Weekly Newsletter for the week of Friday, November 2, 2007 through Thursday, November 8, 2007

ST. MARY UPDATE

Weekly Newsletter

for the week

Friday, November 2, 2007 through Thursday, November 8, 2007

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS - This Sunday, November 4, is the first day of Eastern Standard Time. Remember to set your clocks back Saturday night so you'll be on time for church!

NATIVITY FAST - The Nativity Fast, the period of six weeks anticipating the Nativity of Christ, begins Thursday, November 15. (It is traditional in the United States to make an exception for Thanksgiving.)  There will be an Akathist service on Fridays, November 16 and 30, and a Paraclesis service on Tuesday, November 27.

BAKE SALE - The Women's Club presents its  Annual Thanksgiving Charity Bake Sale on  Sunday, November 18, 2007.  All proceeds will benefit the Convent of Saidnaya, northwest of Damascus in Syria .  Plan on purchasing all your holiday breads, pies, goodies, Syrian pastries and much more!  Call Renay DiFiore 617-327-6361, if you can help bake and/or donate.

OCMC MISSION OPPORTUNITIES - Short-term Orthodox Mission opportunities through the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) are being finalized for 2008. Mission Teams will travel abroad for 2-4 weeks witnessing the Gospel of Christ through education in Alaska , Albania , Kenya , South Africa , and Tanzania ; youth ministry in Guatemala , Romania , and Uganda ; construction in Alaska and Tanzania ; and healthcare in Ethiopia , Romania , and Uganda . Please share in a journey of faith by volunteering to serve on an OCMC Orthodox Mission Team. To download an application, please visit www.ocmc.org/teams.php?page=122.

MISSION SUPPORT - St. Mary's encourages its members to take an active role in mission projects sponsored by the Archdiocese.  If you will be doing so, and require financial assistance from the parish, please note the Policy Statement regarding eligibility and the procedure for requesting assistance, printed in the Sunday bulletin.  Note especially that requests should be made 60 days in advance of the trip.

REMINDERS

 

WOMEN'S CLUB - The next meeting of the Women's Club will be Monday, November 5.  All women in the parish are invited to attend.

TEEN SOYO SPAGHETTI DINNER - On Sunday, November 11, following Liturgy, the teens invite you to a Spaghetti Dinner featuring Spaghetti, Meatballs (just before the fast!), Salad, Bread, Dessert and Coffee/Beverage. Your goodwill donation will be much appreciated.

WHAT IS FSJD? - Come to a Fellowship of St. John the Divine meeting next  Sunday, November 11, after the Spaghetti Dinner downstairs in the Church hall.  We'll sit together during lunch. All current members and everyone who is interested in learning more about the Fellowship are encouraged to join us.  We will discuss current and upcoming events, opportunities for fellowship and service, as well as new ideas for future projects and events.  Activity in the FSJD is open to all adults in the St. Mary's community, college-age and up (young adults and not-so-young adults, single, married, etc.).  You don't have to be Orthodox, nor do you have to be a member of the parish--you just need to be interested in meeting new people while helping out with parish activities and curious about service projects benefiting the wider community. 

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 2, at 3:00 p.m.  Group rates for second balcony tickets are just $20. We will carpool to Symphony Hall after Liturgy and have lunch together before the concert.    Good seats go fast - please contact Melissa Nassiff at 508 877-7483 or email mnassiff@gmail.com by Sunday, November 11, to reserve a ticket with the group.

BENEFIT DINNER FOR AL-KAFAAT - His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP and the churches of the Diocese of Worcester and New England invite you to a benefit dinner to support the work of the Al-Kafaat Foundation (www.al-kafaat.org), one of the leading vocational rehabilitation facilities in the Middle East , on Sunday, November 11, 2007  at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, 55 Emmonsdale Road, West Roxbury , MA .  Cocktails at 5 pm; Dinner at 6 pm. Donation is $100 per person. For tickets, please see Marilyn Robbat or call St. George at 617.323.0323.  Please make your checks payable to the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese, earmarked "Al-Kafaat"

DONATE FOOD - As we enter the season that focuses on giving thanks and giving gifts, don't forget those who have too little.   Please bring cans, jars, and boxes of food and place them in the container outside the Church Office.

>   From now through December, our Teens will weigh the canned goods  and give them to the CEOC Food Pantry at 11 Inman St. for distribution, as part of the World Food Day project sponsored by the Archdiocese. 

>   Other packaged food (pasta and rice, boxes of macaroni and cheese, peanut butter, jelly, boxes of cereal, parmalat milk, etc.) will be given to St. Paul 's Food Pantry in Harvard Square , where volunteers from St. Mary help every Saturday. 

Please be generous - it takes 42 pounds of food to feed a family of four for 3 days.

