Update for the week Friday, January 7, 2011 through Thursday, January 13, 2011
Update for the week Friday, January 7, 2011 through Thursday, January 13, 2011
THIS WEEKEND
BLESSING OF WATERS- A second Great Blessing of the Waters will take place this Sunday, January 9 (the first was on Wednesday, Evening Liturgy for the Feast of Theophany); Church School students will remain upstairs.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
PARISH COUNCIL MEMBERS – Congratulations to the newly elected members of the Parish Council: Don DiFiore, Renay DiFiore, Bahig Kaldas, Charlie Marge, Mary Winstanley O'Connor, and Jamil Samara.
PARISH COUNCIL MEETING– The next meeting of the Parish Council will be Wednesday, January 12, 2011.
YOUTH DAY 2011 – The second annual Youth Day for 4th grade through high school, sponsored by the Diocese of Worcester and New England, will be held at St. George, West Roxbury, on Saturday, January 22, from 9:30 - 2:30. Registration is $5 ; see Nadia or rsvp to Lis Lourie at elisabeth.lourie@gmail.com
CREATIVE ARTS FESTIVAL RETREAT – Church School students are invited to come on Saturday, February 5 for the Creative Arts Festival Afternoon Retreat, Family Vespers and Confession. For more information see Arlene Marge or Andrea Popa.
ST. MARY’S ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE CAMPAIGN, Part 2 – In support of the parish’s goal to provide financial help for all our children and teens interested in attending AV camp, St. Mary will host a Hafli on Saturday, February 26 in the church hall, graciously donated by Mary Winstanley O’Connor. Mitchell Kaltsunas and his band will be there for a night of dancing, mazza and wonderful company.
MISSION TEAM OPPORTUNITIES- The Orthodox Christian Mission Center has announced their 2011 Mission Teams. Teams will be heading to 9 locations around the globe to share the teachings of the faith and offer the gift of service through hands-on experience. For more information go to http://teams.ocmc.org or call the OCMC at 877-463-6784.
MEMORY ETERNAL- We are saddened to advise of the falling asleep in the Lord of Gloria (Sabbey) Arbeene of Cambridge on December 29, 2010. She was mother of Loretta Kelsch, Denise Carrara and Carol Doyle, and sister of the late Beatrice Deyab, Elaine Silva, Nicholas, George, Joseph and Russell Sabbey. Funeral services were held at St. Mary on Tuesday January 4, 2011 with interment following at Mt. Auburn Cemetery.
REMINDERS
BLESSING OF HOMES – Fr. Antony will be blessing homes after Epiphany (January 6) and between Pascha (April 24) and Pentecost (June 12). 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.
COFFEE HOUR– Several upcoming Sundays – including next Sunday, January 16 - are available if you would like to host a coffee hour. Sign up on the bulletin board downstairs.
RETREATS AT ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE– Several retreats and conferences at the Village are coming up in the next couple of months:
Marriage Preparation Weekend January 14-17, 2011; and
Marriage Enrichment Retreat February 18-20.
Winter Camp @ Antiochian Village, Theme: “We Need a Hero,” February 18-21
For more information see http://antiochianvillage.org/center/special_events/upcoming.html
ST. MARY’S ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE CAMPAIGN, Part 1 - On Sunday, January 23, we will kick off St. Mary’s Antiochian Village Campaign. Join us after church for a down-home BBQ to "experience" the Village summer camping program and support the parish’s goal to provide financial support for all our children and teens interested in attending. Fixin’s are being donated by The Firehouse BBQ in Amesbury, MA, so funds raised can go to support our kids. More information to come. If you'd like to participate or have any questions, contact Jennifer Nahas at tjnahas@comcast.net or call 617-547-9065.
PARISH MEETING – The Annual Meeting of the Parish will be held Sunday, January 30, after Liturgy. All members are urged to attend to approve the 2011 budget, review expenses for 2010, and hear committee reports and updates. Snow date is Sunday, February 13.
CHINESE NEW YEARBREAKFAST– Join the FSJD for the 2011 Chinese New Year Missions Breakfast, to benefit the Chinese Translation Project via the Orthodox Fellowship of All Saints of China (OFASC), on Sunday, February 6, 2011. Suggested minimum donation is $5.00 per adult. RSVP to Nelson Mitrophan Chin at mitrophan@orthodox.cn or sign up on the sheet at the Bengarri by Wednesday, February 2.
