Update for the week Thursday, May 22, through Thursday, May 29, 2014

THIS WEEK 

BIBLE STUDY POSTPONED – The Bible Study originally scheduled for this evening (Thursday, May 22) has been postponed two weeks, Plan to join us Thursday, June 5 at 7:00 pm in the church library as we begin our study of Exodus. Listen to the podcasts at http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/introduction-to-exodus/ and http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/exodus-part-2/ . The Bible Study at St. Mary, sponsored by the Fellowship of St. John the Divine, meets every other Thursday, and is based on a series of talks originally broadcast on Ancient Faith Radio, entitled Search the Scriptures. For more information contact Marianna Sayeg (mksayeg@gmail.com) or Fr. Antony (frawhj@gmail.com ). New members are always welcome. 

HISTORIC MEETING OF PATRIARCH AND POPE - On Sunday, May 25, 2014, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope Francis will meet at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem to commemorate a meeting in the Holy Land fifty years ago by their predecessors, Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras and Pope Paul VI, which marked the beginning of a new era in the relations between the Churches of Rome and Constantinople. The meeting in Jerusalem this month is expected to be a strong symbolic confirmation of the commitment to the path which the two great Church leaders inaugurated half a century ago.
   More information can be found on the official website: www.ApostolicPilgrimage.org This meeting will be streamed live on Sunday at 12:00 pm EST at: www.ApostolicPilgrimage.org/live

BLESSING OF GRAVES – On Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, 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

FEAST OF THE ASCENSION – Evening Liturgy for the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord will be celebrated Wednesday, May 28, at 6:30 pm. Fasting on Wednesday and Friday, suspended since Pascha, resumes after the Feast.

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

MEMORY ETERNAL: Don DiFiore – We regret to announce that Donald DiFiore fell asleep in the Lord on Tuesday, May 20, 2014, at the age of 78. Donald was the husband of Renay Ann (Faysal) DiFiore, father of Marc DiFiore and his wife Suzanne of Medfield, and Michelle DiFiore Cawley and her husband Robert of Westwood.; and grandfather of Michael, Timothy, Caroline, Matthew, and R.J. Visiting hours will be in the Church Thursday (tonight) 4:00-8:00 pm. Funeral Service will be Friday at 10:00 am at St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church, 8 Inman St., Cambridge. Interment Fairview Cemetery, Hyde Park. In lieu of flowers, donations in Donald's memory may be made to St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church. May his memory be eternal.

MEMORY ETERNAL: Mary Sioras – We regret to announce that Mary Sioras, of Brookline, Mass., fell asleep in the Lord on Sunday, May 18, 2014. She was the wife of George Sioras. mother of Sophia Segall and her husband Edward and Dean G. Sioras and his wife Stephanie, and grandmother of Martin Segall, Alexander and Aaron Sioras. She was also sister-in-law of Teresa Young, William Lakas, Doris Young and Anna Marston. She was predeceased by her siblings, Arthur Young, Mina Gilbert and her late husband Edgar, Becky Lakas and Peter Young. Also survived by many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Visiting hours are on Friday, May 23rd at the Faggas Funeral Home, 551 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown, MA from 4:00 to 8:00 pm. Funeral service will be on Saturday, May 24, 2014 at 10:00 am at the Holy Cross Chapel of Hellenic College, 50 Goddard Ave., Brookline, MA. Please omit flowers. Donations in her memory may be made to Hogar Rafael Ayau Orphanage of Guatemala (website hogarafaelayou.org), the Missions Institute of Orthodox Christianity at Hellenic College of Holy Cross, 50 Goddard Ave., Brookline, MA, or the Hellenic College Theology School. Burial will be in Forest Hills Cemetery. May her memory be eternal.

