Update for the week Thursday, February 12, through Thursday, February 19, 2015
THIS WEEK
SATURDAY, 2/14 - The Diocesan Pre-Lenten Retreat and Family Day, scheduled for this Saturday at Saint John of Damascus in Dedham, has been canceled because of the storm forecast for this weekend. If you sent in a registration check it will be shredded, unless you request otherwise.
+ Great Vespers at St. Mary 5:00 pm
SUNDAY, 2/15 – Enquirers Class (St. Ignatius Catechetical Group) 9:00 am; Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; No Church School
+ The 10th annual Chinese New Year Missions Potluck Breakfast, to benefit the Chinese Translation Project via the Orthodox Fellowship of All Saints of China (OFASC), is currently scheduled for this Sunday after Liturgy. If this changes we will issue an eNews Update.
Suggested minimum donation is $5 (checks can be made payable to “St. Mary Orthodox Church,” please put “Hospitality/CNY” on the memo line.) Please let Mitrophan Chin know at mitrophan@orthodox.cn if you will be coming, and if you can donate a dessert or main dish, or provide a helping hand with setup, food prep or cleanup. We look forward to your support of this worthwhile project!
WEDNESDAY, 2/18 - The next meeting of the Parish Council will be Wednesday, February 18, at 7:30 pm in the church.
THURSDAY, 2/19 - The Bible Study group scheduled to meet Thursday, February 5 was postponed, and will now meet Thursday, February 19 at 7:00 pm in the church library. We will continue looking at the book of Joshua, and consider the question, “Why all the killing in this book?”
The Bible Study at St. Mary meets every other Thursday, and is based on a very interesting 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:mksayeg@gmail.com ). New members are always welcome.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
SCOUT SUNDAY RESCHEDULED - Scout Sunday, originally scheduled for last Sunday, will now be observed on Sunday, February 22. All our Scouts will be participating in the Liturgical Services by reading the Epistle, taking the Collection and assisting at Communion. If your son or daughter is involved in Scouting and would like to participate too, please e-mail Charlie Marge: marge@alum.mit.edu.
PARISH MEETING RESCHEDULED - The Parish Meeting scheduled for last Sunday has been postponed until Sunday, February 22.
WOMEN'S MONTH – March is Antiochian Women’s Month. Our women will be reading the Epistle (1 woman), taking the Collection each Sunday (2 women) and assisting during Communion (6 women). We are inviting all Women of St. Mary Church to be included: If you wish to participate, sign-up on the sheet at the Bengarri or contact Mary Ellen at 781-729-6303 or the church office.
MEMORY ETERNAL - We regret to inform you of the falling asleep in the Lord of John McCormick of West Roxbury February 9, at the age of 82. John was the loving Father of Nick and Carol Bezreh. Also survived by 15 Grandchildren. Funeral services were held February 14th. Contributions in John’s memory may be made to alz.com.
MEMORY ETERNAL - We regret to inform you of the falling asleep in the Lord of Louis Matthews of Danbury, CT February 7, at the age of 86. Louis was the husband of Victoria (Gabriel) Matthews and the Brother of the late James Gabriel and Helen Gabriel. Louis is survived by his 4 children and their families. Funeral services were held February 11th. Contributions in Lou’s memory may be made to St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, Danbury, CT.
MEMORY ETERNAL - We regret to inform you of the falling asleep in the Lord of Rosemary Bialocki of Wenham February 10, at the age of 83. Rosemary was the Mother of Melanie Bialocki and Calin Moldovean and the Grandmother of Alex and Nico Moldovean. Funeral services were held February 14th. Contributions in Rosemary’s memory may be made to Wenham Council on Aging.
ARCHDIOCESE CONVENTION – Letter from Art Mabbett, Souvenir Journal Co-Chair:
As you know the Archdiocese Convention is being held in Boston this year from July 19-26th. As the host parish we are preparing a Souvenir Journal. Details of the Journal can be found on the Convention website, www.acboston2015.com and www.antiochianevents.org/journal/110.
Please visit the website and click on the Souvenir Journal Sponsorship in the center of the home page and consider placing an ad. Use the drop down menu and provide copy-text and any desired artwork or photographs to use by completing the on-line form. Sponsorship advertisements can be completed on-line or by mail. If by mail send your advertisement text and any photographs-artwork to Souvenir Journal, St. Mary Orthodox Church, 8 Inman St., Cambridge, MA 02139. Please do not mail original one-of-a-kind photographs! Have a duplicate made and send it. We cannot guarantee the return of any photographs and artwork provided.
We also plan to reach out to local businesses to support the Journal. Please email the contact details of any businesses you frequent to Barbara at the church as soon as possible. We will reach out to them for a possible advertisement.
Your assistance is greatly appreciated. Thank you. Please also contact me at mabbett@mabbett.com, or 781-275-6050 (business), or 781-391-6530 (home) if you have any questions.
God bless.
REMINDERS
HOUSE BLESSING - Fr. Antony will be blessing homes after Theophany, and between Pascha (April 12) and Pentecost (May 31). We bless homes to reveal the home as what God created it to be, a way to heaven; to rid the home of every evil; to show that the family is a small church unit in Christ; to consecrate the home and all activity in it to God; and to fill the home and all who live in it with the fullness of God. To schedule the blessing of your home, please use the form in the weekly Bulletin or call the church office at 617-547-1234.
LENT BEGINS SOON – This year Meatfare Sunday is this Sunday February 15, Cheesefare Sunday and Forgiveness Vespers are February 22, and Lent begins on Monday, February 23.The first week of Lent includes the Great Canon of St. Andrew on Tuesday and Thursday at 7:00 pm, Presanctified Liturgy on Wednesday at 6:30 pm (and subsequent Wednesday during Lent) with Potluck Supper afterward, and Akathist (Madayeh) service on Friday at 7:00 pm (and every Friday during Lent).
Lazarus Saturday will be April 4, Palm Sunday on April 5, and Pascha will be celebrated April 11-12.
LENTEN POTLUCKS - Every Wednesday during Lent, beginning February 25, there will be a Presanctified Liturgy at 6:30 pm, followed by a Potluck Supper.
We need a lead for each potluck on February 25, March 4, 11, 18, and April 1. Being a lead simply means a) providing a main dish, b) coordinating what others bring if they ask, c) coordinating setup and cleanup, d) checking the Sunday before to ensure ample utensils/plates/cups. Similar to coffee hour, if there is no potluck lead, then there is no potluck.
Everyone else, please bring a dish to share. Any Lenten fare is welcome: main courses, sides, salads, desserts, as well as beverages and snacks. This is a wonderful opportunity for fellowship during Lent, plus we get to sample each other's Lenten recipes. Contact Julie Wasilko (julie31415pi@gmail.com) to sign up to be a lead for a potluck.
YES FAMILY DAY – There will be a YES (Youth Equipped to Serve) Family Day at St. Mary’s on Saturday, February 28, from 9:00 to 4:00. This event is organized and led by YES Program Director Katrina Bitar of FOCUS, for parents and their Children (ages 8 and up). We’ll begin with breakfast and orientation; followed by a service project and lunch in Cambridge; and concluding with Vespers at St. Mary's. Registration Contribution: $5 per person, max of $20 per family. For more information and to register, contact Panayiotis Sakellariou at psakellariou@yahoo.com or 617-606-0750
DIOCESAN WINTER MEETING – There will be a General Assembly Meeting of Teen SOYO, Fellowship of St. John the Divine and Antiochian Women on Saturday, February 28 at St. John of Damascus Church, Dedham. After the meeting, for the teens there will be games, fellowship, and lunch – all teens are welcome.
PARISH COUNCIL WORKSHOP - The Diocese of Worcester and New England is holding a Parish Council Workshop at St. John of Damascus Church in Dedham, on Saturday, February 28, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Our own Richard Robbat will be the Facilitator.
MARRIAGE PREPARATION AND ENRICHMENT – You are invited to a Marriage Preparation and Enrichment workshop on Saturday, March 7, 10 am-4pm, at the Chancery, 2 Lydia’s Path, Westborough. Cost: $35 per couple. Mail your check payable to NER Deanery, to St. John of Damascus, 300 West Street, Dedham, MA, 02026.
LENTEN RETREAT – Our teens are invited for the annual Lenten Retreat at the Saint Methodios Retreat Center in Contoocook, New Hampshire, on Friday-Sunday, March 27-29. The speaker will be Father Gregory Christakis, a Greek Orthodox priest from Medford, MA.
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE - Scholarships ($1,000) are available to young women of Syrian and Lebanese origin, residing in Massachusetts within 50-mile radius of Boston, who plan to pursue a four-year college education. Scholarships are based on outstanding academic achievement, extra-curricular activities, charitable and civic involvement and good character; and applicants must be in good academic standing in her school and possess those personal attributes, which best serve the community. Applications are available through the Church Office and must be postmarked by March 31, 2015. If you have any questions, contact Mary Winstanley O’Connor at 617-523-1010 or email at moconnor@koilaw.com .
ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE SUMMER CAMP - Summer Camp registration is now open. Last year most sessions were full by the end of February, so make sure you register right away! There are currently over 300 campers registered. Please visit the Registration Page for instructions on how to register. Please note that you are not registered until they receive a deposit and you receive a confirmation email. For more information go to http://www.antiochianvillage.org/camp.html
ARCHDIOCESE CONVENTION – The 52nd Antiochian Archdiocese Convention, hosted by St. Mary Church, will be held Sunday, July 19, 2015-Sunday, July 26, 2015 at the Sheraton Boston Hotel, Boston, MA. The convention room rate is $199.00 per night, plus tax. To book rooms at the hotel, register for the convention, purchase convention event tickets and tickets for Boston excursions and obtain forms to place a message in the Souvenir Journal, go to www.acboston2015.com. Rooms are booking quickly for this historic convention. Please call the church at (617) 547-1234 with any questions.
THIS WEEK'S VOLUNTEERS
Greeter: Richard Robbat
Liturgical Service:
Procession: Mary Neguse, Nathan Nebiye, Elenor & Alex Bourell, Saron & Salina Nebiye, Zanta Ephrem, and Teva Regule
Epistle: Bob Kowalik
Communion: John Odom, Dena Fehrenbacher, Melissa Nassiff, and others TBD
Coffee Hour: No coffee hour this week
SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THIS SUNDAY, February 15, Judgment Sunday
Epistle:
Brethren, food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. Only take care lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. …sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food is a cause of my brother's falling, I will never eat meat, lest I cause my brother to fall.
- Corinthians 8:8-9:2
Gospel:
The Lord said, "When the Son of man comes in his glory and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ... Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.' And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
- Matthew 25:31-46
REFLECTION
"Thy kingdom come." See brothers, how we long for the coming of the Lord's kingdom and ourselves ask that his judgment be hastened, and yet we do not have our account in order. We should therefore conduct ourselves at all times in such a way that, when the time comes, our Lord and Father will receive us and, pleased with our daily good deeds in his presence, will separate us from the goats and place us at his right, admitting us into the eternal kingdom. May we, in the judgment to come, find a propitious judge whom in this world we have dared to call father.
- St Benedict of Nursia, from "The Rule of the Master"
...in spite of the fact that you are weak and faulty, you are accounted guilty for all the wrong things you do. For since you possess a will, all that comes forth from you is subject to it, and so everything good is counted in your favor, and everything bad to your detriment. Therefore, conscious of your general wickedness, admit yourself guilty also in the particular wickedness into which you have fallen at the present moment. Judge and condemn yourself, and only yourself; do not look around, seeking on whom you could put the blame. Neither the people around you nor the circumstances are guilty of your sin. Your bad will alone is to blame. So blame yourself.
- Lorenzo Scupoli, Unseen Warfare
Accordingly, dearly-beloved, being mindful of our weakness, because we easily fall into all kinds of faults, let us by no means neglect this special remedy and most effectual healing of our wounds. Let us remit, that we may have remission; let us grant the pardon which we crave; let us not be eager to be revenged when we pray to be forgiven. Let us not pass over the groans of the poor with deaf ear, but with prompt kindness bestow our mercy on the needy, that we may deserve to find mercy in the judgment.
- Leo the Great, On Lent I
The parable of the Last Judgment is about Christian love. Not all of us are called to work for "humanity," yet each one of us has received the gift and the grace of Christ's love. We know that all men ultimately need this personal love – the recognition in them of their unique soul in which the beauty of the whole creation is reflected in a unique way. We also know that men are in prison and are sick and thirsty and hungry because that personal love has been denied them. And, finally, we know that however narrow and limited the framework of our personal existence, each one of us has been made responsible for a tiny part of the Kingdom of God, made responsible by that very gift of Christ's love. Thus, on whether or not we have accepted this responsibility, on whether we have loved or refused to love, shall we be judged.
-Alexander Schmemann, Great Lent
The final coming of Christ will be the judgment of all men. His very presence will be the judgment. For those who love the Lord, His Presence will be infinite joy, paradise and eternal life. For those who hate the Lord, the same Presence will be infinite torture, hell and eternal death. According to the saints, the "fire" that will consume sinners at the coming of the Kingdom is the same "fire" that will shine with splendor in the saints. It is the fire of God’s love; the "fire" of God Himself, who is Love. … Thus it is the Church's spiritual teaching that God does not punish man by some material fire or physical torment. God simply reveals Himself in the risen Lord Jesus in such a glorious way that no man can fail to behold His glory. It is the presence of God’s splendid glory and love that is the scourge of those who reject His radiant power and light.
- Fr. Thomas Hopko