Update for the week Thursday, April 6 - Thursday, April 13, 2017
THIS WEEK AT ST. MARY'S
THURSDAY, 4/6 – The Bible Study group will meet tonight - Thursday, April 6 - at 7:00pm in the church library. At this meeting we will continue discussing the book, "The Divine Dance" by Richard Rohr. New members are always welcome. Our next meeting will be Thursday, April 20.
+ The Parish Council will meet tonight, at 7:30.
LAZARUS SATURDAY, 4/8 – Matins 8:00am, Divine Liturgy 9:00, followed by Communion Breakfast at 10:15.
+ Our annual Church Clean-Up in preparation for Pascha will follow immediately after breakfast. Please plan to come and help.
+ Great Vespers 4:00 pm
PALM SUNDAY, 4/9 – Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; no Church School
+ “Food for Hungry People” collection boxes are due. Please pass them in at the Bengarri.
+ Donations for the special services of Holy Week (olive oil, flowers, rose water, incense, Paschal lilies, and candles) are due. Please use the donation form in the Bulletin.
+ The annual Palm Sunday Fish Dinner, sponsored by the Hospitality Group and donated by Ed and Lisa Brylczyk, will be held on Sunday, April 9. Cost is $9.00 per person; $18 per family. Volunteers will be needed to help with setup, serving, and cleanup.
+ Bridegroom Matins 7:00 pm
HOLY MONDAY, 4/10 – Bridegroom Matins 7:00 pm (no a.m. Presanctified Liturgy)
HOLY TUESDAY. 4/11 – Presanctified Liturgy 7:00 am; Bridegroom Matins 7:00 pm
HOLY WEDNESDAY, 4/12 – Holy Unction 7:00 pm (no a.m. Presanctified Liturgy)
HOLY THURSDAY, 4/13 – Vesperal Liturgy 7:00 am; Washing of the Feet 6:45 pm, 12 Gospels 7:00 pm
HOLY FRIDAY, 4/14 – Children’s Retreat 9:30 am; Royal Hours 1:00 pm, Unnailing Vespers 3:00 pm; Lamentations 7:15 pm followed by Procession to Central Square
+ Following the Lamentations Service on Holy Friday evening, St. Mary's Teen SOYO will hold an All-Night Vigil at the Church. All youth ages 13-18 (grades 7-12), are encouraged to participate in reading Psalms, keeping watch at the tomb.
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, 4/15-16 – Vesperal Liturgy 9:00 am, with Coffee Reception to follow;
+ Vigil/Rush Service 10:00 pm, Resurrection Matins 11:00 pm
+ Great and Holy Pascha – Divine Liturgy 12:00 midnight, Paschal Festivities in the Church Hall following;
+ Joint Agape Vespers (Baouth) 11:00am here at St. Mary’s; Reception following
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
THANK YOU – The Women’s Club thanks all those who supported the Pascha Bake Sale last Sunday and the collection for the Antiochian Women’s Project. We hope you enjoy your purchases!
CONFESSIONS - It is preferred that you make your confession before Holy Week. However, if you are unable to do so, Fr. Antony is available for Confession on Lazarus Saturday, April 8. Please note that no confessions will be heard after that date.
FOOT WASHING – Men and women are needed for the Foot-washing ritual at 6:45 on Holy Thursday, April 13. This ceremony not only recalls the washing of the disciples' feet by Jesus at the Last Supper, but speaks more broadly to the hospitality and service that we offer to one another as members of the Body of Christ today. Each year, Fr. Antony washes the feet of twelve parishioners—six men and six women. If you are interested in participating this year, please contact either Jeff Wasilko (jeffw@smoe.org) or Teva Regule (teva@mit.edu) by THIS Sunday, 4/9/17 All those participating in the foot-washing ceremony are asked to be at church by 6:30 pm on Holy Thursday. The ceremony takes place immediately prior to Holy Friday matins celebrated (in anticipation) that evening.
ST. GEORGE WEEKEND – On Friday through Sunday, April 28-30, St. George West Roxbury will be welcoming his Eminence Metropolitan JOSEPH and his Grace Bishop JOHN. Come for Family night on Friday, International night on Saturday - featuring Asian, Mexican, New England and Middle Eastern cuisine - and Festal Luncheon on Sunday. For more information visit www.stgeorgeofboston.org.
