Update for the week Friday, March 4, 2011 through Thursday, March 10, 2011
THIS WEEKEND
ORTHODOXY ON TAP– You are invited to the last of a three-part series of lectures and discussion at Roggies Brew and Grille (356 Chestnut Hill Ave, Boston), with Dr. Timothy Patitsas, Professor of Ethics at Holy Cross Seminary, sponsored by the 20/40 club at St. George. Tonight ( if you get this Update in time), Thursday, March 3rd, he will be discussing "The American Dream and the Orthodox Worldview". It begins at 7:30 pm in the downstairs room at Roggies. Admission is free, full bar and food menu will be available. Open to all (21+) in the Boston area.
DIOCESAN SPRING MEETINGS– St. George, Lawrence, will be hosting the General Assembly meetings of the Fellowship, Women, and Teens on Saturday, March 5. Morning prayers begin at 10:00 am, with meetings following at 10:30.
TEEN SOYO –All teens who would like to go to Lawrence to attend the Spring Diocesan Meeting (and the teen social event) on Saturday, please RSVP to Nadia (nabuelezam@gmail.com). If anyone is willing to drive, please also let Nadia know. Let's get good representation and get to know other teens from around the diocese!
ANTIOCHIAN WOMEN’S MONTH – March is Antiochian Women’s Month throughout the Archdiocese. Each Sunday our women will be reading the Epistle, taking the Collection, assisting during Communion, and giving the Homily. We are inviting all Women of St. Mary Church to be included: If you wish to participate please sign up on the sheet at the Bengarri or, contact MaryEllen Mabardy at 781-729-6303.
CHURCH SCHOOL – There will be a combined church school lesson this Sunday, to focus on preparing for the Antiochian Archdiocese Creative Arts Festival.
FORGIVENESS VESPERS– The last thing we do before beginning the Lenten fast is forgive each other, and ask everyone to forgive us. Join us this Sunday evening, March 6, at 6:00 pm (note new time) for Forgiveness Vespers. Lent begins Monday, March 7.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
FOOD FOR HUNGRY PEOPLE–You are urged during this season of prayer, self-discipline and fasting, to be very generous in your contribution to the Food for Hungry People program of our Archdiocese . Money Boxes for collecting alms at home will be on the Bengarri; please pick one or two up and place them throughout your home. Our Church School Students will also be given their own boxes to fill. Please be generous – and use the Food For Hungry People 2011 Calendar in this week’s Bulletin to help give you ideas!
HELP MAKE SPINACH TRIANGLES – The Women’s Club will be baking Spinach Triangles in the Church Hall next Saturday, March 12, starting at 9:00 am. Please join in and help; it’s always a lot of fun! Lunch will be provided, and you can park in the Church Parking Lot. Orders may be picked up on Sunday, March 13.
THANK YOU - The Parish Council would like to thank all of those individuals who made the Antiochian Village Fundraiser Campaign for our children at St. Mary's a success.
OCMC SPEAKER – Alex Goodwin, Communication Director of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center, will be speaking with us on Wednesday, March 9, after the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy, which starts at 6:30 pm. He will talk about our brothers and sisters around the world who offer their services as missionaries and mission priests and take Christ’s life-giving message to the ends of the earth, and will also discuss opportunities for us to become more deeply engaged in this work.
DIOCESAN TEEN SOYO LENTEN RETREAT – There will be a retreat for teens in grades 7-12, March 25-27 at St. Methodios Faith & Heritage Center, Contoocook, NH. Uncle Paul and Aunt Deborah Finley, from the Antiochian Village, will be guest speakers. Cost is $95 per teen, $50 per advisor. Registration forms (printed in this Sunday’s Bulletin) must be returned no later than Friday, March 18, 2011. For more information contact Fr. Joseph Kimmett at geonorwood@aol.com (781-762-4396), or Greg Abdalah at abdalah.g@gmail.com (508-752-9150)
LENTEN RETREAT – St. Michael the Archangel Orthodox Church, Cotuit, MA will be holding a Lenten Retreat on Saturday, April 2, 2011. For more information, call Lorraine Reiley 508-240-2412.
ANTIOCHIAN WOMEN’S SCHOLARSHIP-Scholarships are available to Antiochian Women 25 years of age or older, who choose to continue their education. You must be a member in good standing of the Antiochian Archdiocese, be actively involved in your parish, be applying for an academic or trade study program and demonstrate financial need. Scholarship applications are available in the office. Deadline to apply is May 27, 2011.
REMINDERS
GREAT CANON OF ST. ANDREW– The Great Canon of St. Andrew will be offered Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, March 7, 8, and10, at 7:00 pm
PRESANCTIFIED LITURGY and LENTEN POTLUCKS– Every Wednesday during Lent, beginning Wednesday, March 9, there will be a Presanctified Liturgy at 6:30 pm, followed by a Potluck Supper sponsored by the FSJD. Do plan to come and bring something to share. Any Lenten fare is welcome: main courses, sides, salads, desserts, as well as beverages and snacks. This is a wonderful opportunity for fellowship during Lent, plus we get to sample each other's Lenten recipes. Please stay for supper even if you can't bring food--there's room at the table for everyone.