THANK YOU – The Church School and its Director, Barbara Shoop, thank Doreen and Andrew Bargoot, Cindy and Paul Mazzoni and Peter Nassiff for coordinating and preparing the luncheon for the Church School Closing/Graduation, and Mekonnen Kebede, owner of the 7-11 store in Central Square, for donating the pizzas. It was a wonderful celebration of our children and teachers. Thank you also to the Women’s Club for supporting the Church School throughout the year.

WEBINAR: RAISING OUR SONS – The Greek Orthodox Center for Family Care will be presenting a webinar featuring George Papageorge, M.A, MFT, entitled “Raising our Sons: Understanding the Inner Life of Boys,” on Tuesday, May 27 from 1:30 -2:30. To register visit: http://gowoa.me/i/sQm This webinar is free.

PARISH COUNCIL – The next meeting of the Parish Council is scheduled for Wednesday, June 25.

REMINDERS

PARISH LIFE CONFERENCE – This year's Parish Life Conference will be held at the Radisson Hotel Plymouth Harbor Thursday through Sunday, June 19-22, hosted by St. George Church of Boston. See www.stgeorgeofboston.org/plc2014 for more information.
Hotel reservations should be booked by Saturday, May 31 (not Friday, May 16, as previously announced). After that date no rooms will be available, because of another function using the hotel that weekend. (Other hotels in the area may have vacancies.) Discounted rate is $139 per night; be sure to use Promotional Code PLC14.

DIOCESAN ORATORICAL FESTIVAL – The Diocese of Worcester and New England is looking for teens ages 13-19 to participate in the Oratorical Festival. Prepare an oration about loving God and your neighbor. Participants will present at the Parish Life Conference in Plymouth in June. Contact Marianna Sayeg at mksayeg@gmail.com if you are interested.

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE:
Antiochian Women’s Scholarship: Scholarships 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 Sunday, June 1, 2014. Applications are available in the Church Office. E-mail cindy@cnyhondas.com with any questions.
Nicholas G. Beram Scholastic Achievement Award - Applications are available for high school seniors of our Arab American Community planning to attend a 4 year college full time. Applications are available in the Church office or on-line at www.stjohn.org/ngberam. Application deadline is June 1, 2014.

ST. MARY’S PENTECOST POTLUCK PICNIC – Come join FSJD as we’ll be gathering at nearby Dana Park (10-20 McTernan St, Cambridge) after church on Sunday, June 8 (rain date June 15). 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 5-10 min walk south of the Church, with an enclosed playground, hoops, water spouts, and beautiful green space. This is a great opportunity to relax and spend time with our church family. If you would like to help us out, please email Diana Yousef (yousefd@post.harvard.edu).

HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN KALLISTOS WARE TO SPEAK – Metropolitan Kallistos will be the keynote speaker at the Divine Compassion Conference to be held at Holy Cross Hellenic College on Friday, June 20, 2014 at 7:00 pm. This conference seeks to cultivate a deeper theological appreciation regarding ways Divine Compassion, the eleos of God, affects the participation of women and men in the life of the Church today. The title of His Eminence's address will be "Divine Compassion and the Ministry of Women." For tickets and event details see https://divinecompassionwomenofthechurch.eventbrite.com

NATIONAL CONVENTION OPPORTUNITIES – Letters have been mailed to all parishioners outlining the many opportunities for you to contribute to the 2015 Antiochian Archdiocesan National Convention. Please consider participating: volunteer your time and talent and/or financially support the event by sponsoring one of the many activities or placing an ad in the souvenir journal/ad book. Please complete the Volunteer Sign-up Sheet that was mailed to you and return it to Shirley Bezreh at the Bengarri/Narthex. Extra Sign-up Sheets are available on the table outside the hall.

HELP PROVIDE A WARM WELCOME – Two things we do every week to welcome visitors and newcomers, and to strengthen the bonds of fellowship with all who worship at St. Mary, are: 1.) Greet everyone who enters the church, and 2.) Provide coffee hour after Liturgy. We need more help with both of these ministries. To become a greeter please contact Buddy Mabardy at 781-729-6303 or email at Buddy@cjmabardy.com ; to provide a coffee hour please sign up on the sheet downstairs on the bulletin board or contact Barbara in the office at 617-547-1234 or secretary@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org .

