Update for the week Thursday, September 20 - Wednesday, September 26, 2018

THIS WEEK AT ST. MARY’S

SUNDAY 9/23 – Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am, with Church School following
 
THIS WEEK ELSEWHERE

SATURDAY 9/22– The 10th annual Sonia’s Run and Fall Fair, in memory of Sonia Daly Belcher, will be held at St. George Church, West Roxbury this Saturday.  Registration begins at 7:30am, race starts at 9:00am. If you would like to be a part of St. Mary’s team, choose “St Mary Cambridge” as your team when you register and e-mail Charlie Marge, charlie.marge@verizon.net. All proceeds from the run will benefit Theophany School. Please visit www.soniasrun.org to register, volunteer or donate.
 
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

VESPERS and YOUNG ADULTS – On Saturday, October 13 Great Vespers will be at 5:00pm, preceded by Chanters' rehearsal at 4:00pm, and followed by a Young Adult Fellowship night.

OUT OF TOWN - The church Secretary, Barbara Shoop, will be out of town for two weeks October 4-18.  Marilyn Robbat will come into the office for a couple of days each week to handle any urgent matters.
   - Also, Fr. Antony will be out of town October 16-24.  In case of emergency October 16-18 call Mary Winstanley O’Connor, our Parish Council President, at 617-523-1010. For any emergency on the remaining days call the church office or Mary.

BAKE SALE - The Women’s Club will hold a Charity Bake Sale Sunday October 21immediately following Liturgy in the church hall.  All proceeds will benefit the charitable projects we sponsor, from the YWCA Family Shelter in Cambridge to the Antiochian Women’s project. E-mail Renay DiFiore, renayanddon@aol.com or Barbara Shoop, barbara@dsaarchitects.com or call the Church Office at 617-547-1234, or email secretary@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org, if you can help bake and/or donate.
 
REMINDERS

YOUNG ADULT MONTH – September is Young Adult Month in the Antiochian Archdiocese.  The young adults of St. Mary’s will be taking part in the Great Procession, reading the Epistle and assisting with Communion. To volunteer, let us know at youngadults@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org

ANGEL TREE VOLUNTEER NEEDED – The Angel Tree Ministry, which provides Christmas gifts for children with an incarcerated parent, is looking for a program coordinator for St. Mary’s. This role involves the coordinator (or volunteers he/she finds) registering St. Mary’s as a participating parish, contacting the families given to us to confirm information, connecting names of children with parish members to purchase and return gifts, and managing gift distribution. It’s an important and rewarding program, so if you are interested in volunteering, please contact Kate Arnold (katherine.arnold@gordon.edu)

HOSPITALITY GROUP NEEDS VOLUNTEERS – St. Mary’s Donald DiFiore Memorial Hospitality Group works to build community among the larger St. Mary’s congregation, so that we can come together in service, celebration and fellowship outside of liturgy and coffee hour.  We need members to join our ranks, and help with planning and running fellowship events such as Lenten Potluck Suppers, the Dormition Feast, special coffee hours, our annual Picnic, etc. Even if you could commit to just one event per year, this would immeasurably help strengthen the sense of community and family in our parish. We also welcome new ideas for fellowship gatherings – anything that brings us together in communion. If interested, please email Diana Yousef (yousefd@post.harvard.edu).

DIOCESAN MEN’S RETREAT – A retreat for the men of the diocese will be held at St. Methodios Retreat Center in NH on Friday-Sunday, September 28-30. This year’s topic is “Theosis: What it is and Why it Matters”.  Bishop JOHN will lead the four-part discussion. The cost of $199 includes lodging and meals. Contact John DeVoie at john@hottable.com.

ENQUIRERS’ CLASS – The St. Ignatius Catechetical Group (Enquirers’ Class) will begin meeting on Sunday, October 14 (note new date) at 9:00am in the hall.  Enrollment will be open until October 21. The group is for non-Orthodox adults who are interested in exploring the Christian Faith as it has been – and continues to be – understood, preached, and lived by members 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 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.

SEMINARIANS RECEPTION – The Antiochian Women of the Diocese are hosting a Welcome Reception for our Seminarians at Hellenic College/Holy Cross Seminary on Sunday, September 30.  Please join Bishop JOHN and the clergy at St. George West Roxbury for Vespers at 4:00pm followed by dinner in the Parish Hall. 

PARISH COUNCIL - The next meeting of the Parish Council is scheduled for Wednesday, October 3, in the Hall.

SOYO FALL CAMP and FAMILY CAMP – Diocese of Worcester and New England SOYO Fall Camp and Family Camp will be held Thursday–Sunday, October 5-7, at St. Methodios Faith & Heritage Center in Contoocook, NH.  All teens in grades 7-12 are encouraged to attend the Teen SOYO Fall Camp. Family Camp is open to families of all ages. Parents of teenagers are welcome to attend Family Camp while their children attend Teen SOYO Fall Camp. Each camp will have its own distinct program. Watch for more information and registration details.

REFLECTION

He is not yet a faithful servant who bases himself on bare knowledge alone; a faithful servant is he who professes his faith by obedience to Christ, Who gave the commandments.
   - St. Mark the Ascetic

Never rely on your own wisdom or might or on human strength in any of your works. Otherwise your mind will become dim and your insight blurred, thus blocking the way for grace to enter you and show you the way of God. You will thus be led astray from the truth and fall into the enemy’s trap. At the end you will be enslaved by your own ego and to the desires of other people.
   - Fr. Matthew the Poor 

Ultimately…the secret is perfect abandonment to the will of God in all things you cannot control, and perfect obedience to Him in everything that depends on your own volition, so that in all things, in your interior life and in your outward works for God, you desire only one thing, which is the fulfillment of His will.
   - Fr. Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation