Update for the week Thursday, October 6 - Thursday, October 13, 2016
THIS WEEK AT ST. MARY'S
THURSDAY, 10/6 - The Bible Study group will meet tonight - Thursday, October 6 - at 7:00 pm in the church library. For more information contact Marianna Sayeg (mksayeg@gmail.com) or Fr. Antony (frawhj@gmail.com). The meeting after this will be two weeks later, Thursday, October 20. New members are always welcome.
SATURDAY, 10/8 – No Vespers at St. Mary.
SUNDAY, 10/9 – The church parking lot will not be available for parishioners on Sunday, October 9, as the driveway is being sealcoated.
+ Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am.; No Church School
+ Enquirers’ Class 9:00 am in the library (next door to Fr. Antony’s office). Enrollment will be open until October 16, and is for non-Orthodox adults who are interested in exploring the faith of the Holy Orthodox Church. Bob Kowalik will be teaching the group. If you would like to participate, please talk to Bob during coffee hour; or get in touch by phone 617-889-3436 or e-mail r.kowalik@comcast.net. For those seeking to be received into the Orthodox Church, participation in the group and Fr. Antony’s blessing are required.
THIS WEEK ELSEWHERE
Saturday, 10/8 – You are invited to a retreat at New Skete Monastery on Saturday, October 8. The theme is Going Deeper on the Contemplative Journey: Tools for Transformation. You can sign up for the retreat at http://www.newskete.org/retreat.html Added benefit: The grounds of the monastery are incredibly beautiful in the fall - an opportunity to relax, reflect, and enjoy the beauty of God's creation.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
THANK YOU - St. Mary’s Women’s Club would like to thank all those who helped bake, purchased pastry and made donations to make our Charity Bake Sale a huge success.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS AWARENESS DAY – Next Sunday, October 16, the Teens will take a special collection to enable them to sponsor the 36th Annual Special Olympics Sports Camp, which is held annually at Antiochian Village. Please be generous!
REMINDERS
YOUTH MONTH – October is Youth Month in our Archdiocese. Throughout the month of October our teens will be taking an active role in the Liturgy by helping with communion, taking collections and reading the Epistle. To get involved, please see Jack Souweha or e-mail him at jack.souweha@schneider-electric.com.
SPECIAL PARISH MEETING - There will be a special parish meeting on Sunday October 16, immediately following Liturgy to recommend to the voting members the implementation of certain new procedures.
YOUNG ADULTS – The Young Adult group will go apple picking on Sunday, October 16, after church, leaving at 12:30 pm.
COME SEE THE MESSIAH – Join friends from St. Mary’s for the Handel and Haydn Society’s annual performance of Handel’s Messiah, on Sunday afternoon, November 27, at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are just $25 – even less if we have a big enough group. We will carpool to (or meet at) Symphony Hall after Liturgy and have lunch together at a nearby restaurant before the concert. Those who have done this before have thoroughly enjoyed it - not only do we hear a world-class orchestra and chorus with famous soloists singing glorious words (taken directly from the Bible), but we also have an opportunity to spend time getting to know some fellow parishioners we normally may not encounter. Good seats go fast - please contact Melissa Nassiff at mnassiff@gmail.com by Sunday, October 16 (in time to order group tickets), or order your own tickets online at http://www.handelandhaydn.org
SFEEHA SALE - The Women’s Club is offering for purchase freshly made Sfeeha (ground lamb-meat pizza pies with onion, pine nuts & seasonings). Everything is cooked with the finest of ingredients and ready to eat now or freeze for the holidays. (Note - this product contains pine nuts. No special orders accepted.) Please use the order form in the Sunday bulletin. Max 3 dozen per order. Order deadline is Sunday, October 16; baking is Saturday, October 22, (come and help us!); pickup date will be Sunday, October 23.
HCHC OPEN HOUSE - Hellenic College Holy Cross is holding its Fall Open House on Saturday, October 15. Prospective undergraduates and graduate students are invited along with their parents for a half day of worship, learning and fellowship. For more information visit www.hchc.edu/openhouse.
AABA FUND RAISER – The American Arabic Benevolent Association will hold a fund raiser on Saturday, October 15, at 8:00 pm at Norwood High School. The event will be An Evening with Gina Dimia, General Seating is $25. For reservations contact David Franciosa 781-856-0974 or Darya Gamel at daryag@aabausa.org
THEOPHANY SCHOOL BENEFIT EVENING – Theophany School has helped shape the education of hundreds of children from the Boston area over nearly two decades. This year it will hold its 16th annual Benefit Evening, including Special Recognition of its Co-Founders, with cocktails, dinner, and a silent auction, on Saturday, October 15, at St. Demetrios Orthodox Church, Weston at 5:00pm. Tickets are $100. To learn more visit http://theophanyschool.org/news/events/16th-annual-benefit-evening
WOMEN’S CLUB – The next meeting of the Women’s Club will be Monday, October 17 at 7:30. All women of the parish are welcome to join them. The Women’s Club does charitable work both locally, nationally and internationally, and supports the Church School. Call Marilyn (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.
