Update for the week Friday, November 25 - Thursday, December 1, 2016
THIS WEEK AT ST. MARY'S
FRIDAY, 11/25 - Lexington Boy Scout Troop 160 cordially invites you to attend the Eagle Scout Court of Honor for Anthony Charles Marge today - Friday, November 25 - at 4:00 pm, at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, ,17 Meriam Street, Lexington, MA.
SUNDAY, 11/27 – 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).
+ Many people from St. Mary’s will be going to the Handel and Haydn Society’s annual performance of Handel’s Messiah on Sunday afternoon, November 27, at 3:00 pm. Most of them will meet first for lunch at Pho & I, down the street from Symphony Hall. Note – Two free tickets are available for the concert. Contact Melissa Nassiff at mnassiff@gmail.com
THURSDAY, 12/1 - The Bible Study group will meet Thursday, December 1 at 7:00 pm in the church library. For more information contact Fr. Antony (frawhj@gmail.com). The meeting after this will be two weeks later, Thursday, December 15. New members are always welcome
THIS WEEK ELSEWHERE
SATURDAY, 11/26 – The Nicholas G. Beram Veteran's Association will hold its 70th Anniversary Celebration and 50th Scholastic Achievement Awards Banquet on Saturday, November 26 at the Holiday Inn, Dedham, 12noon-4pm. Banquet reservation forms can be found at www.stjohnd.org/ngberam. Among the award recipients this year are our own Rachel Bargoot, Andrew Dalton, and Anthony Marge.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
ANOTHER ROAD RACE - Next Sunday, Dec. 4, the Winter Classic 5K road race will restrict access to parking around the church and behind the Post Office. The race starts at 9:30am. The end of Inman St. will be closed off to accommodate runners on Massachusetts Ave. until approximately 10:30am. Traffic will be diverted on Inman but if you advise the police officers that you are attending services at St. Mary’s they will let you down Inman to the church only(you will not be able to get onto Mass. Ave). Please plan accordingly. Log on to http://classic5k.com/winter-classic-2 to view the race route.
FEAST OF ST. NICHOLAS – Next Sunday, December 4, is the Feast of St. Nicholas. There will be a special sermon for the Church School students
COFFEE HOUR HOST NEEDED – Please volunteer to host a coffee hour on Sunday, December 18, the Sunday of the Christmas pageant. To sign up please put your name on the signup sheet on the bulletin board outside the Hall or call/email the Parish Office at 617-547-1234 or secretary@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org.
THANK YOU - The Women’s Club wants to thank all those who baked for the Bake Sale and purchased from the Bake Sale last Sunday. It was a huge success. All proceeds from this bake sale benefit the Convent of Saidnaya in Syria.
REMINDERS
CHANT CLASS/REHEARSAL – At 3:30pm on Saturday, December 3 (prior to Vespers), there will be a Chant Class & Rehearsal. Topics will be Tone 7 and the special hymns of Sts. Barbara & John of Damascus. Questions? E-mail Charlie.Marge@verizon.net
REFLECTIONS ON MARRIAGE - Bishop John will offer Reflections on Marriage and Our Marriage Ceremony at the Chancery, 2 Lydia's Path, Westborough, MA, on Saturday, December 3, 2016 from 10 AM- 3PM. Registration is $15 per person and includes lunch. Make your reservation with His Grace at frjpa@aol.com. Questions can be directed to Bishop John at 724-518-5788. This seminar is offered especially for all recently married parishioners and for those planning to marry in 2017. Of course, all married couples are invited - please plan to join us.
HOLIDAY POPS & SING-ALONG - Metropolitan Wind Symphony presents Holiday Pops and Sing Along on Saturday, December 3, 6:0pm-9:00pm, at St. John of Damascus Church, Dedham. Purchase tickets online at www.stjohn.org/pops. This event sells out every year, so get your tickets early.
CHURCH SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PAGEANT - If your child is interested in participating in the Christmas Pageant this year, please see Sarah Byrne-Martelli. We also need parents to assist at all rehearsals. Rehearsal #1: Sunday, December 4, during coffee hour. Rehearsal #2: Sunday, December 11, during coffee hour. Dress Rehearsal: Saturday, December. 17, 2:30 – 4:30pm. The Pageant will be Sunday, December 18 after liturgy.
PARISH CHRISTMAS CARD – Let the Women’s Club send a lovely Christmas card on your behalf to our parishioners. Save yourself time, let us do the work, and have all proceeds benefit the Antiochian Women’s Project 2016-2017: Strengthening the Ministries of our Church. 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 order form in the Sunday bulletin, and donate whatever amount you choose. Deadline: Sunday, December 4.
LESSONS AND CAROLS – Join us on Saturday, December 10 from 5:00-6:30pm, for our annual Western Rite Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. This year we are pleased to welcome guest choir Belle Voci, of Orlando Florida.
+ If you can accommodate two girls from this choir the weekend of December 9-11, please contact Ashley Hodge at purpleashes@gmail.com for details.
+ The service will be followed by a festive Lenten potluck supper. People whose last names begin with A-P, please bring a main dish or salad. People whose last name begins with Q-Z please bring desert. Drinks will be provided. For more information, contact Kailen Hodge, kailen.hodge@gmail.com.
PARISH COUNCIL – The next meeting of the Parish Council will be Wednesday, December 14, at 7:30pm
FOOD FOR HUNGRY PEOPLE – Our Canned Food Drive will go from October through December 31, 2016. Bring in canned goods and place them in the plastic bins in the room outside the kitchen. (Canned goods only, please.) They will be distributed to food pantries in our area.
WOMEN’S CLUB - The next meeting of the Women’s Club will be Monday, February 6, 2017 at the church. 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.
TEEN SOYO CD - Grace Shining Forth, a new music CD featuring Teen SOYO members in attendance at the Sacred Music Institute’s Youth Music Ministry (YMM), is available for order now in the SOYO Shop https://TeenSOYO.org/Shop . Shipping will be in December 2016. Also available for digital download on CDBaby.com later in December 2016. More information here: https://teensoyo.org/Music/
AABA VILLAGE - Applications are available for Market Value, Tax Credit and Section 8 apartments in AABA Village in West Roxbury. Please call Tom Chapman or Dorothy McNerny at 617-325-1913 and an application will be mailed out.
REFLECTION
No Passion is so ... ridiculous as avarice, "the root of all evils" (I Tim. 6:10), for those who with great labour mine silver, and then hide it in the earth again, remain without any profit. That is why the Lord says, "Do not store up treasures on earth" (Matt. 6:19); and again "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:21). For the intellect of man is drawn by longing towards those things with which it habitually occupies itself, whether these be earthly things, or the passions, or heavenly and eternal blessings.
- St. Peter of Damascus
The more you love money, the more securely you close the Kingdom of God.
- Saint Basil the Great
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
If a man does not keep himself from covetousness, he shall be defiled by idolatry, and shall be judged as one of the heathen.
- The Epistle Of Polycarp To The Philippians
The one who knows God will follow the Lord's footsteps, bearing the cross of the Savior. It is said, "The world is crucified to him and he to the world." The Lord says, "He who loses his life will save it." … Dying to ourselves means being content with the necessities of life. When we want more than these necessities it is easy to sin.
- St. Clement of Alexandria