Update for the week Thursday, June 5, through Thursday, June 12, 2014

Happy Birthday to Fr. Antony!

THIS WEEK

BIBLE STUDY – Come join us today (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.

ST. MARY’S POTLUCK PICNIC – Please come join us after church for the FSJD Potluck Picnic to celebrate Pentecost! 
WHEN: Post-Liturgy till whenever, Sunday June 8th
WHERE: Dana Park, 10-20 McTernan St, Cambridge (10min walk from church) 
WHAT TO BRING:
—Your lunch and/or snacks to share
—Blankets, balls, frisbees, even bathing suits (to splash in the sprinklers)
Hope to see you there and enjoy some fellowship! Questions/Comments: email Diana Yousef (yousefd@post.harvard.edu)


NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

NO FASTING – The week following the Sunday of Pentecost is fast-free.

CONGRATULATIONS – St. Mary’s Church School is pleased to announce that all five projects submitted to the Diocese of Worcester and New England Creative Arts Competition won awards. There were three achievement levels: Gold, Silver and Bronze. Grades K/1, 2, 3, and 4/5 won Silver, and Grade 6 won Gold. We want to recognize the teachers and their children for their participation. WELL DONE! Award ribbons will be given to the children in the fall at a special presentation.

TANGLEWOOD OUTING – Join your music-loving friends from St. Mary’s as we carpool out to Tanglewood after Liturgy on Sunday, July 20. We’ll picnic on the lawn and listen to music by Beethoven and others, with violinist Joshua Bell and new BSO conductor Andris Nelsons. For more information see http://www.bso.org/Performance/Detail/60929. (Rain date August 10: http://www.bso.org/Performance/Detail/60938.) The concert starts at 2:30; lawn tickets are $21.00 (pay at the door). Bring lawn chairs if you want them, and picnic food for yourself and to share. For more information and to let us know you're coming, especially if you'll need a ride, contact Melissa Nassiff by email (mnassiff@gmail.com) or phone (508 877-7483).


REMINDERS

PARISH LIFE CONFERENCE – This year's Parish Life Conference (PLC) will be held at the Radisson Hotel Plymouth Harbor, 180 Water St., Plymouth, MA 02360, Thursday through Sunday, June 19-22, hosted by St. George Church of Boston. See www.stgeorgeofboston.org/plc2014 for more information.
St. Mary Church will be closed during that time - join us at the PLC for Vespers at 5:00 pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday; Matins at 9:00 am Friday and Saturday; and Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am Sunday.
Choir members - please sing with our Diocese of New England Choir at the PLC. The schedule of rehearsals is as follows: Wednesday, June 4, 7:30pm, at St. John’s, Dedham; Monday, June 16, 7:30pm, at St. George’s, W. Roxbury; and Rehearsal at PLC Saturday, June 21, 4 -5 pm in the Chapel. Questions?  See or contact Charlie Marge:  marge@alum.mit.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

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

ROOM NEEDED – A young woman from Romania is looking for a room to live in during the month of June while she tries to find a job in the area. If you have a room she could use, or know of one, please contact Ana at mynedelcu@yahoo.com, or call 617-806-6008.

RECOMMENDED NEW BOOK – Frank Schaeffer has written a new book, entitled Why I Am An Atheist Who Believes In God: How to Create Beauty, Give Love and Find Peace. Fr. Antony says this about it: “The title is provocative, of course, but refers to the Orthodox insistence on the primary place of the apophatic approach in speaking about God and to Frank's honest struggle to find an authentic, world-embracing faith that makes sense. Highly recommended.”

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 which will be sponsored by St. Mary's. 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/


THIS WEEKEND'S VOLUNTEERS

Greeter: Deno Takles

Coffee Hour: Enquirers Class

LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK

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 Church

Scripture Readings for the Sunday of Pentecost, June 8:
Epistle: Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. “... we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God."

Gospel: John 7:37-52; 8:12
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, "If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, 'Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.'" Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. … Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."


LOOKING AHEAD

Saturday, June 14: Great Vespers 5:00 pm

Sunday, June 15: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

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.

Saturday, June 28: Great Vespers 5:00 pm

Sunday, June 29: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

Sunday, July 6: Summer hours begin - Orthros: 8:15 am, and Liturgy: 9:30 am. 

Saturday, July 19: No Vespers at St. Mary


REFLECTION

Until a man has received the Comforter, he requires inscriptions in ink to imprint the memory of good in his heart, to keep his striving for good constantly renewed by continual reading, and to preserve his soul from the subtleties of the ways of sin; for he has not yet acquired the power of the Spirit that drives away delusion which takes soul-profiting recollections captive and makes a man cold through the distraction of the intellect. When the power of the Spirit has penetrated the noetic powers of the active soul, then in place of the laws written in ink, the commandments of the Spirit take root in his heart and a man is secretly taught by the Spirit and needs no help from sensory matter.
- St. Isaac of Syria

The Holy Spirit comes when we are receptive. He does not compel. He approaches so meekly that we may not even notice. If we would know the Holy Spirit we need to examine ourselves in the light of the Gospel teaching, to detect any other presence which may prevent the Holy Spirit from entering into our souls. We must not wait for God to force Himself on us without our consent. God respects and does not constrain man. It is amazing how God humbles Himself before us. He loves us with a tender love, not haughtily, not with condescension. And when we open our hearts to Him we are overwhelmed by the conviction that He is indeed our Father. The soul then worships in love.
- Archimandrite Sophrony, His Life is Mine

When descending upon a Christian, the Holy Spirit gives him faith and light. No one can have a true living faith without the Holy Spirit. Even a person most learned in Scriptures is totally blind without His enlightenment. On the other hand, the Holy Spirit can make even the lowest simpleton wise and disclose God’s mysteries to them. … The Holy Spirit gives a Christian wisdom. This is illustrated very obviously in the case of the Holy Apostles. Because of their low social position, they were the most simple and unlearned of men. However, after the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them on the day of Pentecost, they received such wisdom and power of speech that even philosophers and orators could not stand up to them. The Holy Spirit always teaches Christians what they must do, and when and how they should act. Thus guided by the Holy Spirit, they will always find the time and the means for the salvation of their soul. Amid all the turmoils of the world and in spite of being busy, they will be able to collect their inner self to be with and pray to God. A non-spiritual person, on the other hand, cannot focus or pray sincerely, even in church.
- St. Innocent of Irkutsk, Indication of the Way Into the Kingdom of Heaven

The Holy Spirit, in compassion for our weakness, comes to us even when we are still impure; and if only He finds our mind sincerely praying to Him, descends upon it and disperses all the swarm of thoughts and images which surrounds it, thus disposing it towards desire for spiritual prayer.
- St. Nilus of Sinai, Early Fathers from the Philokalia