+ The Women’s Club will be going out for a fun evening to the Cheesecake Factory in Chestnut Hill on Monday, October 24, at 7:00. Any woman interested in going with them, please call Marilyn (781-729-3033) or the church office (617-547-1234) for more information.
RUSSIAN MUSIC CONCERT - LYRA, an a cappella ensemble from St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia, will perform a Russian Vocal Music concert at St. John’s Church, 95 Deerfield Ave., Westwood, on Wednesday, October 19, at 7:00 pm. The concert will be both Orthodox sacred music and folk songs from Russia. A $15 donation is appreciated. For more information go to www.stjohnswestwood.org.
BAZAAR & FOOD FAIR - St. George Church will be having a Bazaar & Food Fair Friday-Sunday, October 21-23. Friday & Saturday 10am-9pm, Sunday 12pm-3pm. Address is 55 Emmonsdale Rd., West Roxbury. Admission is free. Middle Eastern cuisine, country store, crafts, kids’ corner and raffles.
TEACHERS’ MEETING – There will be a special meeting for Church School teachers, assistants, and substitutes after Liturgy on Sunday, October 23, in the library.
PARISH COUNCIL – The next meeting of the Parish Council will be on Wednesday, November 2, at 7:30 pm.
COFFEE HOUR MADE EASY! - To make sponsoring a Coffee Hour a little bit easier, St. Mary’s is 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.
+ In addition to the sign-up sheet, our contact Barbara in the church office and the Instacart option, we also have Linda Arnold serving as our volunteer Coffee Hour Coordinator. Her contact information is MMarmee52@aol.com and 978-270-0346. Please feel free to let her know of your interest and be open to hosting a coffee hour especially if you have not done so in the past. She will be happy to guide you through the process!
ANTIOCHIAN WOMEN 2017 PROJECT – The Antiochian Women of our Archdiocese have announced the theme of their 2017 Project: “Strengthening the Ministries of our Church.” The funds they raise this year will go to strengthen the following ministries in our Archdiocese: senior housing projects; founding missions; supporting seminarians; encouraging youth ministries; protecting the unborn; teaching the Faith; caring for the elderly and those in prisons, nursing homes and hospitals; helping to feed, house, and clothe the poor; and inspiring monastic vocations.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE
There are a number of ways you can help the Church, your fellow worshippers, 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 Linda Arnold, our Coffee Hour volunteer coordinator at MMarmee52@aol.com or 978-270-0346, or 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.
Hospitality Group: St. Mary's Donald D. Fiore Hospitality Group sponsors various events to welcome visitors and newcomers and to foster a spirit of fellowship and caring among all the people who worship here. To join us or to find out more, contact any of our officers: Julie Wasilko, Outgoing President julie31415pi@gmail.com, Diana Yousef, Vice President dymartinek@gmail.com, Michael Decerbo, Treasurer michaeldecerbo@gmail.com, Socrates Deligeorges, Head Chef dr.socrates@gmail.com
Choir: The St. Mary Church Choir is open to individuals interested in making a commitment to sing each Sunday at Divine Liturgy. Please feel free to join them and/or introduce yourself to the director, Michelle Mabardy, any Sunday after Liturgy.
Rides To Church For College Students: If you live near a college or university and are able to offer a ride to and from St. Mary Church for a student, or if you are a student in need of a ride, contact St. Mary’s Young Adult Ministry at 617-564-3344 or rides@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org to sign up or to learn more!
SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THIS SUNDAY
Epistle:
… we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, "At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation." Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. …
- 2 Corinthians 6:1-10
Gospel:
Jesus went to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large crowd from the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." And he came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all; and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and "God has visited his people!"
- Luke 7:11-16
REFLECTION
This [raising of the widow’s son] is one of three resurrections performed by our Lord as recorded in the Gospels (see also Luke 8:41-56; John 11:1-44). They confirm the promise given to the prophet Ezekiel that God will one day open the graves and raise all the dead (Ezekiel 37:1-14). Many people have exercised authority over the living; only the Son of God “has power over both the living and the dead.” While Christ has power through His word alone, (John 11:43), here He also touched the coffin to show that His very body is life-giving. This event prefigures Christ’s own Resurrection. As Mary would weep for Jesus at the Cross, yet her tears would be turned to joy by the Resurrection, here a widow’s only son is raised from the dead, putting an end to her weeping.
- The Orthodox Study Bible, footnote to Luke 7:11-17
If indeed the flesh possesses no useful function, why did Christ heal it? And why, in particular, did he go so far as to raise the dead to life? What was his purpose? Was it not to show us how the resurrection was to take place? How, moreover, did he raise the dead? Was it souls or bodies? Clearly, it was both together.
- Justin
How could humanity on earth, enslaved by death, recover its wholeness? It was necessary to give to dead flesh the ability to share in the life-giving power of God. Now the life-giving power of God is the Word, the only Son. He it was then whom God sent to us as Savior and Liberator … He, though he is Life by nature, took a body subject to decay in order to destroy in it the power of death and transform it into life.
- Cyril of Alexandria, Homily on Luke
It is quite evident that the apostles and many saints worked miracles and wonders. This was in accordance with what the Lord Himself had commanded when He said, “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, expel the demons. You have freely received. Give freely.” (Matthew 10:8)
- St. John Cassian, Conferences