Update for the week Thursday, February 6, through Thursday, February 13, 2014
THIS WEEK
TEEN SOYO ACTIVITY - The Teens will be going bowling on Friday, February 7 (time and place to be determined). Please let Greg (greghakim@gmail.com) or Hannah (hoakley18@gmail.com) know if you would like to join in the fun.
FAITH AND LEARNING SYMPOSIUM – The annual St. Photios Faith and Learning Symposium will be held on Friday-Saturday, February 7-8, hosted by the Office of Vocation and Ministry at Hellenic College. This year's topic will be “Let me Google that! Knowledge in the Information Age.” It is intended for college students and young people (but open to anyone!) to explore the connection between their faith and education. The program will be held on the campus of Hellenic College Holy Cross in Brookline, and will feature well known Orthodox poet and professor of English, Scott Cairns. There will also be student-led breakout discussion groups. For more information, contact Michael A. Tishel at 617-850-1309 or mtishel@hchc.edu or see the flyer posted at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=826562287360429&set=gm.713903305295385&type=1&theater
CHILDREN'S SERMON – Instead of going to their classes, Church School children will remain upstairs this Sunday after Communion for a Children's Sermon
CHINESE NEW YEAR BREAKFAST - Please join the FSJD on Sunday, February 9 after Liturgy, for the 2014 Chinese New Year Missions Breakfast to benefit the Chinese Translation Project via the Orthodox Fellowship of All Saints of China (OFASC). Volunteers will be needed to help decorate, setup, serve, cook and/or donate a food item. Please RSVP to Mitrophan Chin at mitrophan@orthodox.cn ASAP. We look forward to your support of this worthwhile project and to seeing you at this event!
WOMEN'S CLUB - The next Women’s Club meeting will be Tuesday, February 11, at 7:30 at the church. We welcome all women of the parish to join us in the Women’s Club. Everyone is welcome! Any woman interested in joining may call Mary Ellen Mabardy at 781-729-6303 for more information.
BIBLE STUDY – The Bible Study at St. Mary, sponsored by the Fellowship of St. John the Divine, meets every other Thursday in the church library, and is based on a series of talks originally broadcast on Ancient Faith Radio. For more information contact Marianna Sayeg (mksayeg@gmail.com) or Fr. Antony (frawhj@gmail.com ). New members are always welcome. Join us next Thursday, February 13, at 7:00 pm as we conclude the pre-history portion of Genesis, and start part 1 of an overview of the Old Testament (listen to the podcasts at http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/genesis-part-16/ andhttp://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/genesis-part-17/ ).
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
BOSTON BYZANTINE MUSIC FESTIVAL - The Boston Byzantine Music festival, onMonday and Tuesday, February 24 and 25, 2014, will feature concerts by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Byzantine Choir and by the ensemble En Chordais, with lectures by Dr. Emmanouil Giannopoulos, Assistant Professor at the Higher Ecclesiastical Academy of Ioannina, and Dr. Kyriakos Kalaitzidis, Faculty of Music Studies, University of Athens. For more information and tickets see http://www.maryjahariscenter.org/events/boston-byzantine-music-festival-2014/
WHAT IS FAMILY MINISTRY - The Center for Family Care's next webinar, entitled “What is Family Ministry?”, will feature their Associate Director, Melissa Tsongranis, exploring the who, what, where, and why of family ministry in the hope of the realization at the parish level. It will be Tuesday, February 25 at 1:30 pm (EST). Watch for further details.
CROSSƗROAD - CrossRoads is a summer institute for high school juniors and seniors on the campus of Hellenic College in Brookline. Participants take part in daily classes, visit neighboring Orthodox parishes, and participate in service activities. CrossRoads offers two sessions. Download an application and view a video clip at www.crossroad.hchc.edu. Application priority deadline is Saturday, March 1.
