Update for the week Friday, August 26, through Thursday, September 1, 2011

THIS WEEKEND

NO VESPERS – There will not be a Vespers service at St. Mary this Saturday.

THANK YOU COFFEE HOUR - The coffee hour this Sunday is hosted by Marc and Larisa Patacchiola in honor of their new daughter, Elianna (Ellie) Pei-Jyun Patacchiola, born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan 11/22/2010, who arrived home 8/8/2011. Larisa and Marc sincerely thank everyone at St. Mary's for their love, prayers, and support throughout their adoption journey.

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

WEATHER WARNING – St. Mary’s Church has very seldom cancelled Sunday services because of bad weather, but various programs and events sometimes are cancelled. As we enter hurricane  season, followed later by blizzard season, please be sure you have updated your subscription profile to let us know whether you’re currently attending St. Mary - we will only send announcement of closures to those who have answered “yes.”  Just click the “Update your profile” link at the very bottom of this e-Newsletter.

WORSHIP SCHEDULE CHANGES – This week is the final week of our summer hours.  Next Sunday, September 4, we will return to our regular worship schedule:  Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

SONIA’S RUN - The third annual 5k road race to benefit the Theophany School, in honor of  beloved friend Sonia Belcher, will be held on Saturday, September 17, at St. George Church, West  Roxbury.  The 5K Run/Walk  begins at 9:00 am;  Kids Fun Run at 8:30 am.  Be a runner….Be a volunteer….Be a sponsor!   To walk, run, volunteer or sponsor, call Al or Jack Day, 781-608-5138 or go to www.SoniasRun.org.

DANCING WITH THE STARS - The American Arabic Benevolent Association is having a “Dancing with the AABA stars” on Saturday, October 1, 2011, to be held at Our Lady of the Annunciation Cathedral Hall in West Roxbury. Cost is $40.00, by reservation only - please contact either David Franciosi at 617-347-1007 or Olivia Waishek at 617-694-9783.  Each parish will have one contestant; St. Mary will be represented by Karen Winstanley Noonan. The winner will be determined based on each entrant’s dancing and the amount contributed by sponsors.  Sponsor forms can be found on the Bengarri and given to Mary Winstanley O’Connor.

REMINDERS

WOMEN’S CLUB MEETING – The next meeting of the Women’s Club will be held this Monday, August 29, at 7:30 in the kitchen.  All are welcome.

REGULAR HOURS RESUME - Next Sunday, September 4, Orthros will once again begin at 8:45am and Divine Liturgy at 10:00am.

NATIVITY OF THE THEOTOKOS – Next Wednesday, September 7 (note corrected date), 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.

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!

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.

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

COFFEE HOUR  –  Please volunteer! Several Sundays are still available. Signup sheet is on the bulletin board downstairs.

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.

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:

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.comor call him at 781-729-6303. “I was a stranger, and you invited me in………”   (Matthew 25:35)  

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: Jonathan Hill;  Communion Cloth and Bread:  TBD

COFFEE HOUR –  The Patacchiola family

LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK

Saturday, August 27:  No Vespers at St. Mary

Sunday, August 28:  Last week of summer hours - Orthros 8:15 am, Divine Liturgy 9:30 am

SCRIPTURE READINGS forAugust 28: 
Epistle: St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 9:2-12
Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? Do I say this on human authority? Does not the law say the same? For it is written in the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain." Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of a share in the crop.

Gospel: Matthew 18:23-35
The Lord said this parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. … Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailors, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

LOOKING AHEAD

Saturday, September 3:  Great Vespers 5:00 pm

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 Theotokos 6:30 pm

Sunday, September 11:  Church School registration

Sunday, September 18:  Church School classes start

INSIGHT

Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.
   - Mark Twain

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
   - Mohandas Gandhi

Forgiveness is the final form of love.
   - Reinhold Niebuhr

The glory of Christianity is to conquer by forgiveness.
   - William Blake

When we forgive evil we do not excuse it, we do not tolerate it, we do not smother it. We look the evil full in the face, call it what it is, let its horror shock and stun and enrage us, and only then do we forgive it.
   - Lewis B. Smedes

You will know that forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well.
   - Lewis B. Smedes