Update for the week of October 12 - 19, 2017
THIS WEEK AT ST. MARY
THURSDAY, 10/12 – Bible Study Adult Education will meet this evening, Thursday 10/12 (instead of Monday), at 7:00 pm.
Enter through the furthest back door, closest to the parking lot. If you need assistance this evening, please do not ring the doorbell, as the hall is rented, but instead contact us at 617-455-7192.
Everyone is welcome to attend. Please contact Ioana Popa at drioanapopa@gmail.com or Steve Walker at smwalk@gmail.com for more information, for study material, or if you wish to be added to the email list.
SUNDAY 10/15 – Enquirers’ Class 9:00 am, Orthros 8:45, Divine Liturgy 10:00; Church School lesson 4
+ Special Olympics Awareness Day – special collection by the teens
+ The Parish Council will have a brief meeting this Sunday in the Secretary’s office, immediately after Liturgy.
+ The St. Mary Women’s Club will meet this Sunday following Liturgy, instead of Monday, October 16 as previously scheduled. The meeting will be held in the Secretary’s office.
+ Last day to enroll in the Enquirers’ Class – contact Bob Kowalik at 617-889-3436 or r.kowalik@comcast.net
THIS WEEK ELSEWHERE
FRIDAY TO SUNDAY, 10/13-15 – Teen Soyo Annual Retreat at St. Methodios Faith & Heritage Center, Contoocook, NH. For information contact Fr. Joseph Kimmett, Diocese Spirituaul Advisor, at geonorwood@aol.com, 781-762-4396 or John Abud, Diocese Youth Director, at abudjohn@gmail.com, 810-252-5769.
+ Diocese Family Camp will be held the same weekend, also at the St. Methodios Faith & Heritage Center. Our Family Camp is modeled after the program at Antiochian Village. More registration details and schedule are online at http://antiochian.org/FamilyCampNE . There is also a facebook event under the Diocese Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/1425084937546643
SATURDAY 10/14 – The Fall Diocesan Delegates Meetings of Antiochian Women – General Assembly Meeting will be held on Saturday, October 14 at St. John of Damascus Church, Dedham, starting at 10:00am.
TUESDAY 10/17 – St. George, West Roxbury will host the Wonderworking and Myrrh-streaming Iveron Icon of the Virgin Mary. Paraklesis Service will be held at 7:00pm followed by the anointing of the faithful with her myrrh.
WEDNESDAY, 10/18 – St. George Cathedral Worcester will host the Wonderworking and Myrrh-streaming Iveron Icon of the Virgin Mary on Wednesday, October 18. The Cathedral opens at 7:00am and remains open throughout the day. Paraklesis Service will be held at 7:00pm followed by the anointing of the faithful with the myrrh. For more information call 508-752-9150.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
CHANTERS, VESPERS, YOUNG ADULTS – On Saturday, November 4, Chant Class will be at 3:30 and Great Vespers at 5:00 pm, followed by Young Adult Fellowship Night. Join the Young Adults for a Coffee House with live music. To learn more or to get involved, send an email to youngadults@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org or call/text Jamil (617-501-4427)
SPAGHETTI DINNER – Our Teen SOYO invites you to a Spaghetti Dinner on Sunday, November 5, following Liturgy. The menu will include Spaghetti, Meatballs (Just before the Fast!), Salad, Bread, Dessert and Coffee/Beverage. A suggested donation of $5.00 per person will be greatly appreciated (no charge for Teen SOYO members).
ANGEL TREE – St. Mary's will once again be 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. There will be a table set up during coffee hour on Sunday, November 5 where you can select a child to support. Thank you for helping with this important ministry! Please see or email Linda or Kate Arnold (katherine.arnold@gordon.edu) if you can help or have questions.
AWARDS BANQUET – The Nicholas G. Beram Veterans Association will be holding its 71st anniversary celebration and 51st Scholastic Achievement Awards Banquet on Saturday, November 25, 2017 from Noon to 4:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Dedham. This year our own Father Antony will be honored and receive the distinguished service award. Lukas Nahass and Jessica Winstanley will also be receiving scholastic achievement awards. Tickets for the luncheon are $30.00 and tables of eight may be reserved. You may also honor Father by placing an ad in the program book. Luncheon reservation and ad book forms are available in the narthex.
FOOD FOR HUNGRY PEOPLE – Help support our Canned Food Drive! From October through December 31, 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.
