Update for the week Friday, August 19, through Thursday, August 25, 2011
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
NATIVITY OF THE THEOTOKOS – On Wednesday, September 4, join us for theEvening Liturgy for Feast of Nativity of the Holy Theotokos at 6:30 pm.
FRANK SCHAEFFER LECTURE - Frank Schaeffer will present a lecture about his new book, Sex, Mom and God:How the Bible's Strange Take on Sex Led to Crazy Politics - and How I Learned to Love Women (and Jesus) Anyway, at St. Mary on Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 6:00 pm in the Church Hall. Please join us for a stimulating lecture and discussion! More information and reviews of the book can be found on his website at http://www.frankschaeffer.com.
WHY DOES ST. MARY’S GROW - Pravmir.com, a Russian Orthodox Church website, recently asked clergy from different countries and different jurisdictions to share their experience of church attendance in the west, after printing a translation from Russian of Fr. Serafim Gan’s article, “Why is Attendance Declining in Russian Churches in the West?” Fr. Antony was one of the priests asked to reflect on this topic. His article can be seen at http://www.pravmir.com/the-heart-of-the-parish-community-must-be-love
BE A GREETER - The Parish Council is continuing the
Greeter Program, similar to other churches, to greet and aid
parishioners, guests and visitors into the Church each Sunday. As a
Greeter, you will welcome people into the Church and help to direct
visitors upstairs to the Liturgy, as well as keeping an eye on the
Vestibule, hallways and entrance ways during church, arriving at Church
at 9:45 am. Greeting time ends when Communion starts. We need volunteers.
If you would like to be a Greeter, a Sign-Up Sheet is posted on the
Church Bulletin Board. If you have any questions, please contact Buddy
by e-mail buddy@cjmabardy.com or call him at 781-729-6303.
“I was a stranger, and you invited me in………” (Matthew 25:35)
REMINDERS
COFFEE HOUR – Please volunteer! Several Sundays are still available.
SUMMERHOURS FOR CHURCHAND OFFICE – During the summer, Orthros is at 8:15 am, and Divine Liturgy at 9:30 am. The church office is only open on Tuesday, Thursday & Friday, from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm.
Regular hours will resume September 4, with Orthros at 8:45am and Divine Liturgy at 10:00am.
WOMEN’S CLUB MEETING – The next meeting of the Women’s Club will be held on Monday, August 29, at 7:30 in the kitchen. All are welcome.
HONOR OUR SEMINARIANS – The Antiochian Women of the Diocese of New England cordially invite you to a Celebration honoring the Antiochian Seminarians serving in our parishes. The event will be held on Sunday, September 25, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at St. George Community Center, 55 Emmonsdale Rd., West Roxbury. Hot and cold hors d’oeuvres and desserts will be served. Come and enjoy refreshments and fellowship – all are welcome!
WOMEN’S CLUB HONORED – The St. Mary Women’s Club has received the “Friend of the YWCA Cambridge Award,” presented at their annual meeting on June 28, 2011. The award letter and certificate are reprinted in the August issue of Cornerstone. The Women’s Club thanks you for your ongoing support, which enables them to continue this kind of community outreach as well as their usual charitable activities and Church School support.
2015 CONVENTION – Our bid to host the 2015 Convention was presented by Fr. Antony Hughes, Mary Winstanley O’Connor and Raymond Sayeg, and was accepted! The 52nd Antiochian Archdiocese Convention will be held at the Sheraton Boston Hotel from Sunday, July 19 – Sunday, July 26, 2015, hosted by St. Mary Church, Cambridge, MA.
The convention co-chairs will be Mary Winstanley O’Connor and Raymond Sayeg. Mary and Ray are looking for volunteers to assist with a number of committees – see the list in the Sunday Bulletin. The Parish Council will need all parishioners to provide their time and talent to make this convention a significant success. Please contact Mary at her office (617-523-1010 or moconnor@koilaw.com) or Ray at his office (617-742-1184 or rsayeg@dennerpellegrino.com) with any questions or with your willingness to participate.
CHURCH SCHOOL HELP NEEDED– St Mary’s Church School needs teachers or co-teachers for several classes for next year, as well as two administrative assistants to help with administrative tasks such as Church School calendar and registration. If you would like to be considered for a teaching or assisting role, please contact Andrea Popa at maryandreapopa@gmail.comor Arlene Marge at lanciani@alum.mit.edu.
STREAMING VIDEO – St. Mary’s Church services are broadcast live each week through an internet video stream. If you can't attend a service in person or want to share this ministry with a friend or loved one, the live stream can be viewed at www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/live during regularly scheduled service times (see the schedule of services below or online). If you have questions or comments about this ministry please contact us atlive@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org.
DONATE VIA eGIVE – Recently we have had special collections for Japan, for Seminarians, for the Antiochian Women’s project: the Convent of St. Thekla, and other causes. If you didn’t have a chance to contribute to those collections, or would like to give more, you can do so through eGive at www.egive-usa.com. If you have not yet set up an account, you can do it there, or contact Charlie Marge (marge@alum.mit.edu) for help. The Recipient Organization is “St. Mary’s Orthodox Church,” and when you get to Step 4 after selecting that, you have the option of designating how your gift will be used.
PROTECT YOUR VALUABLES – Please do not leave valuables unattended in the Church Hall or Coat 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 notblock 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:
LITURGICAL SERVICE - Each Sunday, members of the congregation are needed to read the Epistle and assist during Communion by 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.
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
"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: Amy Clay; Communion Cloth and Bread: Bob Kowalik, Teva Regule and others
COFFEE HOUR– The Solomon Risom family
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Saturday, August 20: Great Vespers 5:00 pm
Sunday, August 21: Summer Hours - Orthros 8:15 am, Divine Liturgy 9:30 am
SCRIPTURE READINGS for August 21:
Epistle: St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 4:9-16
… We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. …When
reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we try to
conciliate...I urge you, then, be imitators of me.
Gospel: Matthew 17:14-23
…Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not
cast it out?" He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly I
say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say
to this mountain, 'Move hence to yonder place,' and it will move; and
nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind never comes out except
by prayer and fasting.
LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday, August 27: No Vespers at St. Mary
Sunday, August 28: Summer Hours - Orthros 8:15 am, Divine Liturgy 9:30 am
Sunday, September 4: Regular Sunday hours resume – Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am
Wednesday, September 7: Evening Liturgy for Feast of Nativity of the Holy Theotokos6:30 pm
Sunday, September 11: Church School registration
Sunday, September 18: Church School classes start
INSIGHT
You White Men have had some very wise holy people. What a shame you do not listen to them.
- Geronimo
I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.
- Mohandas Ghandi
Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself.
- Leo Tolstoy
God's purpose in urging us to pray without growing weary is that prayer
progressively brings about an essential day-to-day change in us. Prayer
must be made with constant zeal in order that we should be changed into
something higher than our nature.
- Father Matthew the Poor, Orthodox Prayer Life: The Interior Way
Prayer is a request for what is good, offered by the devout of God. But
we do not restrict this request simply to what is stated in words... We
should not express our prayer merely in syllables, but the power of
prayer should be expressed in the moral attitude of our soul and in the
virtuous actions that extend throughout our life... This is how you pray
continually -- not by offering prayer in words, but by joining yourself
to God through your whole way of life, so that your life becomes one
continuous and uninterrupted prayer.
- St. Basil the Great, Homily on the Martyr Julitta
All the stars in the heavens could be more easily counted than all the miracles worked on earth by prayer.
- St. Nicholai of Zica