Update for the week Friday, March 11, 2011 through Thursday, March 17, 2011

THIS WEEKEND

Friday
LEARNING IN LENT – After the Akathist service this Friday, March 11, we will have the first of a series of Learning in Lent talks. This week’s speaker will be David Vermette, who will speak on the topic "What is Truth?"

Saturday
HELP MAKE SPINACH TRIANGLES – The Women’s Club will be baking Spinach Triangles in the Church Hall this  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.

Lenten foods that you pre-ordered may be picked up  on Sunday, March 13.

TEEN CONFESSION and DINNER – St. Mary teens will be taking confession and going out to dinner this  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.

Sunday
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS – Don’t forget to set your clocks forward one hour this Sunday (or Saturday night)  so you’ll be sure to get to church on time.

SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY – This Sunday is Orthodox Sunday - bring icons for the procession.  Icons will be provided for those who don’t bring them. After communion, instead of regular classes, Church School students will go downstairs for a brief music lesson before returning upstairs for the procession. 

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 this  Sunday, March 14.). See the flier on the bulletin board and at http://www.newskete.org/pdfs/lentenretreat2011-Flyer.pdf

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

HELP STREAM LENTEN SERVICES OVER THE INTERNET- As we have been doing for the past several years, we are continuing our free live streaming ministry over the web this year for those who cannot join us in person.  This ministry has already reached thousands of people across the country and in more than 40 countries around the world, who join us online to celebrate services with us through their computer!  Erick Straghalis needs additional people who plan to attend services regularly or semi-regularly throughout Lent, who can help to set up the video stream before each service.  No experience is needed!   You can be trained on how to turn on the computer, camera and microphones and start the streaming application in just a few minutes.  If you are interested and able, please contact Erick Straghalis at estraghalis@gmail.comfor more information and to set up schedules.

VON HOLZHAUSEN LECTURE & BOOK– Fr. Michael Plekon (http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/wsas/academics/anthropology/mplekon.htm)   is coming to give our von Holzhausen lecture this year, and we have copies of his book, Hidden Holiness, to sell and read before he comes.  See Tiffany Conroy to get a copy for $18, a big discount over the retail price of  $25! This would be an excellent book to read during Lent, and Fr Plekon is eager to have people prepared for a good discussion!  The book is great!!!

HOLY FRIDAY PLANNING - Any parishioners interested in assisting with the Holy Friday Children’s Retreat this year are invited to meet in the parish hall this Sunday, March 13, after liturgy, during coffee hour to coordinate the event’s activities and responsibilities. Questions about the retreat can be addressed to Trish Orlovsky at t_orlovsky@hotmail.com

LENTEN WOMEN’S RETREAT- Sts. Martha and Mary Sisterhood at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Alston invites you a Lenten retreat for women on Saturday, March 26, 2011.  Featured speaker is Molly Sabourin, author of  Close to Home: One Orthodox Mother’s Quest for Patience, Peace and Perseverance. For more information see the flyer on the bulletin board downstairs, or contact Popadia Paula Tishel at ptishel@yahoo.com or 617-522-1057. Advance registration is required.

BENEFIT FOR THEOPHANY SCHOOL– On Saturday, May 7, starting at 6:30,  there will be a Benefit Evening & Auction for  Theophany School at Apollo Functions, Norwood, MA   For more information, call the school at 781-444-3058.

2015 ARCHDIOCESE CONVENTION- St. Mary has obtained the permission of Metropolitan PHILIP to bid on the 2015 Archdiocese Convention.  The Parish Council is preparing a bid to have the convention be held at the Sheraton Boston Hotel in Boston, MA from Sunday, July 19, through Sunday, July 26.  The determination as to which church will be chosen will be made at the July 2011 National Convention.  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 Sunday’s bulletin.  The Parish Council will need all parishioners to provide their time and talent to make this convention a significant success.  Please call Mary at her office at 617-523-1010 or email her at moconnor@koilaw.com  with any questions or your willingness to participate.  Or contact Ray at his office at 617-742-1184 or email him at rsayeg@dennerpellegrino.com

REMINDERS

PARISH COUNCIL – The next Parish Council meeting will be this  Monday, March 14 at 7:30 pm.

PRESANCTIFIED LITURGY and LENTEN POTLUCKS– Every Wednesday during Lent 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.  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).  Scheduled speakers include David Vermette, Mary Long and Ann Bezzerides, Luis Smith, and Antonia Atanssova.

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. 

DIOCESAN TEEN SOYO LENTEN RETREAT – There will be a retreat for teens in grades 7-12,  the weekend of 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 last 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)

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.

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, fill them up, and return them on Palm Sunday, April 17. Our Church School Students will also be given their own boxes to fill. Please be generous!

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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

REGULAR REMINDERS

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 – John Odom

LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK

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 

SCRIPTURE READINGS for March 13, Sunday of Orthodoxy:
Epistle:  St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 11:24-26, 32-40
Brethren, by faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.  And what more shall I say? … Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated …   And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Gospel:  John 1:43-51
At that time, Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And he found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael, and he said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."

Wednesday, March 16:   Presanctified Liturgy 6:30 pm, followed by pot luck supper

LOOKING AHEAD

Thursday, March 17:  New England Deanery Paraclesis7:00  pm at  St. John Church, Dedham

Friday, March 18:Akathist (Madayeh) Service 7:00 pm,  followed by “Learning in Lent” Lecture Series

Saturday, March 19:  Great Vespers 5:00

Sunday, March 20:   Orthros 8:45 am,  Divine Liturgy 10:00;  Church School lesson 18

Wednesday, March 23:   Presanctified Liturgy 6:30 pm, followed by pot luck supper

Thursday, March 24:  Evening Liturgy for the Annunciation of the Theotokos 6:30 pm

Friday, March 25:  Akathist (Madayeh) Service 7:00 pm,  followed by “Learning in Lent” Lecture Series

Saturday,March 26:  Great Vespers 5:00

Sunday, March 27:  Orthros 8:45 am,  Divine Liturgy 10:00;  Church School lesson 19

Sunday, April 24:  Great and Holy Pascha

Sunday, May 1:  vonHolzhausen Lecture 12:30

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

INSIGHT

During a service, the priest does not only cense the icons of the Savior, the Mother of God, and the Saints. He also censes the icon-people, the image of God in the people who are present. And as they leave the church precincts, these people remain as much the images of God, worthy of being censed and venerated. Our relations with people should be an authentic and profound veneration.
   - St. Maria Skobtsova

Let the icons of the saints bring to your mind how many intercessors you have always praying for you before God, and how many allies fighting for you in your unceasing battles. Having themselves courageously fought the enemies throughout their lives and overcome them, they have revealed and shown you the art of waging war. If, with their help, you are alert in fighting your battles, you will, like them, be crowned with victory in the eternal glory of heaven.
   - Lorenzo Scupoli, Unseen Warfare

Whenever we have any feast or joy in the Church, we Orthodox first of all look back — for in our present life we depend on what happened in the past. We depend first of all, of course, on the first and the ultimate triumph -- that of Christ Himself. Our faith is rooted in that strange defeat which became the most glorious victory — the defeat of a man nailed to the cross, who rose again from the dead, who is the Lord and the Master of the world. This is the first triumph of Orthodoxy. This is the content of all our commemorations and of all our joy.
   - Fr Alexander Schmemann, Sunday of Orthodoxy ( from http://www.schmemann.org/byhim/orthodoxy1985.html)

For each year Lent and Easter are, once again, the rediscovery and the recovery by us of what we were made through our own baptismal death and resurrection.
   - Fr Alexander Schmemann,  Great Lent

If we shall be eager to make brighter by good deeds the light within us -- I mean the grace of the Spirit -- so that it is never quenched, we shall enjoy the title of newly baptized for all times. But just as the sober and vigilant man whose conduct is worthy can continue to be a neophyte, so it is possible after a single day for a man to relax his vigilance and become unworthy of that title.
   - St. John Chrysostom, Baptismal Instructions