LEARNING IN LENT– The Fellowship of St John the Divine will offer its annual lecture series on the Fridays in Lent, beginning Friday, March 11 (speakers TBA). After Akathist (Madayeh), which starts at 7:00 pm, we’ll meet in the Church hall for refreshments and a presentation (approximately 8-9:30 pm).
COFFEE HOUR VOLUNTEERS URGENTLY NEEDED – Please volunteer to provide a coffee hour – it can be as simple as coffee, juice, and cookies. Most upcoming Sundays are available. Signup sheets are on the bulletin board downstairs outside the Hall, or call the Church Office at 617-547-1234, or email secretary@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org.
TEEN CONFESSION and DINNER –St. Mary teens will be making confession and going out to dinner next Saturday, March 12.
Meet at St. Mary's at 4:00 pm for confession. After vespers, the
group will go out to dinner somewhere in Central Square. Bring money
for dinner! We should conclude by 8:00 pm.
PARISH COUNCIL – The next Parish Council meeting will be on Monday, March 14 at 7:30 pm.
THEOPHANY CD- Experience the beauty of the Feast of Theophany all year around – The Voice of the Lord: Selected Hymns from the Feast of Theophany is available for purchase either as a hard copy or as a download through iTunes and Liturgica.com! Chanted in a traditional Byzantine style, this CD was made in memory of Sonia Daly Belcher, the founder of the Theophany School in Boston, MA, who died three years ago. For more information or to purchase, go to http://www.theophanyschool.org/cd.
LENTEN RETREAT AT NEW SKETE– New Skete Monastery is offering a one-day Lenten retreat on Saturday, March 26, 2011, entitled, "Living Our Baptismal Covenant." The day will consist of presentations on Christian Initiation as well as Monastic Life, and will include time to discussions, meditation, and reflection. Our own Teva Regule will give a presentation. An opportunity for spiritual direction and sacramental confession will also be available. A donation of $25 is asked to help cover the expenses for the day. The number of retreatants is limited and available on a first come, first served basis. To register for the retreat, contact Sr. Macrina at the Nuns (srmacrina@gmail.com). In addition, the monastery will celebrate the Liturgy of St. James (the ancient rite of Jerusalem) on that Sunday, March 27. Those wishing to visit the monastery for the weekend, to take advantage of both opportunities, please contact Teva Regule (teva@mit.edu) for housing arrangements (by March 14). See the flier on the bulletin board and at http://www.newskete.org/pdfs/lentenretreat2011-Flyer.pdf
SCHOLARSHIPS - Syrian Lebanese Women’s Club of Greater Boston will make available a number of scholarship awards in the amount of $1000.00 each to young women of Syrian and Lebanese origin, residing in Massachusetts within a 50 mile radius of Boston, who plan to pursue a four-year college education. Applications are available in the Church Office or by calling or e-mailing Mary Winstanley O’Connor (617-523-1010 or moconnor@koilaw.com) and must be postmarked by March 31, 2011.
VONHOLZHAUSEN LECTURE– The Fellowship of St. John the Divine invites you to the annual vonHolzhausen Lecture following coffee hour on Sunday, May 1, 2011. This year’s speaker will be Fr. Michael Plekon, professor at Baruch College’s Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, Orthodox priest, and author. Watch for more information.
OCF REAL BREAK– College Students: Do something REAL this spring Break! The Real Break program provides alternatives to the “traditional” Spring Break for college students. It exists to provide students with the most authentic experience possible, and is modeled as a full Christian lifestyle, which includes fellowship, prayer within community, witness and service. Each Spring, over 100 students attend various trips, both domestic and international, to give of themselves to those less fortunate and to do something “real” for themselves and for God. OCF Real Break has been running since 2000 with over one thousand students participating in these life-changing opportunities. Past and current trips include: Mexico, Guatemala, Jerusalem, Constantinople, Raphael House, St. Basil Academy, Greece, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Romania, Buenos Aires, Alaska, and more. For information about the 2011 trips see http://www.ocf.net/wikis/programs/real-break-2011-trips.aspx
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.
BE PART OF A FAMILY MISSION TEAM –This year the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) is proud to announce a collaboration with the Center for Family Care (of the Greek Archdiocese) by offering a Family Mission Team. For two weeks, July 17-29, 2011, families from North America, along with Albanian families, will participate in this outreach assisted by OCMC missionaries and Albanian church leaders. The primary focus is to offer a “family witness” while sharing the faith and growing as a family in Christ. Consider being part of this first OCMC and Center for Family Care collaboration and family mission witness! Visithttp://teams.ocmc.org1, or e-mail teams@ocmc.org, for more information or to apply.
