Update for the week Thursday, April 10, through Sunday, April 20, 2014
LAZARUS SATURDAY through HOLY WEEK to GREAT AND HOLY PASCHA
THIS WEEK
BIBLE STUDY – Join us today - Thursday, April 10 - at 7:00 pm in the church library as we continue our study of Genesis, discussing the sacrifice of Isaac. Listen to the podcasts at http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/genesis-sacrifice-of-isaac-part-1/ and http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info/genesis-sacrifice-of-isaac-part-2/ The Bible Study at St. Mary, sponsored by the Fellowship of St. John the Divine, meets every other Thursday, and is based on a series of talks originally broadcast on Ancient Faith Radio, entitled Search the Scriptures. For more information contact Marianna Sayeg (mksayeg@gmail.com) or Fr. Antony (frawhj@gmail.com ). New members are always welcome.
CHOIR CONCERT - The Orthodox Christian Fellowship at Boston College will host the St. Romanos the Melodist Byzantine Choir of Holy Cross for a concert titled Journey to the Resurrection today, Thursday, April 10, 7:00-8:00 pm, at BC's St. Thomas More Chapel, 9 Lake Street, Brighton Campus.
The choir's new CD, All Creation Trembled, which was recorded last year, can now be downloaded at iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/all-creation-trembled/id854001174. To learn more or purchase physical copies, please visit: http://www.hchc.edu/allcreationtrembled or contact the HCHC Bookstore: 800-245-0599, bookstore@hchc.edu
LAZARUS SATURDAY
Liturgy And Breakfast – Please come and bring your friends and family on Saturday, April 12, to celebrate the Divine Liturgy (Matins 8:00 am; Liturgy 9:00 am), and enjoy a Communion Breakfast at 10:15 presented by the Women’s Club and offered by Selma Winstanley in loving memory of brother, Mitchell Mabardi.
Church Clean-Up – Following the Communion Breakfast, there will be a Church Clean-Up in preparation for Pascha, coordinated by the Fellowship of St. John the Divine. Please come and lend a hand in preparing God’s House for the Feast of Feasts.
Choir Rehearsal – Choir Rehearsal for Palm Sunday/Good Friday/ Pascha will be held after Liturgy/Breakfast on Lazarus Saturday, April 12, (approximately 10:45AM). St Mary Church Choir is very open to individuals interested in making a commitment to sing each Sunday at Divine Liturgy. Please feel free to join us and/or introduce yourself to the director, Michelle Mabardy, on any Sunday after Liturgy.
Confessions - It is preferred that you make your confession before Holy Week. However, if you are unable to do so, Fr. Antony is available for Confession before and after services from Monday to Wednesday evenings only of Holy Week, or by appointment. Please note that no confessions will be heard on Great and Holy Saturday before the Rush procession.
Vespers – On Lazarus Saturday, Great Vespers will begin at 4:00 pm instead of 5:00.
PALM SUNDAY
Return Your "FOOD For Hungry People" Boxes – Please return your filled boxes to the Bengarri on Palm Sunday, April 13. Please be very generous in your contribution to the Food for Hungry People program of our Archdiocese. “Whoever gives a hand to help his neighbor is helped by God’s own hand.” - St. Isaac the Syrian
Donations For Holy Week – For the special services of Holy Week, the Church needs donations of olive oil for the Unction Service (Wednesday), flowers for the tomb of Christ (Friday), flowers to distribute on Great and Holy Friday, rose water to anoint the faithful (Friday), incense, Paschal lilies and other flowers, and candles. Deadline is Palm Sunday, April 13. Please use the donation form in the Sunday Bulletin.
Eggs For Pascha – Six volunteers are needed to each hard-boil and dye three dozen brown eggs for Pascha eve. Khourieh Carol will provide the red dye and instructions. Names of volunteers are needed by Palm Sunday, April 13. See Khourieh Carol or call Fr. Antony at 781-507-5938.
Procession With Palms – There will be no Church School classes this Sunday. Following the Liturgy there will be the Procession with Palms (no lighted candles, please). All who wish to do so are invited to join the procession; children are especially encouraged to participate.
Palm Sunday Fish Dinner – Join us this Sunday, April 13 after Divine Liturgy for our annual Palm Sunday Fish Dinner, sponsored by the Fellowship of St. John the Divine and provided by Ed and Lisa Brylczyk. Requested donations are $8/person or $16/family.
HOLY WEEK
SUNDAY, MONDAY AND TUESDAY
On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday evenings, April 13, 14 and 15, there will be a Bridegroom Matins service at 7:00 pm. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, April 14, 15 and 16, Presanctified Liturgy will be celebrated at 7:00 am.
HOLY WEDNESDAY
The evening service on Wednesday, April 16, is Holy Unction at 7:00 pm. The service includes seven Epistles, seven Gospels, and seven prayers, all about oil and healing and forgiveness and the Holy Spirit. Seven wicks are lit in the bowl of oil, and at the end each of us is anointed and given Holy Oil to take home.
HOLY THURSDAY
On Thursday, April 17, Vesperal Liturgy is at 7:00 am. The evening service begins at 6:45 pm with Washing of the Feet, followed at 7:00 pm by Twelve Gospels, in which we hear by candlelight the entire story of Christ’s final teaching, passion, trial, walk to Golgotha, crucifixion and burial, from all four of the Gospel writers.
HOLY FRIDAY
Spend the morning in fellowship and activities with friends and families at the St. Mary’s Holy Friday Retreat on Friday, April 18, 9:30-12:30. A variety of activities will be provided and luncheon served. Recommended for ages 5 through adult. Younger children welcome but must be accompanied by an adult. We welcome your energy and talent if you are able to provide a craft, read stories, or spend time coloring with the children as part of the morning’s activities. Teens and adults are welcome to assist with egg dying and pysanky decorating, crafts with the children, or decoration of the tomb upstairs. Fr. Antony will be available to hear the children’s and teens' confessions before lunch.
Lunch is provided for everyone ($5 donation per person donation requested - make checks payable to St. Mary Orthodox Church). RSVP by Palm Sunday, April 13, to Trish Orlovsky at t_orlovsky@hotmail.com or call 781-641-0182, if you plan to attend or can help with activities that day.
Your help is needed to decorate the bier 9:00 am – 1:00 pm on Holy Friday. Volunteers can drop by for as little as a half hour; but no small children, please. (They should be at the Children’s Retreat, downstairs.) Any questions, contact Bob Kowalik at 617-889-3436 or e-mail: r.kowalik@comcast.net Parents: Come upstairs and help while your children are downstairs at their Retreat. You’re welcome to share lunch with the kids, but please let Trish know early in the week so there will be enough for everyone.
Royal Hours begins at 1:00 pm, followed by Unnailing Vespers at 3:00 pm, when the figure of Christ is removed from the Cross where it was nailed Thursday during the Twelve Gospels service, and is laid in the tomb, or bier.
Lamentations begins at 7:15 pm. During this service we will process with the Bier out of the church and down Massachusetts Avenue to Central Square, where we will meet worshippers from Ss. Constantine & Helen Greek Church carrying their bier, and join them for prayers and blessings before processing back to St. Mary.
New this year: Children ages 5-12 are invited to process in front of the bier on Holy Friday night, strewing flower petals along the way. Participants should be dressed up (white dresses are the tradition for girls as "myrrhbearers" but not required). Please contact Shannon Sakellariou (srsakellariou@gmail.com) if you plan to participate or have any questions.
Following the Lamentations Service on Holy Friday evening, St. Mary's Teen SOYO will hold an All-Night Vigil at the Church. All youth, ages 12-18 (grades 7-12), are encouraged to participate in reading Psalms, keeping watch at the tomb, and joining a discussion led by a special guest. The Vigil culminates Saturday morning with Vesperal Liturgy at 9:00 am. Teens across the Diocese will participate in similar vigils at their respective churches. The Church will be locked and several chaperones will remain with the Teens throughout the night, into the morning.
HOLY SATURDAY and GREAT AND HOLY PASCHA
Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil begins at 9:00 am on Saturday, April 19. This service includes fifteen lessons from the Old Testament, all prophesying the ultimate victory of God, and also includes Chrismation of our newest catechumens. We celebrate Christ’s triumph over evil and death, with the scattering of bay leaves and flowers. The service will be followed by a Coffee Hour/Reception, provided by Nadia and Bahig Kaldas.
Your help is needed to decorate the Church on Holy Saturday after the Liturgy and Coffee Hour, about 1:00 pm. We will be preparing the church for Pascha on Saturday afternoon. Please come, stay and help.
Saturday evening and into Great and Holy Pascha, all our Lenten efforts and Holy Week observances culminate in the celebration of Christ's resurrection. The services begin with the Vigil/Rush Service at 10:00 pm, followed by Resurrection Matins at 11:00 pm, and Divine Liturgy at 12:00 midnight. Paschal festivities, with plenty of food, will take place in the Church Hall after Liturgy.
Joint Agape Vespers (Baouth) on Easter Sunday morning will be held at 11:00 am here at St. Mary, with a reception following.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
JOIN DROPBOX AND HELP OUT ST. MARY'S – Help St. Mary Cambridge's Online Video Ministry by signing up for Dropbox using the following link: https://db.tt/6EVs2OBe ! Each new referral gives both you and the parish an extra 500 MB of free online storage!
REMINDERS
NATIONAL CONVENTION PREPARATION – Both Mary Winstanley O’Connor’s and Ray Sayeg’s committees will meet at the Church on Wednesday, April 23 and Wednesday, May 7 at 7:30 pm. (Note change of date and location.)
Letters have been mailed to all parishioners outlining the many opportunities for you to contribute to the 2015 Antiochian Archdiocesan National Convention. Please consider participating: volunteer your time and talent and/or financially support the event by sponsoring one of the many activities or placing an ad in the souvenir journal/ad book. Please complete the Volunteer Sign-up Sheet that was mailed to you and return it to Shirley Bezreh at the Bengarri/Narthex. Extra Sign-up Sheets are available on the table outside the hall.
WOMEN'S CLUB - The next Women’s Club meeting will be Tuesday, April 29, at 7:30 at the church. New members are welcome - any woman interested in joining may call Mary Ellen Mabardy at 781-729-6303.
PARISH COUNCIL – The next meeting of the Parish Council will be Wednesday, April 30, at 7:30 pm.
THIS SUNDAY'S VOLUNTEERS
Greeter: Deno Takles
Liturgical Service: Candle Bearers: Mary Neguse & Zanta Ephrem; Icon Bearer: Essey Teclezghi; Bread Baskets: Saimon Teclezghi & Meley Ephrem; Team Leader: Danait Teclezghi; Adult Supervisor: Doreen Bargoot
Epistle: Charlie Marge; Left Cloth: Barbara Shoop and Anna Higgins; Right Cloth: Dena Fehrenbacher and Bob Kowalik; Left Bread: Don Conolly; Right Bread: Linda Arnold
Coffee Hour: FSJD Palm Sunday Fish Dinner
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Thursday, April 10: Bible Study 7:00 pm
Saturday, April 12, Lazarus Saturday: Matins 8:00 am; Liturgy 9:00 am; Communion Breakfast 10:15, followed by Church Clean-Up; Great Vespers 4:00 pm
Sunday, April 13, Palm Sunday: Orthros 8:45 am, Enquirers' class 9:00 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am (no Church School); followed by FSJD Fish Dinner; Bridegroom Matins 7:00 pm
SCRIPTURE READINGS for Sunday, April 13, Palm Sunday:
Epistle: St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians 4:4-9
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Gospel: John 12:1-18
… The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" And Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it; as it is written, "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!" His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness.
Holy Monday, April 14: Presanctified Liturgy 7:00 am; Bridegroom Matins 7:00 pm
Holy Tuesday, April 15: Presanctified Liturgy 7:00 am; Bridegroom Matins 7:00 pm
Holy Wednesday, April 16: Presanctified Liturgy 7:00 am; Holy Unction 7:00 pm
Holy Thursday, April 17: Vesperal Liturgy 7:00 am; Washing of the Feet 6:45 pm and Twelve Gospels 7:00 pm
Holy Friday, April 18: Children’s Retreat 9:30 am; Royal Hours 1:00 pm; Unnailing Vespers 3:00 pm; Lamentations 7:15 pm with Procession to Central Square; Teen Vigil overnight
Holy Saturday, April 19: Vesperal Liturgy 9:00 am, followed by coffee hour/reception
Saturday-Sunday, April 19-20: Vigil/Rush Service 10:00 pm; Resurrection Matins 11:00 pm; Great and Holy Pascha Divine Liturgy 12 midnight; followed by Paschal Festivities in the Church Hall
Sunday, April 20, Great and Holy Pascha: Joint Agape Vespers (Baouth) 11:00 am; reception following.
LOOKING AHEAD
Thursday, April 24: Bible Study 7:00 pm
Saturday, April 26: Great Vespers 5:00 pm
Sunday, April 27: Orthros 8:45 am, Enquirers' class 9:00 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; Church School lesson 22 and Creative Arts preparation
Thursday-Sunday, June 19-22: Parish Life Conference, Plymouth, MA
REFLECTION
To anyone who has tasted of the true liturgical life – be it only once and however imperfectly – it is almost self-evident that from the moment we hear, "Rejoice O Bethany, home of Lazarus…" and then "… on the morrow Christ is coming… ," the external world becomes slightly unreal, and one almost experiences pain in entering into the necessary daily contact with it. "Reality" is that which is going on in the Church, in that celebration which day after day makes us realize what it means to expect, and why Christianity is above everything else expectation and preparation. Thus, when that Friday evening comes and we sing "having completed the edifying forty days… ," we have not only fulfilled an annual Christian "obligation"; we are ready to make ours the words which we will sing on the next day: "In Lazarus Christ is already destroying thee, O death, and where, O Hell, is thy victory… ?
- Alexander Schmemann, Great Lent
O Christ God, when you raised Lazarus from the dead before your Passion, you confirmed the resurrection of the universe. Therefore we, like children, carry the banner of triumph and victory; and we cry to you, O conqueror of death, hosanna in the highest; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
- Troparion of Lazarus
He was wrapped in swaddling clothes, but when he rose from the tomb he laid aside the shroud… He had "no form or comeliness" (Isaiah 53:2), but on the mountain he shone with a splendor more dazzling than the sun, a foretaste of his future glory. … He knew weariness, but he is rest for "all who labor and are heavy laden" (Matthew 11:28). He prays, but he answers prayers. He weeps, but wipes away tears. He asks where Lazarus has been laid, for he is man; but he raises him to life, for he is God. He is sold, dirt cheap, for thirty pieces of silver, but he redeems the world, at great cost, with his own blood. … He dies, but he brings to life, and by his own death destroys death. He is buried, but he rises again. He descends into hell, but rescues the souls imprisoned there.
- Gregory Nazianzen