Update for the week Thursday, August 21, through Thursday, August 28, 2014

THIS WEEK

NO VESPERS – There will not be a Great Vespers service at St. Mary this Saturday.

PARISH COUNCIL - The Parish Council will meet Wednesday, August 27, at 7:45 pm (note time change) at the church.

BIBLE STUDY – Join us Thursday, August 28, at 7:00 pm in the church library with a very special guest – our online professor, Dr. Jeannie Constantinu. The Bible Study at St. Mary, sponsored by the Fellowship of St. John the Divine, meets every other Thursday, and is based on a course originally broadcast on Ancient Faith Radio, entitled Search the Scriptures. For more information contact Marianna Sayeg (mailto:mksayeg@gmail.com) or Fr. Antony (mailto:frawhj@gmail.com). New members are always welcome.

CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED – The church office is closed Thursday and Friday, August 21-22. The deadline for the August 24 Sunday Bulletin was noon on Tuesday, August 19.

SUMMER HOURS END – This Sunday, August 24, will be the last Sunday of summer hours - Orthros 8:15 am, Liturgy 9:30 am. Next week (8/31) we will resume our regular hours (Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am).

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
FOSTERING MENTAL WELLNESS IN YOUTH – The Center for Family Ministry of the Greek Archdiocese is presenting a FREE webinar featuring Dr. Georgette Constantinou on "Fostering Mental Wellness in Our Youth", Tuesday, August 26 from 5:30-6:30PM (EST). This webinar will give parents the tools to promoting resiliency in their children, i.e., the ability to bounce back and meet life’s challenges. To register visit: http://gowoa.me/i/mdLy

TEACHERS/ASSISTANTS MEETING – There will be a meeting of Church School Teachers and Assistants immediately following Divine Liturgy on Sunday, September 7. All Teachers and Assistants, please plan on attending this meeting in the Library.

CREATIVE ARTS PRESENTATION - Award ribbons will be given to the children who participated in the Diocese of Worcester and New England Creative Arts Competition, following Liturgy on Sunday, September 14. Please see that your child is present for the award presentation if they were in Grades K/1, 2, 3, 4/5 and 6 last Spring and helped complete the Creative Arts project for their class. The projects will be on display in the Church Hall following the presentation.

WOMENS CLUB – The Women’s Club will meet on Monday September 15, at 7:30 at the church. We welcome all women of the parish to join us in the Women’s Club in September. We do charitable work both locally and internationally and support the Church School, and we would love for you to join us. Call Mary Ellen Mabardy (781-729-6303) or the church office if you have any questions or want to be a part of this wonderful group of women.

WELCOME BACK" BREAKFAST – This year's “Welcome Back” breakfast is being organized by both the FSJD and the Sunday School Administration.
     WHEN: After Liturgy on Sunday, September 21, 2014
     WHERE: Downstairs in the church hall.
     WHY: 1. To join us in welcoming back visiting Orthodox college students and St. Mary's Sunday School students.
               2. To help showcase all of the volunteer organizations. Be involved at St. Mary's!
     WHO: Everyone is invited to attend!
Important details: There will be a reserved table for college students, and a reserved table for Sunday School students. Besides those, each table will showcase 1-2 groups - each group is bringing a coffee hour food, so be prepared to mingle and partake of this special, church-wide coffee hour. (If you lead a St. Mary's group and haven't yet received an email from Julie Wasilko on signing up for the breakfast, please email her at julie31415pi@gmail.com.)


REMINDERS
CHURCH SCHOOL TEACHERS NEEDED – The Church School is looking for Teachers, Assistants and Substitutes for the 2014-2015 school year. In particular, we are looking for 2 Assistants for 2nd and 3rd Grade. As an assistant you would help the Teacher during Church School as required or substitute when the Teacher is absent. Teachers are provided with all the materials they will need. Anyone interested in Teaching or being an Assistant or Substitute please contact Barbara@dsaarchitects.com. Being a Church School Teacher/Assistant can be a very rewarding and exciting opportunity.

THEOPHANY SCHOOL - The Theophany School in Needham is looking for a preschool teacher for their youngest preschool classroom on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from 8:30am-2:30pm throughout the school year.  If you have any interest please call 781-444-3058 or e-mail Emily Pappas (theophanyschool@gmail.com )

2015 CONVENTION COMMITTEE – St. Mary will be hosting the 2015 National Convention of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America. The next meeting of the Convention Committee will be on Wednesday, September 10, at 7:45 (note revised time) at the church.

MEN'S RETREAT WITH BP. JOHN – There will be a Men’s Retreat with His Grace, Bishop John, at the St. Methodios Center in New Hampshire on September 19-21. The retreat will be a four-part call to action addressing Jesus’ final commandment. Cost: $199, includes meals. Contact Jeff St. Jean at 413-348-2878 or mensgroup@stoc.org for more info.

SONIA'S RUN/WALK – The 6th annual Sonia’s 5K Run/Walk., at St. George Orthodox Church, West Roxbury, MA, will be held on Saturday, September 20. The 5k road race is held annually to benefit the Theophany School in honor of beloved friend Sonia Belcher. The proceeds from Sonia's Run go towards Theophany School's "Building on a Dream" campaign, to fulfill Sonia's dream of a permanent home for Theophany School. For details, registration, etc see http://www.soniasrun.org/ or contact Theophany School at 781-444-3058.

ST. THEKLA AND ST. RAPHAEL PILGRIMAGE - Registration is open for the annual St. Thekla & St. Raphael Pilgrimage, held at the Antiochian Village on Friday-Sunday, September 26-28, with His Grace Bishop Thomas of the Diocese of Charleston, Oakland, and the Mid-Atlantic presiding. Lodging for both adults and children is available for the weekend. Registration form and additional information is available at http://www.antiochian.org/sites/default/files/2014_brochure.pdf


OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE
There are a number of ways you can help the Church, your fellow worshippers, and those in need.  Consider serving in one of these ways:

BE A GREETER – If you do not sing in the choir, or chant, serve in the Altar or at the Bengarri, and  are not a Church School teacher,  please consider serving the Church as a Greeter!  Greeters arrive 15 minutes before Liturgy, get a Greeter Name Tag from the Bengarri, pin it on and greet visitors/parishioners at the Church Entrance and direct them upstairs to the Church, or to the cloakroom or restrooms.  Greeting time ends when Communion starts.  Send your name and e-mail address to Buddy Mabardy: buddymabardy@cjmabardy.com or phone him 781-729-6303. Or call the Church office 617-547-1234.

LITURGICAL SERVICE – Each Sunday, members of the congregation are needed to read the Epistle and assist during Communion by holding the Communion Cloths and Blessed Bread.  All Orthodox Christians in the Parish are welcome and encouraged to participate. We usually need one Epistle reader and four people to hold the cloths.  If you would like to read the Epistle or assist during Communion, please contact Jeff Wasilko, 781-820-0882, jeffw@smoe.org
Also, members of the Church School and others help by carrying the Icon, Candlesticks, and Bread Baskets in procession during the Great Entrance, and presenting the Bread to be blessed during the Liturgy. To volunteer for this service please contact Teva Regule at teva@mit.edu.

COFFEE HOUR – People are needed every week to provide coffee, juice and cookies, or more if desired, and set it up Sunday morning. To sign up for an available Sunday, please put your name on the new signup sheet on the bulletin board outside the Hall or call Barbara Shoop in the Parish Office and she will write your name in. If you need any help with figuring out what to bring or do, check the list below the signup sheet (also printed in the monthly Cornerstone), or ask Barbara at secretary@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org or 617-547-1234.

PRISON MINISTRY – If you would like to find out more about Prison Ministry at St. Mary’s Church, please subscribe to our mailing list at http://groups.google.com/group/ocpm-concord.
Also - please donate unwanted past issues of Orthodox magazines such as The Word, OCMC or other periodicals to our prison ministry to hand out to inmates.  Please remove any personal mailing address for security purposes and give them to Mitrophan Chin.

VIDEO EDITING – Volunteers are wanted to assist with video editing of sermons and lectures. We are looking for volunteers to assist with some basic video editing to post the sermons and lectures from St. Mary's online. If you have experience with digital video editing, please let Jamil Samara or Erick Straghalis know you are interested - email live@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org.

PHOTOGRAPHERS AND GRAPHIC DESIGNERS – Are you a photographer or a graphic designer? Would you be willing to share your talents with St. Mary Church and her ministries? We are looking for you to help photograph the divine services and events and to design promotional material for events and programs at our parish. Please contact Jamil Samara at webmaster@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org with any questions, and to let him know that you are interested in getting more involved.

"As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me," says our Lord.

LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Saturday, August 23: No Vespers at St. Mary

Sunday, August 24: Last Sunday of summer hours (Orthros 8:15 am, Liturgy 9:30 am)
Scripture Readings for Sunday, August 24:
Epistle: First Corinthians 9:2-12
... For it is written in the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain." Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of a share in the crop. If we have sown spiritual good among you, is it too much if we reap your material benefits? If others share this rightful claim upon you, do not we still more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.

Gospel: Matthew 18:23-35
The Lord said this parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, 'Pay what you owe.' So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailors, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to everyone of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."


LOOKING AHEAD
Thursday, August 28: Bible Study

Saturday, August 30: Great Vespers 5:00

Sunday, August 31: Regular hours resume – Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

Thursday, September 11: Bible Study

Sunday, September 14: Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross; Creative Arts Awards Presentation; Church School Registration (for new students and children age 3 and older)

Sunday, September 21: Church School classes start


REFLECTION
Love, endure, overlook, do not get angry, do not become irritated, forgive one another, in order that you resemble our Christ and are counted worthy to be near to Him in His kingdom.
   - Elder Ephraim of Philotheou Monastery Mount Athos

This present Day can open the heavenly doors to our prayers; Let us open our door to those who ask our forgiveness.
   - St. Isaac the Syrian, The Nativity Homily

All the Holy Fathers lived a good life, a quiet life. All of them say that the perfection of the Christian life is in extreme humility. This means that patient long-suffering is what we most need in this life. We must bear everything patiently and forgive all.
   - Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica

When you see people fall into various sins against you, against the Lord, against their neighbors and against themselves, do not be angry with them – for there is much malice and anger in the world without yours – but pity them from all your heart and soul and excuse them when they offend you saying, ‘Father, forgive them, for sin perplexes them, and they know not what they do’.
   - St. John of Krondstadt

The strongest walls between people and between nations are not built of iron or steel but are created by fear, hate, and prejudice. The only way to break down these walls is through the practice of forgiveness.
   - Fr. Anthony Coniaris