Weekly Newsletter for the week Friday, June 29 2007 through Thursday, July 5, 2007

Weekly Newsletter

for the week

Friday, June 29, 2007 through Thursday, July 5, 2007

 

 

THIS WEEKEND - PARISH LIFE CONFERENCE

PARISH LIFE CONFERENCE - The 2007 Diocesan Parish Life Conference will be this weekend, June 28 through July 1, at the Radisson Hotel in Plymouth , MA . Theme:  Missions and Outreach. His Grace Bishop ANTOUN will be the presiding Hierarch, and Fr. Michael Keiser will be the keynote speaker, speaking on Missions and Evangelism.   All proceeds will go toward establishing a Mission Endowment Fund for our Diocese. 

A schedule of events is available at http://worcesterdiocese.net/assets/files/PLC-Schedule.pdf for your reference. To see more details and register for the conference, click on  www.WorcesterDiocese.net - you can still register, either online or on paper.  If you have any questions, email conference@worcesterdiocese.net or ask our own Paul Nahass (pnahass@comcast.net) or Michael Marge (Michael_Marge@yahoo.com),  co-chairmen.

SPECIAL ROOM RATE STILL AVAILABLE - Though there was a bit of confusion, the hotel room rate of $119 per night is still available, though rooms are going fast.  Simply contact the hotel at 508-747-4900 and ask to speak with Sue Ellen about getting a room at the Conference room rate of $119 per night.   You may also e-mail her directly at scrawford@radissonplymouth.com.  Please note that the front desk will not be able to make this reservation for you. 

If you have already reserved your room at the regular room rate ($184 per night), please contact Sue Ellen so she can change your reservation to the Conference rate for you.

ST. MARY'S CLOSED - During the Parish Life Conference, Thursday, June 28 through Sunday, July 1, the church offices will be closed and no services will be held at St. Mary's.

REMINDERS

APOSTLES' FAST - the Apostles Fast continues until the Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, this Friday, June 29.

SUMMER HOURS - Our summer hours will begin next Sunday, July 8, and continue until September. During the summer, Sunday services will start one half hour earlier: Orthros at 8:15 and Divine Liturgy at 9:30 a.m.

5th ANNUAL TANGLEWOOD OUTING - Join your music-loving friends from St. Mary's as

we carpool out to Tanglewood after Liturgy next Sunday, July 8. We'll picnic on the lawn and listen to the Boston Symphony Orchestra  playing music by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev.  (For more information see http://www.bso.org/bso/mods/perf_detail.jsp?pid=24300117 )  The concert starts at 2:30; lawn tickets are just $18. Bring picnic food for yourself and to share, or buy it on the way.  For more information and to sign up, especially if you'll need a ride, contact Melissa Nassiff by email (mnassiff@gmail.com) or phone (508 877-7483).

NO VESPERS - There will be no service of Great Vespers at St. Mary's on June 30 (Parish Life Conference), July 28 (Archdiocesan Convention), August 4, or August 11 ( Antiochian Village summer camp).

ARCHDIOCESE CONVENTION -  The 48th Antiochian Archdiocese Convention will be held in Montreal , Canada ,  July 23 - 29, 2007, hosted by St. Nicholas Church of Montreal.  Download registrations forms and/or register online at www.stnicholasmtl.org

PILGRIMAGE TO NEW SKETE  - The New Skete monastic communities in Cambridge , NY  are hosting their 2007 Annual Pilgrimage on Saturday, August  11, with the theme Encountering God through Creation.    The day will include services (Matins at 8:30 a.m.,  Divine Liturgy 9:30, Vigil 5:00 p.m.), talks, food, church tours, hiking, dog training demonstration, exhibits, monastic conversations, time for quiet reflection, and activities for children and teens.   To coordinate rides and/or offer to help for the day, call our local contact:  Teva Regule at 617-734-0210 or teva@mitlns.mit.edu   See flyer on Church Bulletin Board.

WOMEN'S BOOK CLUB - This summer Women's Club members (and anyone else who'd like to join us) will be reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini.  The author of The Kite Runner takes his storytelling powers to the next level with this instant classic. Following the lives of two Afghan women over 30 years, this beautiful, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting novel will sweep you away.  We'll be discussing it in September - start your summer reading now!

YOU ARE NEEDED - The services of the Church continue all year round, and volunteers continue to be needed throughout the summer! 

Coffee Hour - If you've never given a coffee hour before, now's a good time to start. It's never difficult, but it's even easier in the summer.  To sign up for an available Sunday please put your name on the signup sheet on the bulletin board outside the Hall, or call Marilyn in the Office 617-547-1234 and she'll write your name in.  Plenty of help is available if you need it.

Epistle and Communion - Members of the congregation read the Epistle every Sunday, and hold the cloth and Holy Bread baskets during Communion. If you would like to help with these services,  please contact Jeff Wasilko at jeffw@smoe.org or 781-820-0882.

Tables and Chairs - Someone needs to take the lead after coffee hour and get everyone to help put away the tables and chairs. Many people are quite willing to help, but someone needs to get the ball rolling each week.  To volunteer, please contact Abra Greene  at abrayanti@gmail.com

 

INSIGHT

THE HOLY APOSTLE PETER was the son of Jonah and the brother of Andrew, the First-called. He was of the Tribe of Simeon from the town of Bethsaida . He was a fisherman and, at first, was called Simon but the Lord was pleased to call him Cephas or Peter: "And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, He said, You are Simon the son of Jonah: you shall be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, a rock" (St. John 1:42). He was the first of the disciples to clearly express faith in the Lord Jesus saying: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (St. Matthew 16:16). His love for the Lord was great and his faith in the Lord gradually strengthened. When the Lord was brought to trial, Peter denied Him three times but after only one glance into the face of the Lord, Peter's soul was filled with shame and repentance. After the descent of the Holy Spirit, Peter appears as a fearless and powerful preacher of the Gospel. Following one of his sermons in Jerusalem , three-thousand souls converted to the Faith. He preached the Gospel throughout Palestine and Asia Minor, throughout Illyria and Italy . Peter worked many powerful miracles; he healed the sick, resurrected the dead; the sick were healed even from his shadow. He had a great struggle with Simon the Magician who proclaimed himself as god but in reality Simon was a servant of Satan. Finally, Peter shamed and defeated him. By order of the evil Emperor Nero, Simon's friend, Peter was condemned to death. Installing Linus as Bishop of Rome, counseling and comforting the flock of Christ, Peter proceeded joyfully to his death. Seeing the cross before him, he begged his executioners to crucify him upside down for he considered himself unworthy to die as did his Lord. Thus the great servant of the Great Lord reposed and received the wreath of eternal glory.

REFLECTION - Simon Peter and Simon the Magician.

The enemies of Christianity frequently like to cite examples of great miracle-workers among the pagans in order to deceive the gullible, to humiliate the Christian Faith and to elevate paganism, sorcery, soothsaying, Satanism and every other charlatanism. There is no doubt that Satan through his servants also attempted to perform miracles but all of the miracles of his servants do not emanate out of love for man, compassion and from faith in God but rather from pride, selfishness, vanity and hatred for mankind. A Christian should learn from the history of the apostles to differentiate divine miracles from satanic deceits and fantasies. Let the Christian only remember the Apostle Peter and Simon the Magician. Let the Christian compare the miracles of Peter with the so-called miracles of Simon. The apostle converted the stony hearts of men into noble hearts, cured the sick, and raised the dead and all of this by prayer and faith in the Living God. However, Simon the Magician amazed men with the devil's illusions. The Apostle Peter was a friend of God and Simon the Magician was a friend and protégé of the perverted Emperor Nero who ended his life by suicide. The miracles of the pagan fakirs belong to the category of illusions and deceits of Simon the Magician. Just as from a distance hot sand resembles water so also the "miracles" of the fakir resemble the life-creating miracles of Christianity.

   - Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich, The Prologue from Ohrid

     http://www.westsrbdio.org/prolog/my.html?month=June&day=29&Go.x=12&Go.y=14

LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK

Thursday, June 28, through Sunday, July 1:  Parish Life Conference - No services at St. Mary's, church offices closed

Saturday, June 30:  NO Great Vespers at St. Mary's  (Vespers at Parish Life Conference in Plymouth 5:00 p.m.)

Sunday, July 1:  NO Orthros or Divine Liturgy at St. Mary's (Orthros 9:00 a.m., Hierarchical Divine Liturgy 10:00 at Parish Life Conference)

SCRIPTURE READINGS for July 1:

Epistle:  St. Paul's Letter to the Corinthians 12:27-31;13:1-8  ... if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.  (The entire reading may be found at  http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/lectionary.asp?type=epistle&code=89&event=186 )

Gospel: Matthew 8:28-34; 9:1  At that time, when Jesus came to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, two demoniacs met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one would pass that way. ... And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood.   (The entire reading may be found at  http://www.goarch.org/en/chapel/lectionary.asp?type=gospel&code=85&event=913&DL=EN )

LOOKING AHEAD

Saturday, July 7:  Great Vespers 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, July 8:  Summer hours begin - Orthros 8:15 a.m.; Divine Liturgy 9:30 a.m.

Saturday, July 28: No Great Vespers at St. Mary's (Fr. Antony at Archdiocese Convention)

Saturdays, August 4 and 11:  No Great Vespers at St. Mary's (Fr. Antony serving at Antiochian Village )

VOLUNTEER SCHEDULES

FOOD PANTRY

Two to four volunteers help each week in the food pantry at St. Paul 's RC Church in Harvard Square , Saturday mornings from 9:30-11:45.  If you are willing to help, contact Christian Alcala at cmalcala1989@yahoo.com or (617) 876-5684.

June 30:  Bill Coyle and Jeff Wasilko

LITURGICAL SERVICE

The Epistle each Sunday is read by a member of the congregation, and six members of the congregation hold the cloth and Holy Bread baskets during Communion.  If you would like to help with these services,  please contact Jeff Wasilko at jeffw@smoe.org or 781-820-0882.

July 1:   [No services at St. Mary's]

July 8:  Epistle -Christian Alcala

Communion Assistance - Elana Jabbour, Helen Gabriel, Stella Miller, Scott Miller, Simona Caia, Sofia Miller

July 15:  Epistle - David Vermette

Communion Assistance - Brett Grainger, Melissa Nassiff, Peter Nassiff, plus 3 others

COFFEE HOUR

To sign up for an available Sunday, please put your name on the signup sheet on the bulletin board outside the Hall or call Marilyn in the Office 617-547-1234 and she'll write your name in.

July 1:    [No services at St. Mary]

July 8:  

July 15:  The Robbat family

July 22:  Tiffany Conroy (note new date)