St. Mary e-Newsletter for Friday, November 20, 2020
PRAYER AND WORSHIP
Every Sunday Orthros is at 8:45am, followed by Divine Liturgy at 10:00am. Members of St. Mary’s laity may attend Sunday services in rotation by invitation, with appropriate physical distancing throughout the nave.
Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos – There will be Vesperal Divine Liturgy for the Entrance of the Theotokos Into the Temple tonight, Friday, November 20 at 6:30pm. Sign up on EventBrite using this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vesperal-liturgy-for-the-entrance-of-the-theotokos-tickets-128867942485 password: 0815
Please visit our church webpage under “News,” “COVID-19 Safety
Directives and Policies” (https:// www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/news/covid19safety) to review the procedures for attendance.
All the Divine Services held in St. Mary’s Church can also be seen live-streamed at www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/live or www.facebook.com/stmarycambridge or www.youtube.com/stmarycambridge
Monday–Saturday you can join Morning Prayers on Zoom with James & Brooke Wilcox. They write: “Morning Prayer has now become part of our daily routine, where we are joyfully able to participate with others in the St Mary’s community. And thanks to the power of the internet, and the influence of other participants, we now have people joining us each morning from Chile, Arizona, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Florida, New York City and other portions of Massachusetts as well. We are always happy to add more!”
We run morning prayers for 15 minutes each morning, Monday through Saturday, beginning at 8:45am: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/377381275 password: 28052020
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Memory Eternal
We regret to inform you of the falling asleep in the Lord of Mary B. Mabardi, a life-long member of St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church and mother of Michelle and Chuck Mabardy. Mary was the grandmother of Carolyn, Charles and Anthony Mabardi and the wife of the late Attorney Mitchell Mabardi, and sister of Agnes Battit. Mary is survived by her sisters in law, Zahie Mabardi and Selma Winstanley, and many nieces and nephews. Due to COVID the funeral services will be private, however will be livestreamed beginning at 11:00am on Saturday, November 21, 2020 and available on the following three sites:
stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/live
facebook.com/stmarycambridge
youtube.com/stmarycambridge
Relatives and friends are invited to gather at the gate of the Fairview Cemetery (45 Fairview Avenue, Boston, MA) on Saturday, November 21, 2020 at 12:30PM to join the funeral procession to the graveside.
Donations in Mary’s memory may be made to St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church. May her memory be eternal.
Stewardship
Our 2021 Stewardship Pledge Drive will be 100% on-line this year and will run through the end of November. Watch for an e-mail from Fr. Antony today.
To make a pledge: https://www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/donate/stewardship-2021-pledge-card
For more info on our Pledge Drive, including FAQs: https://www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/donate/stewardship-2021-pledge-drive
Sound System
THANK YOU to all who have donated to replace our sound system. We have now exceeded our goal of $15,000 and will be able to perform all the necessary upgrades.
Donations to the Church
One-time donations to the church (For the Good Health of, In Memory of, etc.) can be made on our website using this new form: https://www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/donate/donate-now
In addition to bank ACH transfers, we now accept credit cards for these donations, but kindly ask that you check the box to cover the 2.6% fee incurred by the church for this convenience. For pledge contributions, please sign up for eGive to make ACH transfers.
Donations for the Holy Nativity
If you would like to donate toward the Poinsettias and Nativity decorations, please provide us with your name, telephone, and email, and whether the donation is for the Good health of [name], Continued good health of [name], or in Memory of [name], and mail with your check to St. Mary Church, 8 Inman Street, Cambridge, MA 02139-2407. Or you can use the new form on our website: https://www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/donate/donate-now
In addition to bank ACH transfers, we now accept credit cards for these donations, but kindly ask that you check the box to cover the 2.6% fee incurred by the church for this convenience. For pledge contributions, please sign up for eGive to make ACH transfers.
Doners will be printed in the December 20, 2020 Bulletin. Deadline is December 13, 2020.
Parish Christmas Card
Let the Women's Club send a lovely Christmas card on your behalf to our parishioners. Save yourself time, let us do the work, and have all proceeds benefit the Antiochian Women's Project 2020-2021. You will receive this card with the names of parishioners, like yourself, who are wishing a Blessed Nativity and a Merry Christmas to all. You can (1) use the form in the Sunday bulletin or simply write us a note, telling us how you want your name to appear on the card, and send it with a check in any amount payable to St. Mary Women’s Club, and mail them to St. Mary Church Women’s Club. OR (2) now you can donate online via eGive! As an alternative to checks and turning in the form, go online to St. Mary’s donation page and select the Christmas Card Donation fund: https://www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/donate/donate-now. You can enter the name to appear on the Christmas card right there.
Deadline: Sunday, December 6.
Angel Tree
Every year St. Mary’s supports the Angel Tree ministries by helping to purchase and deliver gifts to the children of our local incarcerated community. In the past couple of years your support for this effort has been tremendous and we’ve increased the number of children we serve from 50 to 150 a year! (click soon and often please!!)
Due to the pandemic, children will be sent a gift card this year, and donating is as easy as clicking this link and selecting your child and donation amount: click https://tinyurl.com/stmaryangel, code DLYFL, then select your child(ren) and level ($22/$42).
If you have any questions or need help navigating please contact me at flessas99@gmail.com or (608) 239-4887. THANK YOU!! Greg Flessas
Orthodoxy 102
Orthodoxy 102 is an adult education class designed for Christians who have spent many years in the Orthodox church, but have never had any formal teaching on the theology and liturgical structure of Eastern Christianity. This is the second year the class is being offered. It will meet weekly to journey through the structure of the Divine Liturgy, while taking an in-depth look at Scripture, the Ecumenical Councils, our iconography, and the meaning and application of Orthodox theology. If you would like more information or want to join, please email drjamesis@gmail.com (or introduce yourself to Subdeacon James on any Sunday following the liturgy, if you’re there in person). The class begins at 7:00pm every Monday on Zoom.
Enquirers Class
The St. Ignatius Catechetical course – Enquirers’ Class is currently postponed due to the illness of Bob Kowalik, its leader.
People Helping People
A number of parishioners have made known their desire to help people who need assistance. The church office is keeping a list of volunteers. Call the office if you would like your name added to the list of volunteers. There can’t be too many.
If you know of anyone who needs any sort of help call the church office (617) 547-1234 to make the connection. Remember, many people are ashamed/afraid to ask for help. Keep your eyes and ears open and ask about needs with kind concern.
REFLECTION
The more you love money, the more securely you close the Kingdom of God.
- Saint Basil the Great
The property of the wealthy holds them in chains . . . which shackle their courage and choke their faith and hamper their judgment and throttle their souls. They think of themselves as owners, whereas it is they rather who are owned: enslaved as they are to their own property, they are not the masters of their money but its slaves.
- Cyprian
When you are weary of praying and do not receive, consider how often you have heard a poor man calling, and have not listened to him.
- John Chrysostom
Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, suffering, and injustice when He could do something about it. But I'm afraid He would ask me the same question.
– Anonymous