CONVENTION PLANNING – In our ongoing preparation to host the 2015 National Convention, Ray Sayeg’s committees will meet at the home of Mary Winstanley O’Connor on Tuesday, March 4 at 7:00 pm (not 2/5 as previously announced). Mary Winstanley O’Connor’s committees will meet at her home on Wednesday, March 5 at 7:00 pm (not 2/12as previously announced).
MARRIAGE SEMINAR FOR COUPLES - The Diocese of Worcester and New England is sponsoring a seminar for couples preparing for marriage at St. John of Damascus church on Friday and Saturday, March 14 and 15. His Grace Bishop JOHN is the featured speaker. Cost is $30 per couple. See registration form in the Sunday bulletin - make check payable to NER Deanery and mail along with the registration form to St. John of Damascus Church, 300 West St., Dedham, MA 02026.
vonHOLZHAUSEN LECTURE – The Fellowship of St. John the Divine invites you to its annual Fr. John vonHolzhausen lecture on Sunday, March 30, at 1:00 pm (following Divine Liturgy at 10am and Coffee Hour at 12pm). Our speaker, Jan N. H. Perkins, MDiv, will speak on the topic, “If you Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It.” How Christ Transcends Good and Bad.
REMINDERS
PARISH COUNCIL – The next meeting of the Parish Council will be Wednesday, February 19, 2014, at 7:30.
SPRING DELEGATES MEETING – The Spring Diocesan Delegates Meetings of Teen SOYO, Fellowship of St. John the Divine and Antiochian Women will be held at St. George Church, West Roxbury, on Saturday, February 22. Divine Liturgy at 9:00 am, meetings immediately following.
MEATFARE SUNDAY BREAKFAST - Please join us on Sunday, February 23 for the FSJD's Meatfare Sunday coffee hour. The suggested donation – $8 per person, $15 per family – will help support the many activities of the Fellowship at St. Mary's, including the annual Lessons and Carols evening; Wednesday evening potluck suppers after Pre-Sanctified Liturgies during Lent; the annual Father John vonHolzhausen lecture; Coffee Hours and special meals; the weekly St. Mary e-Newsletter; and more. Contact Chef Socrates (dr.socrates@gmail.com ) to let him know if you can help with food preparation the day before (February 22) from 12:00-2:00 pm, or with cooking or serving on Sunday. We will need 6 volunteers.
HELP FOR THE TRAUMANN-DAVIS FAMILY: Our own Elisabeth Traumann, wife of Seraphim Davis and mother of Isis, Thais and Tycho Traumann-Davis, has been diagnosed with stomach cancer and will be starting chemotherapy soon, to be followed by surgery in late spring/early summer. Her prognosis is good, but prayers are appreciated. Anyone who would like to offer their help with meals, etc. may visit the family's Lotsa Helping Hands community at: https://www.lotsahelpinghands.com/c/713408/ For updates on Elisabeth’s condition, just friend Elisabeth on Facebook and then check this Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/groups/197726897092134/
MARCH IS ANTIOCHIAN WOMEN’S MONTH. Our women will be reading the Epistle, taking the Collection each Sunday, and assisting during Communion. We are inviting all Women of St. Mary Church to be included: If you wish to participate, sign up on the sheet at the Bengarri or contact Mary Ellen Mabardy (781-729-6303) or the church office (617-547-1234).
MORE GREETERS NEEDED – The Greeter program has been very successful for the past two years, thanks to all those who volunteer on a regular basis. However, we have had the same Greeters volunteer week after week. We are actively looking for new volunteers. Please consider being a Greeter and helping with this important ministry. For more information and to help out please contact Buddy Mabardy at 781-729-6303 or e-mail:buddy@cjmabardy.com, or call the church office at 617-547-1234.
ROOM NEEDED - A young medical school graduate, Simeon Sheih, would like to rent a room with an Orthodox individual or family near the center of Boston, as he has been offered an unpaid fellowship at Harvard. He is very willing to help clean or care for an elderly or invalid person if it might help with the rent. He is also is looking for a job in the Boston area. If you know of a place where he could live, please call Mother Nectaria McLees at 617-824-0650, or send an email to mnmclees@gmail.com
LENTEN FOOD SALE – The Women's Club is now taking orders for Spinach Triangles, Hoomos (hummus), and Mjadara (lentils with rice). Please use the order form in the Sunday bulletin. Order deadline is Sunday, March 2; pickup date is Sunday, March 16. Also, please plan to come help make the Spinach Triangles on Saturday, March 15, at 9:30 am.
LENTEN POTLUCKS – Every year during Lent, the Fellowship of St. John the Divine sponsors a potluck supper after each weekly Wednesday evening Pre-Sanctified Liturgy.We need 3 leads for each potluck - for Food, for Setup, and for Cleanup - on March 5, March12, March 19, March 26, April 2, and April 9. (Note that volunteering for food means simply providing a main dish and coordinating what others bring if they ask.) Please contact Julie Wasilko (julie31415pi@gmail.com ) to sign up to be one of the leads for a potluck.
ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE - For important announcements about Summer Camp registration, check out their FaceBook page (https://www.facebook.com/AntiochianVillage) because the 2014 Summer Camp registration is now open. You may register online or the old-fashion way with paper applications. Please note that you are not registered until they receive a deposit and you receive a confirmation email. Please visit their Registration Page for instructions on how to register. We look forward to summer 2014 and can't wait for our campers to return. For more information go to http://www.antiochianvillage.org/camp.html.
REAL BREAK – OCF Real Break aims to prepare college students to be socially informed Orthodox Christian citizens of this world, while directing their focus on the world to come, the kingdom of heaven. Built on a foundation of fellowship, education, worship, and service, Real Break provides students the opportunity to understand the true meaning of seeing Christ in the other – traveling to all parts of the world deepening their faith, serving those in need, and cultivating relationships with like-minded peers. To find detailed information regarding the 2014 Real Break trips and to register, please visit www.ocf.net/realbreak. Be a part of this year's life-changing week-long Real Break experience.
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE - Scholarships ($1,000) are available to young women of Syrian and Lebanese origin, residing in Massachusetts within 50-mile radius of Boston, who plan to pursue a four-year college education. Scholarships are based on outstanding academic achievement, extra-curricular activities, charitable and civic involvement and good character; and applicants must be in good academic standing in her school and possess those personal attributes which best serve the community. Applications are available through the Church Office and must be postmarked by March 31, 2014. If you have any questions, contact Mary Winstanley O’Connor at 617-523-1010 or email at moconnor@koilaw.com.
PARKING RESTRICTIONS – Parishioners must not park in the City Hall Electric Car Charging Station across from the Church. This spot must be available at all times to Cambridge residents who have electric cars.
Also, there is no parishioner parking in the Church parking lot Mondays through Fridays until after 6:00 pm.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE
There are a number of ways you can help the Church, your fellow worshipers, and those in need. Consider serving in one of these ways:
- Be a Greeter
- Participate in Liturgical Service*
- Provide a Coffee Hour
- Join the Prison Ministry
- Help with Video Editing
- Share your talent as Photographer Or Graphic Designer
For information about these opportunities, and who to contact, seehttps://www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/ministries/volunteering
*Also, during the school year, the Church School students participate in our liturgical celebration by holding candles at the Gospel reading; processing with candles, a festal icon, and the baskets of Antidoron (i.e. extra bread) at the Great Entrance; and then presenting the Antidoron for a blessing during the Hymn to the Theotokos.
THIS WEEK'S VOLUNTEERS
Greeter: Marc Patacchiola
Church School Liturgical Service - Candle Bearers: Toby Chin & Micaela Mazzoni; Icon Bearer: Joachim Chin; Bread Baskets: Alexander Cueller-Goss & Nico Moldovean; Team Leader: Gabi Mazzoni; Adult Supervisor: Panayiotis Sakellariou
Coffee Hour: FSJD Chinese New Year Missions Breakfast
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Saturday, February 8: Great Vespers at 5:00 pm
Sunday, February 9: Orthros 8:45 am, Enquirers' class 9:00 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am;Church School lesson 16; FSJD Chinese New Year Missions Breakfast following Liturgy
SCRIPTURE READINGS for Sunday, February 9, Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee:
Epistle: St. Paul's Second Letter to Timothy 3:10-15
Timothy, my son, you have observed ... what persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted...
Gospel: Luke 18:10-14
The Lord said this parable, "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."
LOOKING AHEAD
Thursday, February 13: Bible Study
Sunday, February 16: No Church School
Sunday, February 23, Meatfare Sunday: Orthros 8:45 am, Enquirers' class 9:00 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; No Church School; FSJD Annual Meatfare Breakfast following Liturgy
Sunday, March 2, Forgiveness Sunday: Hierarchical Divine Liturgy with Bishop JOHN; Forgiveness Vespers 6:00 pm
Monday, March 3: Great Lent begins; Great Canon of St. Andrew 7:00 pm
Tuesday, March 4: Great Canon of St. Andrew 7:00 pm
Wednesday, March 5: Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 6:30 pm, followed by Pot Luck Supper
Thursday, March 6: Great Canon of St. Andrew 7:00 pm
Friday, March 7: Madayeh (Akathist) 7:00 pm
Sunday, April 20: Pascha
Thursday-Sunday, June 19-22: Parish Life Conference, Plymouth, MA
REFLECTIONS
Long before the actual beginning of Lent, the Church announces its approach and invites us to enter into the period of pre-lenten preparation. … This preparation includes five consecutive Sundays preceding Lent, each one of them – through its particular Gospel lesson – dedicated to some fundamental aspect of repentance.
The very first announcement of Lent [was] made the Sunday on which the Gospel lesson about Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) [was] read. It is the story of a man who was too short to see Jesus but who desired so much to see Him that he climbed up a tree. Jesus responded to his desire and went to his house. Thus the theme of this first announcement is desire. … Zacchaeus desired the "right thing"; he wanted to see and approach Christ. He is the first symbol of repentance, for repentance begins as the rediscovery of the deep nature of all desire: the desire for God and His righteousness, for the true life. …
The next Sunday is called the "Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee." On the eve of this day, on Saturday at Vespers, the liturgical book of the Lenten season – the Triodion – makes its first appearance and texts from it are added to the usual hymns and prayers of the weekly Resurrection service. They develop the next major theme of repentance: humility. … As for the Publican, he humbles himself and his humility justifies him before God. …
But what is humility? The answer to this question may seem a paradoxical one for it is rooted in a strange affirmation: God himself is humble! … It is almost impossible to put across to the modern man, fed on publicity, self-affirmation, and endless self-praise, that all that which is genuinely perfect, beautiful, and good is at the same time naturally humble; for precisely because of its perfection, it does not need "publicity," external glory, or "showing off" of any kind.
The Lenten season begins then by a quest, a prayer for humility which is the beginning of true repentance. For repentance, above everything else, is a return to the genuine order of things, the restoration of the right vision.
- Alexander Schmemann, Great Lent
Meekness and humility of heart are virtues without which it is impossible to inherit the Heavenly Kingdom, to be happy on earth, or to experience inner calm.
- Venerable St. Antony (Putilov) of Optina
Chastisement through the trials imposed on us is a spiritual rod, teaching us humility when in our foolishness we think too much of ourselves.
- St. Thalassios the Libyan
Where would there be opportunities for struggling for great deeds if we were not occasionally injured by our neighbors, if they did not offend us? Where would there be opportunities for patiently bearing offenses, for meekness and humility? You see, then, that we must be tried by many and various evils in order to prove our virtue and be eventually crowned.
- St. John of Kronstadt