REMINDERS
OCTOBER IS YOUTH MONTH – During the Month of October, at St. Mary and throughout the archdiocese, our teens will be taking an active role in the Liturgy.
BENEFIT HAFLI – St. George Cathedral, Worcester will hold a Hafli to benefit the Church of the Prophet Elijah Al-Samiriyah in Lebanon, on Saturday, October 21. Doors open at 8:30pm, Mazza & Dinner at 9:30pm. Tickets: $40-$60. More information: hafli2009@gmail.com
OLDIES DINNER DANCE – You are invited to an “Oldies Dinner Dance”, to benefit the St. George Norwood Building Fund. Event will be held at the Norwood Sportsman’s Club on Saturday, October 21, 6:30-11:00pm. Dinner, DJ, Cash Bar and Trivia. Tickets sold in advance, $25. Contact 508-488-0347 for tickets.
PARISH COUNCIL ELECTIONS – If you are interested in serving on the Parish Council please speak to Mary Winstanley O’Connor or Fr. Antony by Sunday October 22. To be eligible to serve you must be a member of St. Mary’s for two years and in good financial standing.
BAZAAR & FOOD FAIR – St. George West Roxbury is having their annual Bazaar and Food Fair on Friday October 20 through Sunday, October 22 - Friday and Saturday from 10am to 9pm, Sunday from 12pm to 3:pm. Admission is free. Middle Eastern cuisine and pastries, baked foods, country store, kids corner, photo booth
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, December 3, 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 22 (in time to order group tickets).
PARISH COUNCIL – The next meeting of the Parish Council will be Wednesday, October 25 at the church.
SFEEHA SALE (NEW DATES) - 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! This product contains pine nuts; no special orders will be accepted. Please use the REVISED order form in the Sunday bulletin, or contact the church office for a copy. New order deadline is Sunday, October 29. Pick-Up Date is Sunday, November 5. Note: no kibbeh will be available this year.
HELP MAKE SFEEHA – Please come to the church on Saturday morning, November 4 (not October 28 as originally announced), starting at 9:30 am, to help make meat pies with the Women's Club. Lots of help will be needed – young and old, women and men are all welcome – and it's always lots of fun.
BAZAAR - St. John of Damascus will be holding their Annual Bazaar, Friday through Sunday, November 3-5: Fri. 12pm-9pm, Sat. 10am-9pm and Sunday 12pm- 2pm, 300 West St. , Dedham. Middle Eastern Cuisine, Country Store, Christmas Corner and More.
FALL LITURGY RETREAT – We will have a Fall Liturgy Retreat for Church School Students and Families at St. Mary’s on Friday, November 10 (This is the observed day for Veteran's Day, when most students have the day off of school and some adults from work.) The theme of the retreat will be Liturgy as Healing: The Power of Reconciliation in Christ. Watch for more details.
BENEFIT FOR THEOPHANY SCHOOL – The 17th annual Benefit for Theophany School will be held Saturday, November 11, at 5:00pm at St. John of Damascus Church, Dedham. The evening includes cocktails, dinner and entertainment. The benefit defrays the cost of tuition by approximately $1000 per student, helping to provide families with excellent, affordable Orthodox education. To become a sponsor or to reserve tickets please contact the Director, Marybeth at 781-444-3058 or office@theophanyschool.org
COFFEE HOUR MADE EASY! - To make sponsoring a Coffee Hour a little bit easier, St. Mary’s offers 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
Life is not accomplishing some special work but attaining to a degree of consciousness and inner freedom which is beyond all works and attainments.
- Thomas Merton
When the intellect forgets the purpose of true devotion, then external works of virtue bring no profit.
- Saint Kosmas Aitolos
Basically, humility is the attitude of one who stands constantly under the judgment of God. It is the attitude of one who is like the soil. Humility comes from the Latin word humus, fertile ground. The fertile ground is there, unnoticed, taken for granted, always there to be trodden upon. It is silent, inconspicuous, dark and yet it is always ready to receive any seed, ready to give it substance and life. The more lowly, the more fruitful, because it becomes really fertile when it accepts all the refuse of the earth. It is so low that nothing can soil it, abase it, humiliate it; it has accepted the last place and cannot go any lower. In that position, nothing can shatter the soul’s serenity, its peace and joy.
- Metropolitan Anthony Bloom, Living Prayer