St. Mary Orthodox Christian Church

Update for Friday, May 8, 2020

For the foreseeable future, activities in the church will continue to include no more than 5 people. We are all encouraged to join the services live streamed at: https://bit.ly/stmarylive or bit.ly/stmarylive  or by clicking the live broadcasts button on the church website:  http://www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org
 
If you LIKE St. Mary on Facebook you’ll get advanced notice of live-streamed services:
https://www.facebook.com/StMaryCambridge

PRAYER AND WORSHIP

Virtual Community Prayer Groups - In this very anxiety provoking and isolating time, some in St Mary’s community have found imaginative ways to use social media to support a prayer-life. These opportunities for communal prayer are open to anyone who wants to take part:
 
There is Morning Prayer with James Wilcox who writes: I simply read the Trisagion Prayers, two Psalms, a prayer "waking from sleep," I say a prayer for the sick (with names given from other Orthodox parishioners and friends) and we close with the Prayer of St. Ephraim.
   If anyone would like to join, we start at 8:45 each morning, Monday – Saturday, and go for about 10-12 minutes. Folks will need a Zoom account (which can be accessed on their home computer or their cell phones). Note the addition of a password to add a level of security.
 
On Tuesday, May 19, at 7:30pm, and every other Tuesday evening thereafter, the Young Adult Ministry would like to invite everyone in our church community to a virtual Paraklesis to the Theotokos over Zoom. The Paraklesis is a service traditionally sung during times of great distress.
   We will be using the text linked below, and we hope to see you all there! You don’t have to be a great singer to participate.
http://ww1.antiochian.org/sites/default/files/paraklesis_little-with_music.pdf
   After we offer our prayers we will continue the Zoom call to check in with one another and see what other virtual events/support we can offer one another during this time.
 
We would also like to invite everyone to a weekly virtual coffee hour after our streamed Sunday Divine Liturgy.

There is an Adult Education program, which meets on Thursday evenings at 7:00pm.
 
You can pray the liturgical services at home - The Archdiocese has published online instructions for reader services (services without a priest present). You can find them at the Online Liturgical Guide. Look at the list of services on the right side of the page and click on the ones marked ‘Reader Service’.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Take Our Live Broadcasting Survey
We are asking that every parishioner take the following survey about our Live Broadcasting ministry. Your feedback is essential to help us improve what we are offering, both those who are tuning in and those who are not! It should take you less than 10 minutes to complete. To get started, please go to:  https://forms.gle/RxYxq76znb1a3Usz5 

     Nicholas G. Beram  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 www.stjohn.org/ngberam. Application deadline is June 1, 2020.

REFLECTION

At the Sheep's Pool, a man lay in illness; and on seeing Thee, O Lord, he cried: "I have no man, that, when the water is troubled, he might put me in it. But when I go, another precedes me and receives the healing, and I lie in illness." And immediately, taking compassion him, the Savior said to him: "For you I became man, for you I am clothed in flesh, and do you say, 'I have no man?' Take up your bed and walk." All things are possible for Thee, all things are obedient to Thee, all things are subject to Thee. Remember us all and have mercy on us, O Holy One, since Thou art the Friend of man.
   - Glory of the Entreaty (Liti) from The Pentecostarion
 
Observe …  the faith of the paralytic. When he had heard, "Take up thy bed and walk," he did not mock, nor say, "What can this mean? An Angel comes down and troubles the water, and heals only one, and do You, a man, by a bare command and word hope to be able to do greater things than Angels?"... But he neither said nor imagined anything like this, but at once he heard and arose, and becoming whole, was not disobedient to Him that gave the command.
   - St. John Chrysostom, Homily 37 on the Gospel of St. John.

Since you are a divine river of mercy, like a fathomless gulf of plentiful sympathy, O Bountiful One; manifest the divine streams of your mercy, and heal everyone. Pour forth abundantly fountains of wonders and cleanse all: for resorting ever unto you, we fervently implore your grace.
   - Kathisma (Tone 8) from The Office of Holy Unction on Holy Wednesday Evening