MID-WINTER MEETINGS – The annual mid-winter meetings of the Fellowship of St. John the Divine, Antiochian Women, and Teen SOYO of the Archdiocese will be held at Antiochian Village Friday through Sunday, February 4 - 6, 2011.
PRE-LENTEN RETREAT– The Antiochian Women of the Diocese invite you to a Pre-Lenten Retreat on Saturday, February 12, 2011, at St. George Church in Norwood. Featured speaker will be Presvytera Maria Mossaides, Executive Director of Cambridge Family and Children’s Service and one of Massachusetts Law Weekly’s “Top Women of Law.” Her topic will be “The Reluctant Presvytera: My Life’s Journey in the Church.” To register, call Erin Kimemtt at 781-775-0789. All are welcome, including men, women, teens, and clergy.
PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT FOR ST. MARY- You may make your pledge for 2011 either by returning the Pledge Card you recently received to the church, or by filling out the Pledge Form on our web site (www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org).
PLEDGE ENVELOPES- Pledge envelopes are available for pickup on the table downstairs outside the hall. Look for your name in alphabetical order. Remember: if you have chosen to pay periodically or through eGive, you have not been assigned a weekly envelope.
Please e-mail Jamil Samara (jamil@jamilsamara.com) or Charlie Marge (marge@alum.mit.edu) if you have any questions about giving to the Church through eGive.
AED CERTIFICATIONCARDS – Certification cards have arrived for those who participated in the Heartsaver AED training. Please see Barbara Shoop for your card.
CROSSROAD- Attention High School Juniors & Seniors: CrossRoad is an exciting summer vocation exploration program designed to help students discern their life callings and match their God-given gifts with the needs of the world. CrossRoad session dates for summer 2011 are June 18-28 (first session) and July 5-15 (second session). For more information and to download an application: www.crossroad.hchc.edu
PRISON MINISTRY– If you would like to find out more about Prison Ministry at St. Mary Orthodox Church, please subscribe to the mailing list at http://groups.google.com/group/ocpm-concord
STREAMING VIDEO- Divine Liturgy at St. Mary is broadcast live every week! Do come to church… but if you can’t, then join us on your computer! To see live broadcasts go tohttps://www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/livestream. Divine Liturgy starts at 10:00 am every Sunday September through June, and at 9:30 am during the summer.
If you are interested in helping, please contact Erick Straghalis (estraghalis@gmail.com).
PROTECT YOUR VALUABLES - Please do not leave valuables unattended in the Church Hall or Cloak Room.
FIRST IN, LAST OUT– Please do not park in the small lot behind the church unless you intend to stay through the end of coffee hour. The only way out is the single lane driveway. Please pull all the way in to the parking space, and please do not block the driveway – if the lot is full, you can park on the street or in the lot at the corner of Prospect Street and Bishop Allen Drive.
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:
PARTICIPATION
Liturgical Service - Each
Sunday, members of the congregation are needed to read the Epistle and
assist during Communionby holding the Communion Cloths and Holy Bread
Baskets. All Orthodox Christians in the Parish are welcome and
encouraged to participate. We usually need one Epistle and six people to hold cloths and baskets. If you would like to read
the Epistle or assist during Communion, please contact Jeff Wasilko,
781-820-0882, jeffw@smoe.org.
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 signup sheet on the bulletin board outside the Hall or call Marilyn Robbat 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 Bulletin), or ask Marilyn at secretary@stmaryorthodoxchurch.orgor 617-547-1234.
VOLUNTEERING
Holy Resurrection Open Doors - The Holy Resurrection
Open Door Meal Ministry in Allston needs volunteers every Monday evening
(there is a special need in the summer). The official hours of the
project are 4:30 pm-7:30 pm, but it is fine to come anytime and leave
any time. Best times would be 5:30-5:45 to 7:15-7:30 pm. You can serve
meals, coffee and tea to the people who arrive for dinner (6-7 pm) or
just stay behind the scenes doing set-up and clean-up. It is a very
rewarding, hands-on, face-to-face way to serve the community with
(mostly) other Orthodox Christians—we even chant the Our Father together
before the meal begins. Church info can be found at http://hrocboston.org. Questions? Please contact Liz Straghalis at liztutella@gmail.com phone 617-974-5005, or Tiffany Conroy at trattus1@gmail.com.
St Paul’s Food Pantry - Volunteers are needed each week in the food pantry at St Paul's Roman Catholic Church in Harvard Square, Saturday mornings from 9:30-11:45.
DONATIONS
Food and Clothing – Holy Resurrection in Allston takes donations of non-perishable food items and clothing
to distribute at the Open Door Ministry on Monday evenings. You can
bring your donations by on Monday nights between 4:30 pm and 7:30 pm or
contact Tiffany Conroy, trattus1@gmail.com, for more information.
Canned Goods-The
annual Food For Hungry People canned food drive is held October
through December each year. Bring in your canned goods to the Church
and place them in the large, blue plastic containers outside the Church
Office – they will be distributed to local food pantries in our area.
"As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me," says our Lord.
THIS WEEK'S VOLUNTEERS
LITURGICAL SERVICE - Epistle: Teva Regule; Bread and Communion Cloth: Bob Kowalik, Greg Hakim and others
COFFEE HOUR – no volunteer
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Saturday, January 8: Great Vespers 5:00 pm
Sunday, January 9, the Sunday after Epiphany: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; 2nd Great Blessing of the Waters (Church School students remain upstairs)
SCRIPTURE READINGS for January 9:
Epistle: St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 4:7-13
And his gifts were … for building up the body of Christ, until we all
attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God…
Gospel: Matthew 4:12-17
"… the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those
who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned." From that
time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand."
LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday, January 15: Great Vespers 5:00 pm
Sunday, January 16: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; Church School lesson 11
Sunday, January 23: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; followed by Antiochian Village Campaign BBQ; Church School lesson 12
Sunday, January 30: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; followed by Annual Meeting of the parish
Saturday, February 5: Creative Arts Festival Afternoon Retreat, Family Vespers and Confession
Sunday, February 6: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; followed by Chinese New Year Missions Breakfast
February 4-6: Midwinter Meetings of FSJD, Antiochian Women, and Teen SOYO at Antiochian Village
Saturday, February 12: Pre-Lenten Retreat sponsored by Antiochian Women, at St. George, Norwood
Sunday, February 27: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; followed by FSJD Meatfare Breakfast
Monday, March 7: Great Lent begins
INSIGHT
Christ
manifested Himself to the world; He filled it with light and joy; He
sanctified the waters and diffused His light in the souls of men.
- St. Proclus
As a magnifying glass concentrates the rays of the sun into a little
burning knot of heat that can set fire to a dry leaf or a piece of
paper, so the mystery of Christ in the Gospel concentrates the rays of
God’s light and fire to a point that sets fire to the spirit of man. …
Through the glass of His Incarnation He concentrates the rays of His
Divine Truth and Love upon us so that we feel the burn, and all mystical
experience is communicated to men through the Man Christ.
- Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation
And to as many as continue in their love towards God, does He grant
communion with Him. Now communion with God is life and light, and the
enjoyment of all the benefits which He has in store. But on as many as,
according to their own choice, depart from God, He inflicts that
separation from Himself which they have chosen of their own accord.
Now separation from God is death, and separation from light is
darkness; and separation from God consists in the loss of all the
benefits which He has in store. Those, therefore, who cast away by
apostasy these aforementioned things, being in fact destitute of all
good, do experience every kind of punishment. God, however, does not
punish them immediately Himself, but that punishment falls upon them
because they are destitute of all that is good. Now good things are
eternal and without end with God, and therefore the loss of these is
also eternal and never-ending. It is in this matter just as occurs in
the case of a flood of light: those who have blinded themselves, or have
been blinded by others, are forever deprived of the enjoyment of light.
It is not that the light has inflicted upon them the penalty of
blindness, but it is that the blindness itself has brought calamity upon
them: and therefore the Lord declared, "He that believes in Me is not
condemned," that is, is not separated from God, for he is united to God
through faith.
On the other hand, He says, "He that does not believe is condemned
already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten
Son of God"; that is, he separated himself from God of his own accord.
"For this is the condemnation, that light has come into this world, and
men have loved darkness rather than light. For every one who does evil
hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should
be reproved. But he that does truth comes to the light, that his deeds
may be made manifest, that he has done them in God." (John 3:19-21)
- St.Iranaeus, Against Heresies: Book 5, Ch. 27
The person who listens to Christ fills himself with light; and if he imitates Christ, he reclaims himself.
- St. Thalassios