Weekly Update for April 23, 2021

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

  1. Lazarus Saturday Cleanup: A dozen or two willing workers are needed to clean and prepare the church for Holy Week this Saturday, April 24th. Please stay after or arrive at the end of Liturgy, between 11:15am - 11:30am. We plan to spend about two hours cleaning. RSVP to Mike Decerbo (email or 617-312-1321) if you can help.
  2. Readers Needed: Unction service (Holy Wednesday). Contact Teva here if available.
  3. Agape Vespers Gospel Readers: On Pascha (May 2) at 11am, the Gospel is proclaimed in many languages.  If you speak a foreign language and would like to read the Gospel, please e-mail Charlie Marge by Monday, April 26.

THIS COMING WEEK AT ST. MARY’S 

PALM SUNDAY PALMS - Those who are not registered to attend Divine Liturgy on Palm Sunday, April 25, may come by the church to pick up palms between 8:45am-10:15am from the ushers.

HOLY WEEK SERVICES
Lazarus Saturday 4/24 - Matins and Divine Liturgy 9:00am; Great Vespers 4:00pm
Palm Sunday 4/25 – Orthros 8:45, Divine Liturgy* 10:00 am; Bridegroom Matins 7:00pm
(Holy) Monday 4/26 -   Bridegroom Matins 7:00p
(Holy) Tuesday 4/27 - Bridegroom Matins 7:00pm
(Holy) Wednesday 4/28 - Holy Unction 7:00pm
(Holy) Thursday 4/29 - Vesperal Liturgy 8:00am;  Matins Service of the 12 Gospels 7:00pm
(Holy) Friday 4/30 - Royal Hours 1:00pm;  Unnailing Vespers 3:00pm;  Lamentations* 7:00pm
(Holy) Saturday 5/1 - Vesperal Liturgy* 9:00am;  Vigil/Rush Service* 10:00pm;  Resurrection Matins* 11:00pm; Divine Liturgy* 12:00 midnight
Pascha 5/2 - Agape Vespers* 11:00am
 *available only to St. Mary members

REMINDERS 

REGISTERING FOR SERVICES: Seating for all services at St. Mary’s is limited during the “pandemic protocol.” To attend a service, please sign up here ahead of time.
•For regular Sunday services you can sign up for one Sunday per month. If additional spots are still available after 10:00am on the Friday preceding Sunday liturgy, everyone (non-members & members) may register to fill the remaining spots, even if they've already attended a service in that monthly period.
•If you're unable to attend a service that you signed up for, please cancel your reservation so someone else can use it (the link to "cancel" can be found in your confirmation email).
•Remember to sit in marked pews when attending liturgy.
Holy Week services (4/25 through 5/1) Due to COVID, the services are being prioritized for Members of St. Mary. Five services (Palm Sunday, Lamentations, Holy Saturday morning, Paschal Vigil/Resurrection, and Agape Vespers) can only be reserved by Members. Members may choose to attend one of the five and may register for additional services that are reserved at 10am the day preceding the service, if additional spots are still available.
*Remaining services can be registered at any time by Members, or at 10am on the day preceding the service by Parishioners.*

LIVE-STREAMED SERVICES 
•All Divine Services held in St. Mary’s Church can be seen live-streamed from the following Links:  St. Mary Live , St. Mary Facebook St. Mary YouTube  
•For the safety of all during the pandemic, please pray with us from home if you have a cough or cold. Thank you!

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 form.
•In addition to bank ACH transfers, we now accept credit cards for these donations, but ask that you kindly 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.     
•Monday April 19th was the last date to make donations for Holy Week and Pascha; they will appear in the Palm Sunday bulletin, April 25, 2021.  

MORNING PRAYER 
•The daily morning prayer group on Zoom, led by Subdeacon James Wilcox and his wife Brooke is open to anyone who wants to take part. Prayers now run Monday through Friday, beginning at 8:30am: Zoom Prayer Group Link  Password: 28052020  
**Please note that the prayer group will not meet on Holy Thursday (4/29) or Holy Friday (4/30)**

ORTHODOXY 102 
•This adult education class is led by Subdeacon James on Zoom.  Orthodoxy 102 is 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 meets 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.
•The class begins at 7:00pm every Monday on Zoom. 
•If you would like more information or want to join, please email Subdeacon James here (or introduce yourself if you're attending a service in person!).

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: We still need volunteers to assist with some of the technical responsibilities pertaining to outreach at the church. Please contact Fr. Antony or Raymond Sayeg if interested.

Website Maintenance

Social Media Maintenance and Monitoring

Sermon Editing and Posting on Web and Social Media

Occasional Tech Support, Layout, and Graphic Design Work for Various Church Ministries

REFLECTION 

I cannot persuade myself that without love to others, and without, as far as rests with me, peaceableness towards all, I can be called a worthy servant of Jesus Christ.
– St Basil the Great

 You see, to love of God is joined also love of neighbor: the person who loves God doesn't neglect his brother; nor esteem money ahead of a limb of his own but shows him great generosity, mindful of Him Who has said, 'Whoever did it to the least of My brothers did it to Me.' He is aware that the Lord of all considers as done to Himself the service given to his fellow servant, and so he will perform every service with great enthusiasm and give evidence of great generosity in almsgiving, considering not the lowliness of appearance but the greatness of the One Who has promised to accept as done to Himself what is given to the poor.
   - St. John Chrysostom
 
The Lord said, "When you have done all that is commanded you, say: 'We are useless servants: we have only done what was our duty'" (Luke 17:10). Thus the kingdom of heaven is not a reward for works, but a gift of grace prepared by the Master for His faithful servants.
   - St. Hesychius the Priest