Update for the week Thursday, April 9, through Thursday, April 16, 2015
THIS WEEK
HOLY THURSDAY, 4/9 – Vesperal Liturgy 7:00 am
+ Washing of the Feet 6:45 pm; Twelve Gospels 7:00 pm
HOLY FRIDAY, 4/10 Children’s Retreat 9:30 am (see Reminders for Holy Week, below, for details)
+ Royal Hours 1:00 pm
+ Bishop JOHN is scheduled to be with us at St. Mary on Holy Friday
+ Unnailing Vespers 3:00 pm
+ Lamentations 7:15 pm with Procession to Central Square; Teen Vigil overnight
HOLY SATURDAY, 4/11 – Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil 9:00 am, followed by Coffee Reception offered by Nadia & Bahig Kaldas
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, 4/11-12 – Vigil/Rush Service 10:00 pm; Resurrection Matins 11:00 pm; Great and Holy Pascha Divine Liturgy 12 midnight; Paschal Festivities in the Church Hall following
+ Joint Agape Vespers (Baouth) on Easter Sunday morning will be held at 11:00 am at St. George Church, 55 Emmonsdale Rd., West Roxbury, MA.
THURSDAY, 4/16 - The Bible Study group meets next Thursday, April 16, at 7:00 pm in the church library. This week’s discussion will focus on the book of Ruth, using the podcast at http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/ruth/
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 (mksayeg@gmail.com ) or Fr. Antony (frawhj@gmail.com). New members are always welcome.
REMINDERS FOR HOLY WEEK
HOLY FRIDAY RETREAT – Spend the morning in fellowship and activities with friends and families at the St. Mary’s Holy Friday Retreat on Friday, April 10 from 9:30-12:30. A variety of activities will be provided. Recommended for ages 5 - adult. Younger children welcome but must be accompanied by an adult.
We welcome your energy and talent if you are able to provide a craft, read stories, or spend time coloring with the children as part of the morning’s activities. Teens and adults are welcome to assist with egg dying and pysanky decorating, crafts with the children, or decoration of the tomb upstairs. Fr. Antony will be available to hear the children’s and teen’s confessions before lunch.
Lunch will be provided for everyone! ($5 donation per person donation requested. Make checks payable to St. Mary Orthodox Church.)
Please let Trish Orlovsky know by Palm Sunday, April 5, if you are coming, and how you can assist or an activity you can provide for the morning. Contact her at t_orlovsky@hotmail.com or call 781-641-0182
DECORATE THE BIER – Please come help decorate the bier on Holy Friday morning beginning at 9:00. There is no time commitment nor do volunteers need to be good at artsy stuff. Teens and adults preferred, but younger kids can help if they are accompanied by a parent or responsible adult.
CHILDREN FOR LAMENTATIONS - Children ages 5-12 are invited to process in front of the bier on Holy Friday evening, strewing flower petals along the way. Participants should be dressed up (white dresses are the tradition for girls as "myrrhbearers," but not required). Please contact Shannon Sakellariou (srsakellariou@gmail.com) if you plan to participate or have any questions.
HOLY FRIDAY VIGIL - Following the Lamentations Service on Holy Friday evening, St. Mary's Teen SOYO will hold an All-Night Vigil at the Church. All youth, ages 12-18 (grades 7-12), are encouraged to participate in reading Psalms, keeping watch at the tomb. The Vigil culminates Saturday morning with Vesperal Liturgy at 9:00 am. Teens across the Diocese will participate in similar vigils at their respective churches. The Church will be locked and several chaperones will remain with the Teens throughout the night, into the morning.
PASCHAL FEAST - Following the Paschal Liturgy, please join us for the Paschal Feast in the Church Hall. Paschal Buffet is hosted by Mary Winstanley O’Connor for the continued good health of her mother. Selma Winstanley/
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
FOOD FOR HUNGRY PEOPLE – Your “Food for Hungry People” boxes are due. Please fill them with cash and pass them in at the Bengarri.
NO FASTING – There is no fasting on Wednesday or Friday, not only during Bright Week but for the entire forty days from Pacha until the Feast of the Ascension (May 29). (This is the decision of the Holy Synod of the Church of Antioch.) This cessation of fasting, however, is purely voluntary. You may fast if you wish.
THANK YOU - Our celebration of Palm Sunday this year was once again made more festive by the kindness of Ed and Lisa Brylczyk, who not only donated but also prepared a delicious fish dinner. Our heartfelt thanks go to them, as well as to everyone who helped with set-up, serving, and cleanup. And even with attendance a little lighter than usual due to the Western celebration of Easter that day, over $425 was raised to support the activities of St. Mary's Donald DiFiore Hospitality Group.
CONGRATULATIONS – Paul and Diane Kresser are pleased to announce the birth of their Son Mark Anthony Kresser. Mark was born on March 29th.
MEMORY ETERNAL – We regret to inform you of the falling asleep in the Lord of Philip A. Zahka of Belmont on Wednesday April 1, 2015. Philip was the Husband of Judith Zahka and Father of Dr. Cynthia Mazzoni and her Husband Paul and Grandfather of Gabrielle, Micaela and Nicholas. Funeral services were held April 4, with interment at Fairview Cemetery, Hyde Park. In lieu of flowers contributions can be made to St. John of Damascus Church or the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
CHURCH SCHOOL GRADUATION – The St. Mary Church School Closing and Graduation festivities will be Sunday, May 17. Please plan on joining us as we close the 2014-2015 Church School year. All Church School children who attended Church School for most of the school year will be recognized as they move up to the next grade or graduate.
REMINDERS
FEAST DAY AND ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND - St. George Church, West Roxbury, invites you to join them in celebrating their Feast Day and the 115th Anniversary of the founding of their parish, with Metropolitan JOSEPH and Bishop JOHN, Friday-Sunday, April 17-19. Saturday Banquet and Hafli and Sunday Hierarchical Divine Liturgy followed by Brunch. For more information, Call the church Office: 617-323-0323 or Amal Hourani: 781-793-0219.
+ There will be no Vespers at St. Mary on April 18.
BIBLE BOWL - Any teen interested in being on St. Mary's Bible Bowl Team please see Violet Robbat or call her at 781-862-4388. We will be studying the life of St. Raphael beginning Sunday, April 19, during coffee hour. Participants must be present for all sessions. The Bible Bowl will be held at our Diocesan Parish Life Conference June 18-21.
WOMEN'S CLUB – The next meeting of the Women's Club will be Monday, April 20, at 7:30 a the church.
PARISH COUNCIL – The next meeting of the Parish Council will be Wednesday, April 22, at 8:00 pm.
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE:
- The New England Region Fellowship of St. John the Divine is awarding scholarships to students who are faithful and active Orthodox Christians, whose high school records indicate a potential for being successful in an accredited college and who are in need of financial assistance. Applications are available through the Church Office and must be received by the Scholarship Committee Chairperson by May 1, 2015.
- The Francis Maria Scholarship is available through the Archdiocese Scholarship page, www.antiochian.org/scholarships. Several $2500 scholarships will be awarded to students attending an accredited 4-year college. Applications must be postmarked by May 15, 2015.
- Antiochian Women’s 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 June 1, 2015. Applications are available in the Church Office. E-mail cindy@cnyhondas.com with any questions.
- Nicholas G. Beram 49th Scholastic Achievement Awards 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 http://www.stjohnd.org/ngberam. Application deadline is June 1, 2015.
PARISH LIFE CONFERENCE - The 2015 Diocese of Worcester Parish Life Conference will be hosted by St. Mary Church of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Thursday to Sunday, June 18-21.
FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN - On Saturday, June 27 at St. George Orthodox Cathedral in Worcester, volunteers from all over the Diocese will be measuring and scooping 100,000 meals of MannaPack Rice, a scientifically formulated food that is culturally acceptable worldwide, for starving children. Organizations in nearly 70 countries distribute these meals to children in greatest need. We need 500 volunteers on that day as well as donations to help meet the $22,000 goal for the cost of the MobilePack Rice. This Humanitarian project is being conducted in conjunction with Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) a Christian non-profit organization committed to feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit.
- Volunteers - Registration will be live 6 weeks prior to the event at fmsc.org/mobilepack.
- Donations - submit online at http://www.fmsc.org/mobilepack or checks, made out to FMSC, Memo line Mobil Pack #1506-99, can be given at the Bengarri or church office.
Please consider volunteering and/or making a donation to this worthy cause. If you would like to learn more you can contact Fr. Milad Selim at St. George Worcester 508-752-9150 or fr.milad.selim@gmail.com
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.
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
THEOPHANY SCHOOL REGISTRATION - Theophany School is now enrolling for Fall 2015. They are excited to announce Theophany School's expansion into Elementary School and offering Preschool, Pre-K, Kindergarten, and First Grade Enrollment for this Fall. For more information visit their website at http://www.theophanyschool.org or contact them at 781-444-3058 or theophanyschool@gmail.com
SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR PASCHA
Epistle:
... And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. ... you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth."
- Acts 1:1-8
Gospel:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. ... And from his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
- John 1:1-17
REFLECTION
Who is there that when seeing Thy Cross, shall have doubted that Thou art man? Who is there that shall have seen Thy Power, and shall not believe that Thou art also God? Lo! thus by these two things I have learnt to confess that Thou art man and likewise art God!
- St. Ephraim the Syrian
In the desert [Christ] rejected the temptation of riches, magic, and power that would have drawn people after him like tamed animals. He did not come down from the cross. He rose from the dead in secret, and is recognized only by those who love him. In the Holy Spirit, he walks at everyone's side, but he waits for the response of loving faith, that Yes like Mary's, by which our freedom is set free.
- Olivier Clément
…just as a man knows when he is cold or when he feels hot, so does the man who has experienced the Holy Spirit know when grace is in his soul, or when evil spirits approach. The Lord gives the soul understanding to recognize His coming, and love Him and do His will.
- Saint Silouan of Mount Athos
Why is it that people who meet us never notice that we are limbs of the risen Christ, temples of the Holy Spirit? Why? Each of us has got to give his own reply to this question. Let us, each of us, examine ourselves and be ready to answer before our own conscience and do what is necessary to change our lives in such a way that people meeting us may look at us and say, "Such people we have never seen. There is something about them that we have never seen in anyone. What is it?" And we could answer: It is the life of Christ abroad in us. We are His limbs. This is the life of the Spirit in us. We are His temple. Amen.
- Metropolitan ANTHONY Bloom