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. Register today - early bird discount through 5/14. Look for us on Facebook: “2011 Parish Life Conference”.
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
ARCHDIOCESAN CONVENTION– The 50th Antiochian Archdiocese Convention will be held July 24-31 at the Marriott Chicago Downtown, Chicago, Illinois. For more information see www.archdioceseconvention2011.orgor email info@archdioceseconvention2011.org
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 to https://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.
Prison Ministry– If you would like to find out more about Prison Ministry at St. Mary’s Church, please subscribe to our mailing list at http://groups.google.com/group/ocpm-concord
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 - St. Mary women
COFFEE HOUR – Church School parents
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Saturday, March 5: Great Vespers 5:00
Sunday, March 6, Forgiveness Sunday (Cheesefare Sunday): Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; Church School lesson 17; Forgiveness Vespers 6:00 pm
SCRIPTURE READINGS for March 6:
Epistle: St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 13:11 - 14:4
… But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh,
to gratify its desires. As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome
him, but not for disputes over opinions. One believes he may eat
anything, while the weak man eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats
despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains pass judgment on
him who eats; for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on
the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or
falls. And he will be upheld, for God is able to make him stand.
Gospel: Matthew 6:14-21
And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for
they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly,
I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen
by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in
secret will reward you.
LOOKING AHEAD
Monday, March 7: Great Lent begins; Great Canon of St. Andrew 7:00 pm
Tuesday, March 8: Great Canon of St. Andrew 7:00 pm
Wednesday, March 9: Presanctified Liturgy 6:30 pm, followed by pot luck supper and OCMC speaker
Thursday, March 10: Great Canon of St. Andrew 7:00 pm
Friday, March 11: Akathist (Madayeh) Service 7:00 pm, followed by “Learning in Lent” Lecture Series
Saturday, March 12: Great Vespers 5:00
Sunday, March 13, Sunday of Orthodoxy: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 , with Procession of Icons
Wednesday, March 16: Presanctified Liturgy 6:30 pm, followed by pot luck supper
Friday, March 18:Akathist (Madayeh) Service 7:00 pm, followed by “Learning in Lent” Lecture Series
Thursday, March 24: Evening Liturgy for the Annunciation of the Theotokos 6:30 pm
Sunday, April 24: Great and Holy Pascha
Sunday, May 1: vonHolzhausen Lecture 12:30
Friday-Sunday, June 17-19:Parish Life Conference
INSIGHT
What is fasting and why is it necessary? Fasting is a voluntary
self-restriction in food, drink, and pleasure. The purpose of fasting is
to quiet or calm and lighten the body and to make it obedient to the
soul. Overfilled flesh demands comfort and rest, disposing us to
laziness, which hinders prayer and meditation. In the manner of an
unbridled servant, the well-fed body rises up against its master, the
soul, and wants to rule over it. While fasting, you should limit not
only the type of food (dairy and meat products) but also its amount,
restricting yourself to the minimal needs of the body. Then your fasting
will become useful.
While fasting outwardly you should also fast internally, restraining
your tongue from sinful, idle chatter and moderating your desires and
your anger while driving off unkind thoughts and impure fantasies.
Experience shows that there is nothing harder than to stop the wandering
of thoughts and to direct your mind to thoughts of God and prayer. This
may be likened to the taming of wild horses who have long been stubborn
and unruly.
- St. Innocent of Irkutsk, The Way Into the Kingdom of Heaven
And the Savior also, when He manifested Himself to the world in the
Jordan, began at this point. For after His baptism the Spirit led Him
into the wilderness and He fasted for forty days and forty nights.
Likewise all who set out to follow in His footsteps make the beginning
of their struggle upon this foundation. For this is a weapon forged by
God, and who shall escape blame if he neglects it? And if the Lawgiver
Himself fasts, who among those who keep the law has no need of fasting?
This is why the human race knew no victory before fasting, and the devil
had never experienced defeat from our nature; but this weapon has made
him powerless from the outset.
- St. Isaac the Syrian, Ascetical Homilies
When you fast and are nourished with abstinence, do not store the
leftovers for tomorrow, but, as the Lord became poor and enriched us,
feed someone who does not want to be hungry, you who hunger willingly.
Then your fast will be like the dove who brings and joyfully proclaims
salvation to your soul from the flood.
- St. Gregory Palamas
Fasts and vigils, the study of Scripture, renouncing possessions and
everything worldly are not in themselves perfection, as we have said;
they are its tools. For perfection is not to be found in them; it is
acquired through them. It is useless, therefore, to boast of our
fasting, vigils, poverty, and reading of Scripture when we have not
achieved the love of God and our fellow men. Whoever has achieved love
has God within himself and his intellect is always with God.
- St John Cassian