Welcome, and thank you for visiting St. Mary Orthodox Church online. We hope that our website highlights the wide variety of worship, fellowship, ministery and education opportunities available. Please feel free to read more about our church on this site, or come join with us in prayer. We would love to greet you and share with you our love for Jesus Christ and for you, our neighbor.
files/Bulletin-August-2nd.pdf (4635kb)
Summer Pascha
On August 1st, the Church begins the two week fast in preparation for the final feast of the Church year: the Dormition (or falling asleep) of the Most Holy Theotokos. This feast is commonly referred to as the “Summer Pascha.” It is traditionally called the “Summer Pascha” because it reminds us how Jesus Christ has trampled down death by His death. It carries with it many similarities to the Pascha (Easter). Just as we, in procession, carry the shroud of our Lord and lay it in a tomb on Holy Friday, so too, on the eve of the feast, do we carry a shroud of the Theotokos, lay flowers before it, and venerate it.
We should fast in preparation for this Feast. The Mother of our Lord is approaching death, and we do well to prepare and to be vigilant. If, in our own families, a dear loved one were approaching death, would we not “drop everything” to be at their side? So too, this fast allows us to “drop” the cares of the world, to remind ourselves of our need to imitate the humble obedience of the Theotokos, and to view death in light of Christ’s Resurrection, not as an end, but as a beginning to eternal life.
In the midst of the Dormition Fast, another of the 12 major feast days of the Church - TheTransfiguration of our Lord is celebrated. This feast celebrates the understanding of Christ as both fully divine and fully human, revealing His glory and inviting humanity into a transformative relationship with God. As we commemorate this feast, we are reminded of the call to shine forth the light of Christ in the world, to seek our own transformation, and to honor Christ in every aspect of our lives.
Join with us in prayer this coming week as we prepare for the Feast of the Dormition and celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration.
Saturday, August 1st (Dormition Fast Begins) - Confessions from 6:00 to 6:30PM; Great Vespers Service 6:30 PM.
Sunday, August 2nd - Confessions from 8:30 to 8:50 AM. - Matins (Orthros) 8:50 AM; Divine Liturgy 10:00 AM.
Monday, August 3rd - Paraklesis Service 7:00 PM. (Anointing of oil from the Wonderworking Iveron Icon of the Mother of God following the service).
Wednesday, August 5th - Celebration of the Feast of the Transfiguration - Confessions from 6:30 to 7:00 PM - Vesperal Divine Liturgy 7:00 PM (The traditional Blessing of the Grapes and First Fruits will take place at the conclusion of the service).
Friday, August 7th - Paraklesis Service 7:00 PM. (Anointing of oil from the Wonderworking Iveron Icon of the Mother of God following the service).
"God gave people the word "love" so that they could call their relationship to Him by this name. When people misuse this word to refer to their relationship with earthly things, it loses its meaning." +Saint Nicholas of Serbia
- With love in Christ,
Fr. Peter
files/Bulletin-July-19th.pdf (5432kb)
In this world today, there are many that seek to marginalize, destroy, uproot the Church of Christ from our lives. We live in a world where society is trying to convince us that sin isn’t a sin. There are so called "Christian" communities that change and distort the Gospel and teachings of Christ to embrace societal norms, or to justify a particular political movement. The evil one uses many tactics to try and distort Christ, and in many instances and in many Christian communities, he has succeeded.
- Attached to this week's email is The Weekly Bulletin. Please take a few minutes to read through it. Our printing problems have been resolved allowing hard copies of the bulletin and 'The Children's Word' to be available on Sunday at the counter in the Church Narthex.
- There will be no email or bulletin this coming week/Sunday as I will be at the Archdiocese Clergy Symposium at the Antiochian Village through Saturday evening.
- Donations are now being accepted to help offset the expenses of our Church Feast Day. Details on how you can donate may be found in the bulletin.
- Pray with us this weekend at Saint Mary's:
- There will be NO Vespers Service on Wednesday, July 22nd, or Saturday, July 26th.
files/Bulletin-July-12th.pdf (3982kb)
The Way of the Church is Love!
"A Christian must not be fanatic; he must have love for and be sensitive towards all people. Those who inconsiderately toss out comments, even if they are true, can cause harm. Let’s not stone our fellow-man in a so-called “Christian manner.” The person who – in the presence of others – checks someone for having sinned (or speaks in an impassioned manner about a certain person), is not moved by the Spirit of God; he is moved by another spirit. The way of the Church is LOVE; it differs from the way of the legalists. The Church sees everything with tolerance and seeks to help each person, whatever he may have done, however sinful he may be." + Saint Paisios - 'The Letter of the Law'
- Attached to this week's email is The Weekly Bulletin. Metropolitan Saba's Teachings will resume in September.
- Join us in prayer this coming week at Saint Mary's:
files/Bulletin-June-7th.pdf (7646kb)
files/On-Social-Media.pdf (246kb)
The Ideal Saint
In the Orthodox Church, the ideal saint is a "living icon of Christ" who has achieved Theosis (deification or union with God). Rather than focusing on a checklist of perfect moral actions, the ideal saint is characterized by deep, transforming humility, active love for all, constant repentance, and the acquisition of the Holy Spirit. While saints have vastly different backgrounds — ranging from emperors and theologians to repentant thieves and martyrs — they all share specific core qualities: They see Christ in every person, striving to love their "enemies" and praying for the whole world; They recognize their own brokenness and total dependence on God’s grace, viewing themselves as the "chief of sinners" even as they grow in holiness; A life rooted in constant, unceasing prayer and inner quietness, which allows them to discern God’s will; They openly acknowledge and battle personal temptations and spiritual warfare with patience, courage, and perseverance. The Orthodox Church does not claim that saints were flawless or sinless, but rather that they were relentless in their repentance and pursuit of Christ. This coming Sunday - June 7th - is "All Saints Sunday" (next Sunday, June 14th, we commemorate All Saints of North America and All Saints of Antioch), in which the Church commemorates all saints (holy ones) from the beginning of time to the present, asking them for their God-pleasing intercessions for us.
NOTES...
- Attached to this week's email is The Weekly Bulletin and Metropolitan Saba's teaching. Please take a few minutes to read through both.
- As a reminder, Online Arabic Bible Study has been moved to Tuesday evenings beginning at 7:30 PM. The topic of study is 'The Old Testament Patriarchs.' If you are interested in participating, please speak with Safwat Fahmy.
- Please join us in prayer at Saint Mary's this weekend:
Saturday, June 6th
- Confessions from 6:00 to 6:30 PM; Great Vespers Service at 6:30 PM.
Sunday, June 7th: All Saints Sunday
- Confessions from 8:30 to 8:50 AM.
- Matins at 8:50 AM; Divine Liturgy at 10:00 AM.
**There will be no Wednesday Vespers Service (June 10th); or Saturday Great Vespers Service (June 13th).
"The acquisition of holiness is not the exclusive business of monks, as certain people think. People with families are also called to holiness, as are those in all kinds of professions, who live in the world, since the commandment about perfection and holiness is given not only to monks, but to all people." + Hieromartyr Onuphry Gagaluk
With love in Christ,
Fr. Peter
