Update for the week Thursday, May 17 - Wednesday, May 23, 2018
THIS WEEK AT ST. MARY'S
SUNDAY 5/20 – Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am
SUNDAY-MONDAY 5/20-21 – Fr. Antony and Khouria Carol are out of town until Monday, May 21. In case of emergency please call Fr. Timothy Ferguson at 617-323-0323 or Mary Winstanley O’Connor, Parish Council President, at 617-523-1010 ext.223.
WEDNESDAY 5/16-5/21 – St. Mary’s church office will be closed Wednesday-Monday, 5/16 – 5/21.
BIBLE STUDY - The biweekly Bible Study/Adult Education group will not meet on Wednesday, May 23 (note change). It is currently scheduled to resume in the fall. For questions or information contact Steve Walker at smwalk@gmail.com
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
DIOCESAN CHOIRS – Because of graduation and end-of-academic-year conflicts, the Diocesan Choirs Day event originally scheduled for June 2 has been rescheduled for Saturday, October 20.
REMINDERS
BLESSING OF GRAVES - On Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, Fr. Antony will be blessing graves at Fairview Cemetery in Hyde Park, MA. starting at 9:00 am. If you would like him to bless the graves of loved ones in other cemeteries, please let him know by calling the Church Office at 617-547-1234 or e-mail frawhj@gmail.com
SCHOLARSHIPS & AWARDS
- Antiochian Women’s Scholarships are available to females 26 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. Applications are available in the Church Office. E-mail lferris130@yahoo.com with any questions.
- Nicholas G. Beram 2018 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.
CHURCH SCHOOL RECOGNITION & LUNCH – Church School Recognition after Liturgy, followed by a picnic lunch in the parking lot hosted by the Parish Council, will be on Sunday, June 3.
PARISH COUNCIL – The next meeting of the Parish Council is scheduled for Wednesday, June 6, at 7:30 pm.
WOMEN’S CLUB DINNER – The St. Mary’s Women’s Club will have an end-of-year dinner on Monday, June 11, at 7:00pm at the Cheesecake Factory in Chestnut Hill.
BIBLE BOWL - All Teens ages 13-19, and Pre-Teens ages 10-12, interested in competing in this year's Bible Bowl please call Violet Robbat at 781-862-4388 for further instruction. This year we are studying the book of Acts as found in the Orthodox Study Bible. We look forward to having two great teams once again this year!
PARISH LIFE CONFERENCE – The Diocese of Worcester and New England Parish life Conference will be held on Saturday June 23 and hosted by the Diocese Mission Council. All events will take place at St. John of Damascus, Dedham. Register online at https://antiochianevents.org/158 (note new website address)
HOSPITALITY GROUP PICNIC – Please come join the Hospitality Group for our Annual Potluck Picnic at Dana Park (10-20 McTernan St, Cambridge) on Sunday, June 24, directly after Liturgy – the same park as previous picnics! Bring a blanket, some eats or drinks to share, balls, frisbees, even bathing suits if you want to splash in the sprinklers! Dana Park is a 5-10min walk south of the Church (walk down Magazine St), with an enclosed playground, hoops, water spouts, and beautiful green. This is a great opportunity to relax and spend time with our church family. Open to all ages!!! For people who need assistance getting to the park, we will coordinate rides. If you would like to help us out, please email Diana Yousef (yousefd@post.harvard.edu ).
TRAINING LABORERS FOR THE LORD – You are invited to take part in Training Laborers for the Lord, a five-day summer program June 25-29 at Hellenic College Holy Cross, offering Orthodox Christians of all jurisdictions an opportunity to enhance their knowledge of the faith and enrich their spiritual lives. Courses will include “Introduction to Orthodox Spirituality” with V. Rev. Dr. Maximos Constas, and “Reading Scripture through the Church Year” with Dr. Bruce Beck. For more information, contact Jay Ostrosky, Registrar, at jostrosky@hchc.edu.
SUMMER CAMP FOR ADULTS – Antiochian Village Adult Camp for ages 21+ will be Friday-Monday, September 14-17. Adult Camp is open to all adults who want to spend the weekend in an Orthodox Christian environment growing in their faith. Cost of $195 includes lodging, food and activities. More information can be found at https://avcamp.org/other-programs/adult-camp. Registration opens May 1.
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.
JOIN US ONLINE - St. Mary’s Church services are broadcast live each week through an internet video stream. If you can't attend a service in person, or want to share this ministry with a friend or loved one, the live stream can be viewed at www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/live during regularly scheduled service times (see the schedule of services or online). If you have questions or comments about this ministry please contact us at live@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org
REFLECTION
[Jesus prayed] "that they may be one, as We are." In this perfect unity, not only the all-conquering power of the faithful but also the glory of God will be seen; yes, and God's very being. As the Father and the Son are one in essence, differing only in Person, so let it be among the faithful, many and varied in person, but essentially one in love, will and mind.
- St. (Bp.) Nikolai Velimirovic, Homilies
These, then, are the things in which you must stand firm and follow the Lord's example: be steadfast and immovable in the faith; love the brotherhood; cherish one another; be united in the truth; with the meekness of the Lord give precedence to one another; despise no one. When able to do a work of charity, do not put it off; for almsgiving delivers from death. One and all, submit to each other's rights; for life among the gentiles must be beyond reproach; thus by your good example you will win praise for yourselves and the Lord will not be blasphemed on your account.
- St. Polycarp, Epistles to the Philippians
Let none "seek what is his own, but what is another's," as the Apostle says, "Let each one of you please his neighbor for his good unto edifying." For the cementing of our unity cannot be firm unless we be bound by the bond of love into an inseparable solidity, because "as in one body we have many members, but all the members have not the same office; so we being many are one body in Christ, and all of us members one of another. " The connection of the whole body makes all alike healthy, all alike beautiful; and this connection requires the unanimity indeed of the whole body.
- St. Leo the Great, Letters