Update for the week Thursday, June 18, through Thursday, June 25, 2015

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY, 6/18 through the weekend - The 2015 Diocese of Worcester Parish Life Conference will be hosted by St. Mary Church of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Thursday to Sunday, June 18-21. All events will be held at the Providence Marriott, Providence, RI. See http://stmarypawtucket.org/conference for schedule and information.

   + The St. Mary Church office will be closed during the Parish Life Conference.

SATURDAY, 6/20 - No Vespers at St Mary. Vespers at the Providence Marriott 5:00 pm

SUNDAY, 6/21 – No Orthros or Liturgy at St. Mary. Orthros 9:00 am, Liturgy 10:00 am at the Providence Marriott

THURSDAY, 6/25 – St. Mary Bible Study group 7:00 pm. This group is based on a very interesting course originally broadcast on Ancient Faith Radio, entitled Search the Scriptures – see http://orthodoxbiblestudy.info. The next discussion will cover Saul and David, lessons 91 and 92. For more information contact Marianna Sayeg (mksayeg@gmail.com) or Fr. Antony (frawhj@gmail.com) New members are always welcome. Note: during the summer this year they will meet just once each month.

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

HELP AT THE CONVENTION – More volunteers – both women and men - are needed to help set up the chapel on Monday, July 20th and break it down on the next Sunday after liturgy. We also need more ushers for the daily services and liturgies. Please contact Fr. Antony at frawhj@gmail.com to volunteer.

HOTEL IS SOLD OUT! - The convention committee had reserved a block of 3,000 room nights at the Sheraton Hotel, substantially more than is typical for a convention. Unfortunately, the hotel is unable to add any additional rooms to the block at the reduced rate. If you are still looking for a hotel room, we strongly suggest doing an online search for hotels near the "Hynes Convention Center". Please keep in mind that summer time in Boston is usually a peak season for hotels.

REMINDERS

GREEK FESTIVIAL - Archangels Greek Orthodox Church is having a Greek Festival Friday through Sunday, June 26-28, with Greek music, dancing, food, bookstore and more. Time: 11:00am-11pm, Sunday noon-8pm. 25 Bigelow Ave. Watertown. For more info call 617-924-8182.

FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN - On Saturday, June 27 at St. George Orthodox Cathedral in Worcester, volunteers from all over the Diocese will be measuring and scooping 100,000 meals of MannaPack Rice, a scientifically formulated food that is culturally acceptable worldwide, for starving children. Organizations in nearly 70 countries distribute these meals to children in greatest need. We need 500 volunteers on that day as well as donations to help meet the $22,000 goal for the cost of the MobilePack Rice. This Humanitarian project is being conducted in conjunction with Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) a Christian non-profit organization committed to feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit. You can help in these ways:

   - Volunteers - Registration will be live 6 weeks prior to the event at www.fmsc.org/mobilepack

   - Donations - submit online at http://www.fmsc.org/mobilepack or checks, made out to FMSC, Memo line Mobil Pack #1506-99, can be given at the Bengarri or church office.

   Please consider volunteering and/or making a donation to this worthy cause. If you would like to learn more you can contact Fr. Milad Selim at St. George Worcester 508-752-9150 or fr.milad.selim@gmail.com

PICK UP YOUR ST. MARY'S SHIRT ORDERS - The new St-Mary's shirts -- sponsored by Teen SOYO -- have arrived. Orders can be picked up after Liturgy on Sunday, June 28th. All orders must be paid for in full. A very limited number of extra shirts are available; please see a member of Teen SOYO if interested.  If you cannot make church on the 28th, orders will also be made available for pickup at select coffee hours in July.

PARISH POTLUCK PICNIC – St. Mary's parish picnic will be held on Sunday, June 28th at Dana Park (10-20 McTernan St, Cambridge) – the same park as previous picnics. Bring a blanket, some eats or drinks to share, balls, frisbees, even bathing suits if you want splash in the sprinklers! Dana Park is a 5-10 minute walk south of the Church (walk down Magazine St), with an enclosed playground, hoops, water spouts, and beautiful green. This is a great opportunity to relax and spend time with our church family.  OPEN TO ALL AGES!!! If you need assistance getting to the park, we can coordinate rides. If you would like to help us out, please email Diana Yousef (yousefd@post.harvard.edu ). 

APOSTLES' FAST - The fast leading up to the Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul began Monday, June 8, and lasts for three weeks this year, through Sunday, June 28.

BOURELL FAMILY UPDATE – After being burned out of their home, Amanda and their kids have found temporary lodging with family in Michigan and Texas, while Peter will stay here with a colleague near the hospital where he's working. They greatly appreciate everyone's prayers, support and suggestions for local housing during this difficult time. Some of their close friends and colleagues have begun a fundraising site that Larisa Patacchiola (larisademshuk@yahoo.com ) will be happy to share details about if anyone would like.

HOUSING HELP NEEDED – A young woman who will be starting a Master's program in Speech and Language Pathology at Emerson College this fall is looking for housing, and is open to both studio and 2-bedroom options; she is on the lookout for a roommate (female) as well. She will not have a car so an apartment close to the T would be ideal. Please contact Elyse Timothy, elyse.timothy@gmail.com

CONGRATULATIONS! - St. Mary’s Church School is pleased to announce that all four projects submitted to the Diocese of Worcester and New England Creative Arts Competition won awards. There were three achievement levels, Gold, Silver and Bronze. Grades K/1 won Gold and grades 2/3, 4/5 and 6 won Silver. WELL DONE! Award ribbons will be given to the children in the fall at a special presentation.

SACRED MUSIC INSTITUTE - The 30th Anniversary SMI will be held July 8-12 at the Antiochian Village, with Metropolitan JOSEPH as the Keynote Speaker. To register, go to http://registration.antiochianvillage.org/Registration/Welcome.aspx?e=7413B331578E5950B91A801CA88B0AFF

LITURGY BEFORE THE CONVENTION – On Sunday, July 19, there will be no Liturgy at St. Mary's Church. Liturgy will be held at St. George Cathedral, Worcester with Patriarch JOHN and Metropolitan JOSEPH. All are welcome to attend.

ARCHDIOCESE CONVENTION - As you know, our parish will be hosting the 2015 Archdiocesan Convention at the Sheraton-Boston Hotel in Copley Square Tuesday through Sunday, July 21-26, 2015. There are numerous and various committees on which you may volunteer. We will require everyone’s involvement at St. Mary’s to make this convention truly a success spiritually, socially and financially. If you are interested in participating, please see either Father Antony or the co-chairs, Raymond Sayeg and Mary Winstanley O’Connor.

   To register for the convention and purchase convention event tickets and tickets for Boston excursions, go to www.acboston2015.com. The Sheraton Boston is completely sold out at this time. The convention committee had reserved a block of 3,000 room nights, substantially more than is typical for a convention. Other hotels in the vicinity may still have vacancies.

PATRISTICS INSTITUTE – You are invited to take part in the ninth annual Summer Program in Patristic Studies sponsored by the Pappas Patristic Institute of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. This five-day program is for theology and religious studies students, including masters-level students and undergraduates, and others, including clergy and lay people, with a background in religious studies, who would like to pursue their interests in the early Church. This year’s program will be held from July 19 – 24, 2015 on the campus of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts. See http://www.hchc.edu/assets/files/patristics/2015%20AnnouncmentProgram_150502.pdf for more information.

TANGLEWOOD OUTING – Join your music-loving friends from St. Mary’s as we carpool out to Tanglewood after Liturgy on Sunday, August 2 (the weekend after the Convention). We’ll picnic on the lawn and listen to music by Haydn, Dean and Strauss featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma, with violinist Joshua Bell and new BSO conductor Andris Nelsons. For more information see http://www.bso.org/Performance/Detail/69833 . The concert starts at 2:30; lawn tickets are $21.00 (pay at the door). Bring lawn chairs if you want them, and picnic food for yourself and to share. For more information and to let us know you're coming, especially if you'll need a ride, contact Melissa Nassiff by email (mnassiff@gmail.com) or phone (508 877-7483).

NEW SKETE PILGRIMAGE - The Monastic Communities of New Skete Monastery in Cambridge, New York (www.newskete.org), invite you to their Annual Pilgrimage on Saturday, August 8, 2014, between 8:30am - 6:00pm.  The day will include Church Services, Church Tours, a Photo Exhibit, and a Healing Service with Anointing as well as talks by the monastics on Monastic Life and Iconography and by Chapel Community members on their relationship with the monastery.  In addition, pilgrims will have the opportunity to visit with the New Skete German Shepherds and take a hike on the monks' mountain. Activities for kids are also planned. This year's guest speaker is Dr. Anton Vrame. Dr. Vrame is the Director of the Department of Religious Education for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. He will be exploring the trends in society and their effects of Christianity in the US today and into the future. His talk is entitled, "Does the Future Have a Church?

+ In years past, a number of us have gone out for the weekend to help the Communities with this event—to be extra sets of "helping hands" for the day.  They are hoping a number of us will do so again this year. Would you like to help? In the past, this has been a wonderful community building activity for all of us. Moreover, if you have never been to the monastery, this may be a good way to be introduced to their life and work. Contact Reva Regule (teva@mit.edu ) for more information, especially about housing. Note that the Emmaus house is now a guest house. Anyone wishing to stay there should contact Br. Gregory directly (brgregory@newskete.org) by Monday, July 6. They will hold the rooms for us until that date.

PARISH COUNCIL - The next Parish Council meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, August 26 at 7:30 pm at the church.

CHURCH SCHOOL TEACHERS NEEDED - We are in need of teachers for the fall, in particular Pre-School and Kindergarten/1st grade. Anyone interested in teaching, or being an assistant or substitute, please contact Barbara@dsaarchitects.com.

THEOPHANY SCHOOL REGISTRATION - Theophany School is now enrolling for Fall 2015. They are excited to announce Theophany School's expansion into Elementary School and offering Preschool, Pre-K, Kindergarten, and First Grade Enrollment for this Fall. For more information visit their website at http://www.theophanyschool.org or contact them at 781-444-3058 or theophanyschool@gmail.com

SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR THIS SUNDAY

   Epistle:

Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man -- though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

   - Romans 5:1-10 

   Gospel:

The Lord said, "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear? For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well."

   - Matthew 6:22-33 

REFLECTION

But when the Holy Spirit dwells in the heart of a person, He shows him all his inner poverty and weakness, and the corruption of his heart and soul, and his separation from God; and with all his virtues and righteousness, He shows him his sins, his sloth and indifference regarding the salvation and good of people, his self-seeking in his apparently most disinterested virtues, his coarse selfishness even where he does not suspect it. To be brief, the Holy Spirit shows him everything as it really is. Then a person begins to have true humility, begins to lose hope in his own powers and virtues, regards himself as the worst of men. And when a person humbles himself before Jesus Christ Who alone is Holy in the glory of God the Father, he begins to repent truly, and resolves never again to sin but to live more carefully. And if he really has some virtues, then he sees clearly that he practiced and practices them only with the help of God, and therefore he begins to put his trust only in God.

   - St. Innocent of Irkutsk, Indication of the Way Into the Kingdom of Heaven

When evening comes, collect your thoughts and ponder over the entire course of the day: observe God's providential care for you; consider the grace He has wrought in you throughout the whole span of the day; consider the rising of the moon, the joy of daylight, all the hours and moments, the divisions of time, the sight of different colors, the beautiful adornment of creation, the course of the sun, the growth of your own stature, how your own person has been protected, consider the blowing of the winds, the ripe and varied fruits, how the elements minister to your comfort, how you have been preserved from accidents, and all the other activities of grace. When you have pondered on all this, wonder of God's love toward you will well up within you, and gratitude for his acts of grace will bubble up inside you.

   - John the Solitary, The Syriac Fathers on Prayer and the Spiritual Life

All the works of our life and its various activities will pass away and disappear... Nothing will remain except these two peculiar acts: God's love for us and our worship of him. These two shall never pass away even after this life is over. They shall last forevermore in the life to come.

   - Abba Matthew the Poor

He who loves God consciously in his heart is known by God (cf. I Cor. 8:3), for to the degree that he receives the love of God consciously in his soul, he truly enters into God's love. From that time on, such a man never loses an intense longing for the illumination of spiritual knowledge.

   - St. Diadochos of Photiki