HELP FOR THE TRAUMANN-DAVIS FAMILY – Anyone who would like to help  Elisabeth Traumann (wife of Seraphim Davis and mother of Isis, Thais and Tycho Traumann-Davis) with meals, transportation, etc. may visit the family's Lotsa Helping Hands community at: https://www.lotsahelpinghands.com/c/713408/  If delivering a meal to Somerville would be difficult, you can bring it to Seraphim (or in his absence, to Natasha Smith) at the church on Sunday mornings, as long as you coordinate with them ahead of time.  For updates on Elisabeth’s condition, just friend Elisabeth on Facebook and then check this Facebook site:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/197726897092134/

LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK

Saturday, May 24: Great Vespers 5:00 pm

Sunday, May 25: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

Scripture Readings for Sunday, May 25:
Epistle: St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians 4:6-15
Brethren, it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. ...

Gospel: John 9:1-38
As Jesus passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. … Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. ... Some of the Pharisees said, "This man [Jesus] is not from God, for he does not keep the sabbath." ...The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man ... the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess him to be Christ he was to be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, "He is of age, ask him."... The man answered, ... Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." They answered him, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" And they cast him out.

Monday, May 26, Memorial Day Blessing of Graves at Fairview Cemetery  9:00 am.

Wednesday, May 28: Evening Liturgy for the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord 6:30 pm

LOOKING AHEAD

Saturday, May 31: Great Vespers 5:00 pm

Sunday, June 1: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

Saturday, June 7: Great Vespers 5:00 pm

Sunday, June 8, Sunday of Pentecost: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am, followed by Kneeling Vespers; St. Mary’s Pentecost Potluck Picnic after Liturgy

Thursday-Sunday, June 19-22: Parish Life Conference, Plymouth, MA – St. Mary Church and office will be closed; all services will be held at Radisson Hotel, Plymouth, MA.

REFLECTION

Arrogance and fanaticism cause the hardening of positions taken and entrenchment can only lead to a dead end.
- His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch BARTHOLOMEW I

In the souls of the Pharisees and sectarians, the law and mercy do not stand together, i.e., they are unable to fulfill the regulations of the law and to show mercy, but they argue about which is more important of these two; one, they omit and the other they adhere to. The Pharisees literally observed the letter of the Law, but they completely abandoned mercy and love for men. Sectarians flatter themselves that they adhere to God's justice but totally reject the prescriptions of Church Laws.
- Prolog of Ochrid - reflection for Jan 31

Faith does not consist in coming into an accord with a collection of facts or doctrines; faith is an orientation of the soul toward the will of God. With this concept in mind, we should be alerted that a moralistic ideology about sin is not only inappropriate but even completely negative. Moralism includes the idea that morality is primarily about outward behavior with little attention paid to the condition of the heart, while morality should primarily concern the appropriateness of our relationships with others (and with our own selves). ...True morality begins in the heart and strives for the transformation of the inner person. Moralism is often focused upon the punishment of external manifestations or actions rather than upon the resolution of the passions that cause them, and the transformation of the inner person.
- Archbishop Lazar Puhalo

Zeal is not reckoned among men to be a form of wisdom, but one of the illnesses of the soul, namely narrow-mindedness and deep ignorance. The beginning of divine wisdom is clemency and gentleness, which arise from greatness of soul and the bearing of infirmities of men. For, he [the Apostle Paul] says, "let the strong bear the infirmities of the weak," and "Restore him that has fallen in the spirit of meekness." The Apostle numbers peace and patience among the fruits of the Spirit.
- St. Isaac of Nineveh

One of the greatest engines for atheism in our times is the stupidity of Christians.
- Father Thomas Hopko