REMINDERS
EGGS NEEDED FOR PASCHA – A few more volunteers are still needed to hard boil and dye 3 dozen brown eggs. Khouria Carol Hughes will provide the dye,39 and instructions if necessary. Please See Kh. Carol ASAP to sign up, or call her at 781-729-6303.
BIBLE BOWL – We are still in need of 13-19 year olds to be part of our Teen Team in the Bible Bowl - please contact Violet Robbat at 781-862-4388 or by e-mail at vmkrobbat@yahoo.com. We are studying the Gospel of Mark as written in the Orthodox Study Bible. Participants must be present for all sessions. The Bible Bowl will be held at our Diocesan Parish Life Conference.
CD’s AVAILABLE – Span the liturgical cycle from Lent to Pascha with the triad of recordings from the Boston Byzantine Choir: Lenten Journey, Thy Passion, and Thy Resurrection. Thew CDs are $15 each, or all three for $40. Available from the Church Office or from Charlie Marge.
MARRIAGE WORKSHOP – The Diocese of Worcester and New England will host a “Marriage Preparation and Enrichment” Workshop on Saturday, April 22, to be held here at St. Mary’s, from 10:00am-3:00pm. The Workshop leader will be Bishop JOHN. This workshop is open to anyone, not just those getting married. Register by April 15. To register, email (secretary@stmaryrthodoxchurch.org) with your name and phone number or call Barbara at 617-547-1234. This workshop is free of charge.
SERIOUS ABOUT SYRIA – Come to a humanitarian relief effort Benefit Dinner entitled “Serious About Syria” on Saturday, April 29, at the Second Church in Newton, from 6:00pm-9:00pm. Cost is $45 per person. All proceeds go to Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), who provide medicine and medical services to Syrian refugees in Syria, Turkey, Lebanon and Greece. For more information go to www.SeriousAboutSyria.org or www.sams-usa.net.
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE – Francis Maria Scholarships are available through the Archdiocese Scholarship page, www.antiochian.org/scholarships. Several $2500 scholarships will be awarded to Orthodox students attending an accredited 4-year college in the fall. Applications must be postmarked by May 15, 2017.
+ Scholarships from the Antiochian Women are available to females 25 years of age and older in good standing of the Antiochian Archdiocese, actively involved in their parish and who demonstrate need. The application deadline is June 1, 2017. Applications are available in the Church Office. E-mail cindy@nimeys.com with any questions.
+ Nicholas G. Beram 2017 Scholastic Achievement Awards are available for high school seniors of our Arab American Community planning to attend a 4-year college full time. Applications are available online at www.stjohnd.org/ngberam/index.htm . Application deadline is June 1, 2017.
PARENTING WORKSHOP – The Diocese of Worcester and New England invites you to a workshop, “Parenting within Orthodox Families,” on Saturday, June 10 (rescheduled from April 1), 9:00am-3:00pm in the hall at St. George Cathedral, 30 Anna St., Worcester. To register email stgeorgeworc@gmail.com or call 508-752-9150. Cost: $20/person, $30/couple.
PARISH LIFE CONFERENCE – The 2017 Diocese of Worcester and New England Parish life Conference will be hosted by St. George Cathedral, Worcester. Dates: Saturday, June 17 (Pre-Conference) and Friday-Sunday, June 23-25 (Conference). All events will take place at St. George Orthodox Cathedral. For more information and to register go to https://www.antiochianevents.org/143
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.
REFLECTION
During this last week of preparation, the celebration of the mystery begins. Lenten effort has made us capable of putting aside all that which usually and consistently obscures the central object of our faith, hope, and joy. Time itself comes, as it were, to an end. It is measured now not by our usual preoccupations and cares, but by what happens on the way to Bethany, and beyond to Jerusalem. And, once more, all this is not rhetoric. To anyone who has tasted of the true liturgical life – be it only once and however imperfectly – it is almost self-evident that from the moment we hear, "Rejoice, O Bethany, home of Lazarus" and then "on the morrow Christ is coming," the external world becomes slightly unreal … "Reality" is that which is going on in the Church, in that celebration which day after day makes us realize what it means to expect, and why Christianity is above everything else expectation and preparation. Thus, when that Friday evening comes and we sing "having completed the edifying forty days… ," we have not only fulfilled an annual Christian "obligation"; we are ready to make ours the words which we will sing on the next day: "In Lazarus Christ is already destroying thee, O death, and where, O Hell, is thy victory?
- Alexander Schmemann, Great Lent