SOUP KITCHEN - Three or four St. Mary's volunteers are needed to help each week at the Open Doors Meal Ministry at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Allston, Mondays any time between 4:00 p.m. and 7:30. Contact Liz Tutella at 617-974-5005 or ETutella@sovereignbank.com.          

FOOD PANTRY - Two to four St. Mary's volunteers are needed to help each week in the food pantry at St. Paul 's RC Church in Harvard Square . Contact Christian Alcala  at cmalcala1989@yahoo.com or 617-876-5684.

UPDATE YOUR PROFILE - Does your St. Mary Update have a colored banner across the top, with a picture of the church?  If not, you may want to update your profile on Topica, our distribution service.  For a more attractive version of the Update (if your email supports HTML formatting), click on Update Profile at the bottom of this  email. When you're connected, choose HTML for your Content Format. And while you're at it, please make sure we have your first and last name as well as your email address. 

INSIGHT

Imitating the uncompassionate rich man in his foolishness, I rejoice with delight, as one immersed in the pleasures and passions. And though seeing my mind ever lying, like Lazarus, at the gates of repentance, O Lord, I insensibly pass it by, leaving it starving and ailing and cankered by the passions. Wherefore, I am guilty of the gehenna of fire -

from which do Thou deliver me, O Master, Who alone art plenteous in mercy.

   - Stichera from Monday Vespers of the Sixth Week of Lent

The rich man, who was being condemned for the enormity of his sins, probably thought: 'I have sinned greatly, But what is the reason For my being roasted here in the fire without any pity?' When the Lord, Who knows all, hears these words, He revealed to the sinner the cause of his punishment. For while he was in Hades he looked on high, And he saw Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham. Then he recognized the man who formerly was poor, and was amazed as he saw he one whom he scorned on earth, while he enjoyed himself and did not cry, 'Have pity, Lord.'

   - St. Romanos the Melodist - On Dives and Lazarus

The mercy of God supports all of us, but if we are proud, God will lift off His grace and we will become worse than the others.

   - Elder Ephraim of Philotheou Mount Athos, Counsels from the Holy Mountain

Ever let mercy outweigh all else in you. Let our compassion be a mirror where we may see in ourselves that likeness and that true image which belong to the Divine nature and Divine essence. A heart hard and unmerciful will never be pure.

   - St. Isaac of Syria

Even though we, in our supreme ignorance, childishness, and tendency toward evil, turn away from true life and place many impediments along our path because we really do not like to repent, nevertheless, He has great mercy on us. He patiently waits for us until we will be converted and return to Him...that our faces may not be ashamed in the day of judgment."

   - St. Macarius the Great

LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK

Saturday, November 3:  Great Vespers 5:00 p.m. Daylight Savings Time

Sunday, November 4:  Orthros  8:45 a.m., Divine Liturgy 10 a.m.  Eastern Standard Time

SCRIPTURE READINGS for October 28:

Epistle:  St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 2:4-10  For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God: not because of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.    (The entire reading may be found at  http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/lectionary.asp?type=epistle&code=188

Gospel: Luke 16:19-31  The Lord said, "There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table ... Abraham said [to the rich man], 'Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.  (The entire reading may be found at http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/lectionary.asp?type=gospel&code=196&event=911&DL=EN )

LOOKING AHEAD

Saturday, November 10:  Great Vespers 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, November 11:  Orthros  8:45 a.m., Divine Liturgy 10 a.m. 

      Pageant rehearsal; No church school

Thursday, November 15:  Nativity Fast Begins

Friday, November 16:  Akathist to our Sweetest Lord Jesus 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 24: No Vespers at St. Mary

Sunday, November 25:  No Church School

VOLUNTEER SCHEDULES

FOOD PANTRY

Two to four volunteers help each week in the food pantry at St. Paul 's RC Church in Harvard Square , Saturday mornings from 9:30-11:45.  If you are willing to help, contact Christian Alcala at cmalcala1989@yahoo.com or (617) 876-5684.

November 3: Steve Walker

LITURGICAL SERVICE

The Epistle each Sunday is read by a member of the congregation, and six members of the congregation hold the cloth and Holy Bread baskets during Communion.  If you would like to help with these services,  please contact Jeff Wasilko at jeffw@smoe.org or 781-820-0882.

November 4:    Epistle - Ashley Clampitt

Communion Assistance - Elaina Matook, Steve Zabak, Kate Jellinghaus, Larisa Patacchiola, Marc Patacchiola

COFFEE HOUR

To sign up for an available Sunday, please put your name on the signup sheet on the bulletin board outside the Hall or call Marilyn in the Office 617-547-1234 and she'll write your name in.

November 4:   Peter and Melissa Nassiff

November 11:  Teen SOYO Spaghetti Dinner