in the palm of his hand, you are able to hold him, he dwells in you and moves within you without constraint, for he has said, 'I will live and move among them' (2 Corinthians 6.16).
- Gregory of Nyssa
Have you not heard of the Syrophoenician woman? By the constancy of her entreaty, she elicited the Lord’s compassion.
- St. John Chrysostom, On Ephesians
Do not grieve if you do not at once receive from God that which you ask. He wishes to benefit you still more by making you persist longer in your patient prayer before Him. For what can be higher than to address one's converse to God and be in communion with Him?
- St. Nilus of Sinai
Hold faith and humility fast within you; for through them you will find mercy, help, and words spoken by God in the heart, along with a protector who stands beside you both secretly and manifestly. Do you wish to obtain these things, which are a fountain of life? From the very onset take hold of simplicity.
- St. Isaac the Syrian, Ascetical Homilies
Inner and real humility is for one to feel that whatever he has - life, health, wealth, wisdom - all are foreign, are gifts of God.
- Elder Joseph the Hesychast