Update for the week Friday, January 14, 2011 through Thursday, January 20, 2011

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

EVENING LITURGY– On Tuesday, February 1, there will be an Evening Liturgy for the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple at 6:30 pm.

ALL GIRL TEEN RETREAT- On Friday, January 21, at 6:00 pm there will be a Diocesan All Girl Teen Retreat at St. George in West Roxbury.  It’s a sleepover and there will be movies, games and workshops!  The Retreat will continue through Youth Day on Saturday January  22 (see Reminders, below).  Cost is $5.00.  Contact Nadia Abuelezam for more information:  nabuelezam@gmail.com  

PARISH LIFE CONFERENCE– This year’s New England Parish Life Conference will be held  Friday, June 17, through Sunday, June 19,  at the Resort & Conference Center in Hyannis, hosted by St. John of Damascus Church of Dedham.

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.

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

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.

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.
   
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.

CHINESE NEW YEAR BREAKFAST– 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 Kimmett at 781-775-0789. All are welcome, 20including men, women, teens, and clergy. 

RETREATS AT ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE– Two more retreats and conferences at the Village are coming up in February:
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 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.

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.

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.orgor call the OCMC at 877-463-6784.

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 atliztutella@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:  Bob Kowalik;  Bread and Communion Cloth:   Dimitrios Antos  and others TBD

COFFEE HOUR – no volunteers

LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK

Saturday, January 15:  Great Vespers 5:00 pm

Sunday, January 16: Orthros 8:45 am,  Divine Liturgy 10:00  am;  Church School lesson 11

SCRIPTURE READINGS for January 16:
Epistle:  St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians 3:4-11
… But now put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth.

Gospel:  Luke 17:12-19
… Then one of [the ten lepers], when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus's feet, giving Him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then said Jesus: "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" And He said to him: "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."

LOOKING AHEAD

Saturday, January 22:  Great Vespers 5:00 pm

Sunday, January 23:  Orthros 8:45 am,  Divine Liturgy 10:00  am; Church School lesson 12;  followed by Antiochian Village Campaign BBQ

Sunday, January 30:  Orthros 8:45 am,  Divine Liturgy 10:00  am; followed by Annual Meeting of the parish

Tuesday, February 1:  Evening Liturgy for the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple 6:30 pm
 
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

Sunday, April 24:  Pascha

Sunday, May 1:  vonHolzhausen Lecture 1:00

Friday-Sunday, June 17-19:Parish Life Conference 

INSIGHT

There is no reason to say what we believe in a harsh or offensive way.  We can and must speak truth in love.  If we do not, our hearers will not get the message.  All they will hear is our anger and defensiveness.
   - Fr. Antony Hughes

Let us clip the wings of anger, and evil will not rise high. Anger is an evil sickness that can destroy our souls…. Anger is a terrible fire which devours everything….
   - St. John Chrysostom

If the Holy Spirit is peace of soul, as He is said to be and as He is in reality, and if anger is disturbance of heart, as it actually is and as it is said to be, then nothing so prevents His presence in us as anger.
   - St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent.

Victory over anger is one of the greatest victories of a soldier of Christ. We generally become angry either at those we wish to turn back from sin, or at those who slander us. However, in doing so we forget that anger is a mortal sin, and in desiring the salvation of others we lose our own, according to the words of St. Macarius.  Anger against our enemies is usually tied to another evil impulse, the desire for revenge.
   - Prologue  from Ohrid

The Baptist also says, “The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of our God” (Lk 3:5-6). Lying, deceit and slander are crooked, and the rough paths are anger, hatred, envy and remembrance of wrongs, all of which are made straight and level when transformed by the works of repentance. And so “all flesh,” that is, every person of every nation and race who straightens and smoothes himself out through repentance, “shall see the salvation of God.”
   — St. Gregory Palamas, Homily on the Eve of Theophany