Update for the week Thursday, March 12, through Thursday, March 19, 2015

A Message from Fr. Antony

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

   This Saturday, March 14, the Women's Club is coming together to make spinach triangles as it has done for many years.  I am asking all the members of our parish to help out.  It is very important for the health of our community that we all lend a hand to one another when needed. It makes us a more cohesive and stronger community. I assure you that the work is fun and the fellowship even more so.

   The women of the Women's Club have dedicated their whole lives to the welfare of St. Mary's and now it is our turn to show them our appreciation, not just by buying and eating their wonderful spinach triangles, but also by making the work lighter with our help

   I hope that you will consider offering even an hour or two this Saturday.  Any amount of time you can give would help so very much.  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me or Mary Ellen Marbardy, our Women's Club president, or any of the other club members.

   Please help out. God bless you,

Fr. Antony

THIS WEEK 

FRIDAY, 3/13 – Akathist (Madayeh) service 7:00 pm (and every Friday through March 27)

SATURDAY, 3/14 - The Sts. Martha and Mary Sisterhood of Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church, 62 Harvard Ave., Allston, invites you to a Lenten Women’s Retreat on Saturday, March 14. The theme is Becoming a Living Sacrifice, with speaker Matushka Constantina Parker, author of The Scent of Holiness. Registration begins at 8:30 am; $35 adult fee/$20 student fee includes lunch and afternoon tea. Contact Lydia Hutchinski for registration questions: 617-323-5989 or hutchinski@verizon.net

   + Help the Women's Club make Spinach Triangles 9:00

   + Great Vespers at St. Mary 5:00 pm

SUNDAY, 3/15 – Enquirers Class (St. Ignatius Catechetical Group) 9:00 am; Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; Teens remain upstairs for the sermon; Church School lesson 17

   + The Annual Meeting of St. Mary's Parish, repeatedly postponed because of snowstorms, will take place this Sunday, March 15, immediately after Liturgy. It is important that all members of St. Mary’s Church attend this meeting to approve the 2015 budget.

   + Coffee hour will follow the Annual Meeting

   + If you ordered Hoomos (hummus), Mjadara (lentils with rice), or Spinach from the Women's Club Lenten Food Sale, you can pick them up this Sunday during coffee hour, after the annual meeting. Anything not picked up will be frozen.

MONDAY, 3/16 – Great Compline at St. George, Lowell, 7:00 pm

WEDNESDAY, 3/18 – Presanctified Liturgy 6:30, followed by Potluck Supper (and every Wednesday through April 1). Potluck leader for 3/11 is Elana Jabbour – Elana.Jabbour@gmail.com

   + The Parish Council will meet Wednesday, March 18 at 8:00 pm

THURSDAY, 3/19 - The Bible Study group meets next Thursday, March 19, at 7:00 pm in the church library. The Bible Study at St. Mary meets every other Thursday, and is based on a very interesting course originally broadcast on Ancient Faith Radio, entitled Search the Scriptures. For more information contact Marianna Sayeg (mailto:mksayeg@gmail.com ) or Fr. Antony (mailto:mksayeg@gmail.com ). New members are always welcome.

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

NO VESPERS – There will not be a Vespers service at St. Mary next week,. Saturday, March 21.

COFFEE HOUR – A volunteer is needed to provide coffee hour on Sunday, March 22. Isn't it your turn by now?

MEMORY ETERNAL - We regret to inform you of the falling asleep in the Lord of Seth Egders age 16, in a tragic bus accident. Seth was the great nephew of Trish and Alex Orlovsky. May his memory be eternal.

SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE – The Francis Maria Scholarship is available through the Archdiocese Scholarship page, www.antiochian.org/scholarships. Several $2500 scholarships will be awarded to students attending an accredited 4-year college. Applications must be postmarked by May 15, 2015.

REMINDERS

WOMEN'S MONTH – March is Antiochian Women’s Month. Our women will be reading the Epistle (1 woman), taking the Collection each Sunday (2 women) and assisting during Communion (6 women). 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 at 781-729-6303 or the church office.

WOMEN'S MONTH SERMONS - This month a number of women from the parish will be sharing their thoughts on the various "Themes of Holy Week." By reflecting on Holy or Great Week, it is our hope that we can gain a greater understanding of the services that mark our yearly celebration of our Lord's death and resurrection and its meaning for our lives today. This Sunday Andrea Popa will talk about Holy Thursday: “Humility and Offering” 

LENTEN POTLUCKS – Every Wednesday during Lent the Presanctified Liturgy at 6:30 pm will be followed by a Potluck Supper, if we have a volunteer leader for each week.

   Being the leader simply means a) providing a main dish, b) coordinating what others bring if they ask, and c) coordinating setup and cleanup. As with coffee hour, if there is no potluck leader, then there is no potluck. We still need three more volunteers - contact Julie Wasilko (julie31415pi@gmail.com) or Melissa Nassiff (mnassiff@gmail.com) to sign up to lead a potluck.

   Everyone else, please bring a dish 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.

BBC LENTEN RECORDINGS – You can span the liturgical cycle from Lent to Pascha with the triad of recordings from the Boston Byzantine Choir: Lenten Journey, Thy Passion, and Thy Resurrection. These CDs, $15 each or $40 for all three, are available from the Church Office or from Charlie Marge.

FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION – We will celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation to the Holy Theotokos with Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom for the Annunciation and the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel on Wednesday, March 25, at 6:30 pm. Because this year the Feast of the Annunciation falls on Wednesday in Lent when we usually celebrate the Pre- Sanctified Divine Liturgy, we will follow the ancient order for services allowing us to celebrate the Feast at the end of the day with the Chrysostom Liturgy. Fish, wine and oil are permitted this day. Afterwards, we return to the strict fast. (We will not offer the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy that week.)

LENTEN RETREAT – Our teens are invited for the annual Lenten Retreat at the Saint Methodios Retreat Center in Contoocook, New Hampshire, on Friday-Sunday, March 27-29. The speaker will be Father Gregory Christakis, a Greek Orthodox priest from Medford, MA.

BAKE SALE – The St. Mary Women’s Club's annual Pascha Bake Sale will be held Sunday, March 29, during Coffee Hour. Plan on purchasing all your Pascha/Easter desserts, pastries and goodies. If you can bake something please call Mary Ellen Mabardy at 781-729-6303.

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, 2015. If you have any questions, contact Mary Winstanley O’Connor at 617-523-1010 or email at moconnor@koilaw.com .

   - The New England Region Fellowship of St. John the Divine is awarding scholarships to students who are faithful and active Orthodox Christians, whose high school records indicate a potential for being successful in an accredited college and who are in need of financial assistance. Applications are available through the Church Office and must be received by the Scholarship Committee Chairperson by May 1, 2015.

   - Antiochian Women’s Scholarships are available to females 25 years of age and older in good standing of the Antiochian Archdiocese, actively involved in their parish and who demonstrate need. The application deadline is June 1, 2015. Applications are available in the Church Office. E-mail cindy@cnyhondas.com with any questions.

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 for donations is Palm Sunday, April 5. Please use the donation form in the Sunday Bulletin.

DIOCESAN COMPLINE – Great Compline services are offered every Monday evening at 7:00 pm in a different church of the diocese. The remaining schedule is as follows: March 16t h St. George, Lowell; March 23rd St. George, West Roxbury; and March 30th St. George, Worcester (6:30pm).

FOOD FOR HUNGRY PEOPLE – You are urged during this season of prayer, self-discipline and fasting, to be 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 5. “Whoever gives a hand to help his neighbor is helped by God’s own hand.” - St. Isaac the Syrian

ETHIOPIAN ICON EXHIBIT - The Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton, MA is featuring an exhibit on the History of Ethopian Icons through April 18. For information call 978-598-5000 or see www.museumofrussianicons.org.

ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE SUMMER CAMP - Summer Camp registration is now open. Last year most sessions were full by the end of February, so make sure you register right away! There are currently over 300 campers registered. Please visit the Registration Page for instructions on how to register. Please note that you are not registered until they receive a deposit and you receive a confirmation email. For more information go to http://www.antiochianvillage.org/camp.html

ARCHDIOCESE CONVENTION – The 52nd Antiochian Archdiocese Convention, hosted by St. Mary Church, will be held Sunday, July 19, 2015-Sunday, July 26, 2015 at the Sheraton Boston Hotel, Boston, MA. The convention room rate is $199.00 per night, plus tax. To book rooms at the hotel, register for the convention, purchase convention event tickets and tickets for Boston excursions and obtain forms to place a message in the Souvenir Journal, go to www.acboston2015.com. Rooms are booking quickly for this historic convention. Please call the church at (617) 547-1234 with any questions.

THIS WEEK'S VOLUNTEERS

Greeter: Paul Demerjian

Liturgical Service: 

Epistle: Elizabeth Straghalis

Procession: Furtuna Tesfamiam, Shannon Sakellariou, Basema Shalhoub, Maggie Arnold-Rodriquez, Andrea Popa

Communion: Tenbit Mitiku, Linda Arnold, Melissa Nassiff, Azeb Mitiku, and TBD

Collection: Klorela Alcala and Diana Yousef

Coffee Hour: Carolyn Rahal-Keamy

SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THIS SUNDAY, Veneration of the Holy Cross

   Epistle:

Since we have a high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. ... So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, "Thou art my son, today I have begotten thee"; as he says also in another place, "Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek."

   - Hebrews 4:14-5:6 

   Gospel:

The Lord said: "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."...

   - Mark 8:34-9:1 

REFLECTION

Every one is by nature afraid of death and of bodily dissolution; the marvel of marvels is that he who is enfolded in the faith of the cross despises this natural fear and for the sake of the cross is no longer cowardly in face of it.

   - St. Athanasius, On the Incarnation

The first duty of a Christian, of a disciple and follower of Jesus Christ, is to deny oneself. To deny oneself means to give up one's bad habits, to root out of the heart all that ties us to the world; not to cherish bad desires and thoughts; to quench and suppress bad thoughts; to avoid occasions of sin; not to do or desire anything from self-love but to do everything out of love for God. To deny oneself means, according to the Apostle Paul, to be dead to sin and the world, but alive to God.

   - St. Innocent of Alaska, Indication of the Way into the Kingdom of Heaven

The Lord Jesus Christ endured all things and finally ascended on the Cross, which means the deadening of the body and passion and a holy and perfect rest.

   - St. Barsanuphius, Book of Answers

The Life of all, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, did not contrive death for his own body, lest he should appear fearful of some other death. But he accepted and endured on the cross that inflicted by others, especially by enemies, which they reckoned fearful and ignominious and shameful, in order that this being destroyed, he might himself be believed to be Life, and the power of death might be completely annihilated. So something wonderful and marvelous happened: that ignominious death which they thought to inflict, this was the trophy of his victory over death.

   - St. Athanasius the Great

Therefore if you want to have in your heart the affections and dispositions that were those of Christ on earth, consult not your own imagination but faith. Enter into the darkness of interior renunciation, strip your soul of images and let Christ form Himself in you by His Cross.

   - Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation