Update for the week Thursday, September 5, through Thursday, September 11, 2014

THIS WEEK

VESPERS – There will be a Great Vespers service this Saturday, September 6, at 5:00 pm.

TEACHERS/ASSISTANTS MEETING – There will be a meeting of Church School Teachers and Assistants immediately following Divine Liturgy (which begins at 10:00 am) this Sunday, September 7. All Teachers and Assistants, please plan on attending this meeting in the Library.

2015 CONVENTION COMMITTEE – St. Mary will be hosting the 2015 National Convention of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America. The next meeting of the Convention Committee will be on Wednesday, September 10, at 7:45pm at the church.

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
TEEN SOYO KAYACKING TRIP – Join us for our kickoff event on Sunday, September 14, as we kayak down the Charles.  We will depart after church and finish up around 2:30. Please RSVP by Friday, September 12th and visit www.PaddleBoston.com to download a waiver form.

TEEN SOYO ELECTIONS – Elections for Teen SOYO officers will take place in late September. See Hannah or Greg if you're interested in running for office.

PARISH COUNCIL – The next meeting of the Parish Council will be Wednesday, September 24, at 7:45 pm.

ENQUIRERS CLASS - The St. Ignatius Catechetical Group (Enquirers’ Class) will begin meeting on Sunday, October 5 at 9:00am in the library (next door to Fr. Antony’s office). The group is for non-Orthodox adults who are interested in exploring the Christian Faith as it has been – and continues to be – understood, preached, and lived by members of the Holy Orthodox Church who descend from the early Christian community of Antioch, where “the disciples were for the first time called Christians” (Acts 11:26). Bob Kowalik will be teaching the group using materials developed and piloted by St. Mary catechist emeritus David Vermette. If you would like to participate, please talk to Bob during coffee hour; or get in touch by phone 617-889-3436 or e mail r.kowalik@comcast.net. For those seeking to be received into the Orthodox Church, participation in the group and Fr. Antony’s blessing are required.

MEMORY ETERNAL - We regret to inform you of the falling asleep in the Lord of Victoria Mary Yerrid of Charleston, West Virginia on Saturday August 30, 2014.  Victoria was the beloved mother of Beverly and Arthur Mabbett. Victoria was a lifelong member of St. George’s Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral in Charleston, West Virginia and Dame Commander of the Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch.  Funeral services were held at St. George Cathedral with interment at Sunset Memorial Park South Charleston, WV.  In lieu of flowers donations may be given to St. George Foundation, P.O. Box 2044, Charleston, WV 25327 or International Orthodox Christian Charities, P.O. Box 630225, Baltimore, Md 21263. May her memory be eternal.

REMINDERS
GREETERS AND COFFEE HOUR – We need people to volunteer ASAP to serve as Greeters and to provide Coffee Hours. See Opportunities for Service, below, for details.

CREATIVE ARTS PRESENTATION - Award ribbons will be given to the children who participated in the Diocese of Worcester and New England Creative Arts Competition, following Liturgy next Sunday, September 14. Please see that your child is present for the award presentation if they were in Grades K/1, 2, 3, 4/5 and 6 last Spring and helped complete the Creative Arts project for their class. The projects will be on display in the Church Hall following the presentation.

WOMENS CLUB – The Women’s Club will meet on Monday September 15, at 7:30 at the church. We welcome all women of the parish to join us in the Women’s Club in September. We do charitable work both locally and internationally and support the Church School, and we would love for you to join us. Call Mary Ellen Mabardy (781-729-6303) or the church office if you have any questions or want to be a part of this wonderful group of women.

ATTENTION COLLEGE STUDENTS – If you are a new or returning college or university student, please fill out a yellow “College Student Address Form” on the Bengarri (desk in Narthex) so that we can send you St. Mary’s church announcements and information about college activities.  Please leave the form on the Bengarii or give directly to Greg or Hannah Hakim (greghakim@gmail.com ).

“WELCOME BACK" BREAKFAST – This year's “Welcome Back” breakfast is being organized by both the FSJD and the Sunday School Administration.
     WHEN: After Liturgy on Sunday, September 21, 2014
     WHERE: Downstairs in the church hall.
     WHY: 1. To join us in welcoming back visiting Orthodox college students and St. Mary's Sunday School students.
     2. To help showcase all of the volunteer organizations. Be involved at St. Mary's!
     WHO: Everyone is invited to attend!
Important details: There will be a reserved table for college students, and a reserved table for Sunday School students. Besides those, each table will showcase 1-2 groups - each group is bringing a coffee hour food, so be prepared to mingle and partake of this special, church-wide coffee hour. (If you lead a St. Mary's group and haven't yet received an email from Julie Wasilko on signing up for the breakfast, please email her at julie31415pi@gmail.com.)

MEN'S RETREAT WITH BP. JOHN – There will be a Men’s Retreat with His Grace, Bishop John, at the St. Methodios Center in New Hampshire on September 19-21. The retreat will be a four-part call to action addressing Jesus’ final commandment. Cost: $199, includes meals. Contact Jeff St. Jean at 413-348-2878 or mensgroup@stoc.org for more info.

SONIA'S RUN/WALK – The 6th annual Sonia’s 5K Run/Walk., at St. George Orthodox Church, West Roxbury, MA, will be held on Saturday, September 20. The 5k road race is held annually to benefit the Theophany School in honor of beloved friend Sonia Belcher. The proceeds from Sonia's Run go towards Theophany School's "Building on a Dream" campaign, to fulfill Sonia's dream of a permanent home for Theophany School. For details, registration, etc see http://www.soniasrun.org/ or contact Theophany School at 781-444-3058.

ST. THEKLA AND ST. RAPHAEL PILGRIMAGE - Registration is open for the annual St. Thekla & St. Raphael Pilgrimage, held at the Antiochian Village on Friday-Sunday, September 26-28, with His Grace Bishop Thomas of the Diocese of Charleston, Oakland, and the Mid-Atlantic presiding. Lodging for both adults and children is available for the weekend. Registration form and additional information is available at http://www.antiochian.org/sites/default/files/2014_brochure.pdf


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 – If you do not sing in the choir, or chant, serve in the Altar or at the Bengarri, and  are not a Church School teacher,  please consider serving the Church as a Greeter!  Greeters arrive 15 minutes before Liturgy, get a Greeter Name Tag from the Bengarri, pin it on and greet visitors/parishioners at the Church Entrance and direct them upstairs to the Church, or to the cloakroom or restrooms.  Greeting time ends when Communion starts.  Send your name and e-mail address to Buddy Mabardy: buddymabardy@cjmabardy.com or phone him 781-729-6303. Or call the Church office 617-547-1234.

LITURGICAL SERVICE – Each Sunday, members of the congregation are needed to read the Epistle and assist during Communion by holding the Communion Cloths and Blessed Bread.  All Orthodox Christians in the Parish are welcome and encouraged to participate. We usually need one Epistle reader and four people to hold the cloths.  If you would like to read the Epistle or assist during Communion, please contact Jeff Wasilko, 781-820-0882, jeffw@smoe.org
   Also, members of the Church School and others help by carrying the Icon, Candlesticks, and Bread Baskets in procession during the Great Entrance, and presenting the Bread to be blessed during the Liturgy. To volunteer for this service please contact Teva Regule at teva@mit.edu.

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 new signup sheet on the bulletin board outside the Hall or call Barbara Shoop 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 monthly Cornerstone), or ask Barbara at secretary@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org or 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.
Also - please donate unwanted past issues of Orthodox magazines such as The Word, OCMC or other periodicals to our prison ministry to hand out to inmates.  Please remove any personal mailing address for security purposes and give them to Mitrophan Chin.

VIDEO EDITING – Volunteers are wanted to assist with video editing of sermons and lectures. We are looking for volunteers to assist with some basic video editing to post the sermons and lectures from St. Mary's online. If you have experience with digital video editing, please let Jamil Samara or Erick Straghalis know you are interested - email live@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org.

PHOTOGRAPHERS AND GRAPHIC DESIGNERS – Are you a photographer or a graphic designer? Would you be willing to share your talents with St. Mary Church and her ministries? We are looking for you to help photograph the divine services and events and to design promotional material for events and programs at our parish. Please contact Jamil Samara at webmaster@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org with any questions, and to let him know that you are interested in getting more involved.

"As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me," says our Lord.

LITURGICAL SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK
Saturday, September 6: Great Vespers 5:00

Sunday, September 7: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; followed by Church School teachers meeting
Scripture Readings for Sunday, September 7:
   Epistle: Galatians 6:11-18
... But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. ... Henceforth let no man trouble me; for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

   Gospel: John 3:13-17
The Lord said, "… God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him."

Thursday, September 11: Bible Study

LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday, September 13: Great Vespers 5:00

Sunday, September 14: Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross; Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; Creative Arts awards presentation; Church School registration (for new students and children age 3 and older)

Saturday, September 20: Great Vespers 5:00

Sunday, September 21: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; Church School classes start; Welcome Back Breakfast (new format)

Thursday, September 25: Bible study 7:00 pm

Saturday, September 27: Great Vespers 5:00

Sunday, September 28: Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; followed by Church School

REFLECTION
"Far be it for me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal. 6:14). Truly this symbol is thought despicable; but it is so in the world's reckoning, and among men; in Heaven and among the faithful it is the highest glory. Poverty too is despicable, but it is our boast; and to be cheaply thought of by the public is a matter of laughter to them, but we are elated by it. So too is the Cross our boast. He does not say, 'I boast not,' nor, 'I will not boast,' but, 'Far be it from me that I should,' as if he abominated it as absurd, and invoked the aid of God in order to his success therein. And what is the boast of the Cross? That Christ for my sake took on Him the form of a slave, and bore His sufferings for me the slave, the enemy, the unfeeling one; yea, He so loved me as to give Himself up to a curse for me. What can be comparable to this?
   - St. John Chrysostom

"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up" (John 3:14). And just exactly as all who were bitten by the serpents looked upon the bronze serpent which was suspended and were healed, thus also every Christian who believes in our Christ and has recourse to His life-bearing wounds, who eats His Flesh and drinks His all-holy Blood, is cured of the bites of the spiritual serpent of sin and by this most holy nourishment is made to live unto the renewal of a new creation, that is, new life in harmony with His life-giving commandments.
   - Elder Ephraim of Philotheou Mount Athos, Counsels from the Holy Mountain

The reasons why Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into the world are these: 1. The love of God for the human race: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16). 2. The restoration in fallen humanity of the image and likeness of God, as the holy Church celebrates it: "Man who, being made in the image of God, had become corrupt through sin, and was full of vileness, and had fallen away from the better life Divine, doth the wise Creator restore anew" (First Canon of Matins for the Nativity of Christ). 3. The salvation of men’s souls: "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17). And so we, in conformance with the purposes of our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, should spend our life in accordance with this Divine teaching, so that through it we may obtain the salvation of our souls.
   - St. Seraphim of Sarov (The Reasons Why Jesus Christ Came into the World)

The Word of God came in His own Person, because it was He alone, the Image of the Father, Who could recreate man made after the Image. … He assumed a human body, in order that in it death might once for all be destroyed, and that men might be renewed according to the Image. The Image of the Father only was sufficient for this need.
   - St. Athanasius, On the Incarnation