Publish-header
Dormition of the Virgin Mary Church
Publish Date: 2019-07-07
Bulletin Contents
Weekly Events
Saints and Feasts
Gospel and Epistle Readings
This Sunday is celebrated
Wisdom of the Fathers
Allsaint
Organization Icon
Dormition of the Virgin Mary Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (617) 625-2222
  • Fax:
  • (617) 628-4529
  • Street Address:

  • 29 Central Street

  • Somerville, MA 02143

Past Bulletins


Weekly Events

THE DORMITION FAMILY TABLE

 Our Dormition Family Table will take place every 1st Wednesday of the month.  The next one will be served on Wednesday, July 3rd, 2019 from 4 p.m.—6 p.m.  We are looking for volunteers to help cook and serve.  Cooking starts at 2:00 p.m.

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 WEEKDAY SERVICE

Thursday, July 11th—ST. EYPHEMIA THE GREAT MARTYR

Orthros at 8:00 a.m. & Div. Liturgy at 9:00 a.m.

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SUMMER RETREAT—SAVE THE DATES

 Summer Day Camp

  Loving Mother

             Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church Summer Retreat for our youth, ages 4 to 10, on Monday, August 5, 2019 through and including, Friday, August 9, 2019. 

     Check out our website at www.dormitionchurch.org for additional details regarding the daily programs for each day or pick up a program at the Pangari.      

  Please speak to Father Anthony for the specific time and details.  Father is organizing the retreat along with some assistance from GOYA and the PTO.  Exciting activities are planned for your children.

  The price per child is $50 in total for all the days.  A maximum cost per family is $100.00. 

Thanks to generous donors, we have funds available for parents who may need assistance with the fee. 

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 FESTIVAL

           Once again our festival is fast approaching.  Before you know it, the festival weekend of September 6, 7 and 8th will be upon us.  So, now is the time to think how are we going to help our church.  

           We can help in many ways! We all know the drill by now.   We can either help during the week of the festival by skewering kabobs, cutting vegetables or by putting the final touches together that will help this year's festival be another success.  

Most help will be needed during the 3 day weekend in various areas!  

We can also help by donating items from the festival item list or by putting an ad in our festival ad book, as soon as possible. A 20% discount is offered on ads placed prior to 7/31/19. Anything you decide to do will be greatly appreciated and beneficial. Please let us know by calling the church office, so we can mark you down. As always, thank you in advance.   If you have any questions, please ask Diane Karavitis or call her at 1-508-574-9862. 

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DONATIONS NEEDED FOR THE ALTAR FUND

2 Icons— Starting September the New Ecclesiastical Year, the theme of our Community will be “Welcoming Stranger’s and Children.”  We will place two (2) new Icons on the sides of the Narthex arch.    The Icon of Hospitality of Abraham and the Icon of Christ and the Children.  Fr. Anthony is looking for Donors for each Icon. The icons are $1500.00 each. 

Video Camera—Fr. Anthony is looking for a donor to a video camera for recording and broadcasting Church Services and Annual Church events.  The video camera cost is $3000.00.

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Dear Parishioners, please inform the Church office at 617625-2222 if a relative or friend is hospitalized or bedridden at home so Fr. Anthony can visit them.  If it’s an emergency please call Fr. Anthony at 978-223-8224.

 

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Saints and Feasts

Allsaint
July 07

Thomas the Righteous of Malea

Saint Thomas, though wealthy in material goods, though illustrious for the military trophies he had won in wars against the barbarians, forsook all that he had that he might gain Christ, and was led by a pillar of fire to Mount Maleon. By divine grace he wrought wonders, cast out demons, gave sight to the blind, caused springs of water to gush forth, healed many, and while in prayer appeared as a pillar of fire. The century in which he lived is not known.

07_kyriaki
July 07

Kyriake the Great Martyr

Saint Kyriake was the daughter of Christian parents, Dorotheus and Eusebia. She was given her name because she was born on Sunday, the day of the Lord (in Greek, Kyriake). She contested in Nicomedia during the reign of Diocletian, in the year 300. After many bitter torments she was condemned to suffer beheading, but being granted time to pray first, she made her prayer and gave up her holy soul in peace.

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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Kyriake the Great Martyr
The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 3:23-29; 4:1-5

Brethren, before faith came, we were confined under the law, kept under restraint until faith should be revealed. So that the law was our custodian until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a custodian; for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no better than a slave, though he is the owner of all the estate; but he is under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. So with us; when we were children, we were slaves to the elemental spirits of the universe. But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

Kyriake the Great Martyr
Πρὸς Γαλάτας 3:23-29, 4:1-5

Ἀδελφοί, πρὸ τοῦ δὲ ἐλθεῖν τὴν πίστιν, ὑπὸ νόμον ἐφρουρούμεθα, συγκεκλεισμένοι εἰς τὴν μέλλουσαν πίστιν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι. Ὥστε ὁ νόμος παιδαγωγὸς ἡμῶν γέγονεν εἰς Χριστόν, ἵνα ἐκ πίστεως δικαιωθῶμεν. Ἐλθούσης δὲ τῆς πίστεως, οὐκέτι ὑπὸ παιδαγωγόν ἐσμεν. Πάντες γὰρ υἱοὶ θεοῦ ἐστε διὰ τῆς πίστεως ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. Ὅσοι γὰρ εἰς Χριστὸν ἐβαπτίσθητε, Χριστὸν ἐνεδύσασθε. Οὐκ ἔνι Ἰουδαῖος οὐδὲ Ἕλλην, οὐκ ἔνι δοῦλος οὐδὲ ἐλεύθερος, οὐκ ἔνι ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ· πάντες γὰρ ὑμεῖς εἷς ἐστε ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. Εἰ δὲ ὑμεῖς Χριστοῦ, ἄρα τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ σπέρμα ἐστέ, καὶ κατʼ ἐπαγγελίαν κληρονόμοι. Λέγω δέ, ