Update for the week Thursday, May 4 - Thursday, May 11, 2017

THIS WEEK AT ST. MARY'S

WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY, 5/3-5 - The Church office is closed Wednesday through Friday of this week.  If there is an emergency please contact Fr. Antony directly at 781-507-5938.

THURSDAY, 5/4 – The Bible Study group will meet tonight - Thursday, May 4 - at 7:00 pm in the church library.  We will continue discussing the book, "The Divine Dance" by Richard Rohr.  New members are always welcome. Our next meeting will be Thursday, May 18.

SATURDAY, 5/6 – There will be a Great Vespers service at St. Mary’s on Saturday, May 6, at 5:00 pm. Fr. Nicholas Belcher will officiate

   + The Young Adult Fellowship will sponsor a Potluck Dinner after Vespers, followed by Game Night. Bring a friend, a delicious dish or drink to share, and your favorite board or card game! If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Jamil at 617-501-4427 or youngadults@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org.

SUNDAY, 5/7 – This Sunday another road race - the “Race 4 Research” - will begin at 10:00 am and head down Broadway from Kendall Square, take a left on Ware St. and return on Harvard Ave. back to Kendall Square.  If you come to church via Inman St., Prospect St. or any other streets that run parallel to Inman, you may encounter delays at Broadway and Harvard Ave. Please plan accordingly.

   + Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am; Church School lesson 23

   + Bible Bowl practice session right after church in the Library. 

THIS WEEK ELSEWHERE

SATURDAY, 5/6 – Anyone interested in church music is invited to Clergy & Choirs Day sponsored by the Diocese of Worcester & New England at St. John of Damascus, Dedham this Saturday, from 10:00am-3:00pm.  The schedule includes the Role of Clergy and Church Musicians, Choir Festival, and Improving vocal technique. Presenters include our own Katie Boardman. RSVP to Charlie.marge@verizon.net or 781-863-5015.

   + AABA (Arab American Benevolent Association) has reserved 100 tickets for the last New England showing of the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus on Saturday May 6, at 3:00pm, at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island. They are offering the tickets at $27.25 each. As their gift to the community, AABA has hired and paid for two buses to transport everyone to the event, leaving the parking lot of St. John of Damascus Church in Dedham, at 1:00pm. You don’t have to drive or worry about parking!  To reserve your tickets, please call the AABA office at: 617.323.2722 #4 or email daryag@aabausa.org Tickets are available on a first come first served basis! Remember they have only 100 seats reserved!

   + St. Mary Church of Pawtucket, RI invites you to share with them A Byzantine Night, with Bishop John and their Arabic Choir led by Kh.Rouba, on Saturday, May 6 at 6:00pm. Immediately following, there will be refreshments at the Parish center.

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANTIOCHIAN WOMEN MEETING – The Spring Meeting of the Antiochian Women of the diocese will be held on Saturday May 13, at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Lowell MA. There will be Morning Prayers at 10:00 and the meeting - including election of officers - will begin at 10:30. Lunch will follow.

CHURCH SCHOOL TEACHER NEEDED - For Fall 2017 we are in need of a Teacher for 6th grade to work with Deno Takles. And we are always in need of substitutes.   Please consider being a teacher and helping with this very important ministry.  Contact Barbara Shoop in the Church office if you are interested. 

REMINDERS

NO FASTING – There is no fasting on Wednesday or Friday for the entire forty days from Pascha until the Feast of the Ascension on May 25. This is the decision of the Holy Synod of the Church of Antioch. This cessation of fasting, however, is purely voluntary; you may fast if you wish.

WOMEN’S CLUB DINNER - The Women’s Club will will be going out for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory in Chestnut Hill on Monday May 15, at 7:00.   All women of the parish are welcome to join us.  If you are interested contact Marilyn at 781-729-3033 or Barbara in the church office (secretary@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org or 617-547-1234).  It’s always a fun evening!

PARISH COUNCIL – The next meeting of the Parish Council is scheduled for Wednesday, May 17, at 7:30 in the church.

ASCENSION LITURGY – Evening Liturgy for the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord will be Wednesday, May 24 at 6:30pm.

BLESSING OF GRAVES - On Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, Fr. Antony will be blessing graves at Fairview Cemetery in Hyde Park, MA. starting at 9:00 am.  If you would like him to bless the graves of loved ones in other cemeteries, please let him know by calling the Church Office at 617-547-1234 or e-mail frawhj@gmail.com

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE –  Francis Maria Scholarships are available through the Archdiocese Scholarship page, www.antiochian.org/scholarships.  Several $2500 scholarships will be awarded to Orthodox students attending an accredited 4-year college in the fall.  Applications must be postmarked by May 15, 2017.

   + Scholarships from the Antiochian Women 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, 2017.  Applications are available in the Church Office.  E-mail cindy@nimeys.com with any questions.

   + Nicholas G. Beram 2017 Scholastic Achievement Awards are available for high school seniors of our Arab American Community planning to attend a 4-year college full time.   Applications are available online at www.stjohnd.org/ngberam/index.htm .  Application deadline is June 1, 2017.

CHURCH SCHOOL RECOGNITION and CHINESE LUNCHEON – Please join us on Sunday, June 4, as we close the 2016-2017 Church School year. Church School children will be recognized as they move up to the next grade or graduate. We have two graduating seniors this year, Rebecca Sayeg and Jessica Winstanley.

   + Please plan to stay for the 2017 Chinese Martyrs Missions Breakfast/Luncheon to benefit the Chinese Translation Project via the Orthodox Fellowship of All Saints of China (OFASC). RSVP to Mitrophan at mitrophan@orthodox.cn by Wednesday, May 31.  We look forward to your support of this worthwhile project and seeing you at this event! Suggested minimum donation $8/adult, $16/family (Checks made payable to “St. Mary Orthodox Church-Hospitality” earmarked “Chinese Missions”).  

   + Adult volunteers are needed on Saturday, June 3 to help make dumplings for the luncheon.  At the same time children can make dumplings that they will take home to enjoy.

PARENTING WORKSHOP – The Diocese of Worcester and New England invites you to a workshop, “Parenting within Orthodox Families,” on Saturday, June 10 (rescheduled from April 1), 9:00am-3:00pm in the hall at St. George Cathedral, 30 Anna St., Worcester. To register email stgeorgeworc@gmail.com or call 508-752-9150. Cost: $20/person, $30/couple.

POTLUCK PICNIC - Please come join the Hospitality Group for our Annual Potluck Picnic on Sunday, June 11 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 a beautiful green. This is a great opportunity to relax and spend time with our church family. OPEN TO ALL AGES!!! For people who need assistance getting to the park, we will coordinate rides. If you would like to help us out, please email Diana Yousef (yousefd@post.harvard.edu

PARISH LIFE CONFERENCE – The 2017 Diocese of Worcester and New England Parish life Conference will be hosted by St. George Cathedral, Worcester.  Dates: Saturday, June 17 (Pre-Conference: Creative Arts judging, Women’s meeting and Church School Teachers’ workshop) and Friday-Sunday, June 23-25 (Conference). All events will take place at St. George Orthodox Cathedral.  For more information and to register go to https://www.antiochianevents.org/143

   + There will be services at St. Mary’s as usual on Sunday, June 25.

COFFEE HOUR MADE EASY! - To make sponsoring a Coffee Hour a little bit easier, St. Mary’s offers a delivery service through “Instacart”, for the basic foods necessary to host a Coffee hour.  Simply select a date, mail a check to the office and we will order the food and have it delivered to the church on that Sunday between 9:00 and 10:00 am.  You will need to be at the church to accept the order and you will be required to set up for the coffee hour and clean up both the kitchen and hall at the end of the coffee hour.  Two menus will be offered.  Menu one will include: bagels, mini muffins, fruit, hummus/Syrian bread, juice and coffee for $160.  Menu two will include: bagels, juice and coffee for $70. Prices DO NOT include a 20% tip for delivery and are subject to change based on current market pricing of items.  Cream cheese, peanut butter, jam and coffee creamer are included with each menu.  As usual, St. Mary’s will provide the plates, cups, napkins, utensils, serving platters, and sweetener for coffee.  If you are interested in taking advantage of this service and signing up for a coffee hour please contact the office at 617-547-1234 or e-mail secretary@stmaryorthodoxchurch.org.

REFLECTION

The grace of working miracles is to be found among specially chosen and just men. It is quite evident that the apostles and many saints worked miracles and wonders. This was in accordance with what the Lord Himself had commanded when He said, 'Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, expel the demons. You have freely received. Give freely.' (Matthew 10:8)

   - St. John Cassian, "Conferences"

You who have been bitten by Satan, look upon Christ; For this was He lifted up, that you might gaze on Him and be healed by Him.  You throughout whose members the hidden gall has spread, by the sight of the Cross of light you are restored to health. You who have been slain by the bites of wicked demons, lift up your eyes, look, and be healed, if you will. You that are bitten in soul by iniquity, do not doubt; look on the Cross, and it will swiftly heal your soul. Sins have torn you like the bites of serpents: If you do not gaze on the Slain One, you will not be healed. As Moses lifted the serpent, your Lord was lifted up: Look on Him, O man, and the wound that pains you will take to flight.

   - Mar Jacob, Bishop of Serugh, On the Serpent of Brass that Moses Lifted up in the Desert.

With all His love and diligence Jesus fulfilled that commission for which His Heavenly Father sent Him, directing everything toward His Father’s glory. He felt pity for all people, especially for the poor and underprivileged, wished well to everyone, and was willing to bear anything in order to ease their suffering. He bore all conceivable affronts and insults from the ungrateful crowd with the greatest meekness, and did not vent His anger on those who slandered Him and plotted intrigues against Him.

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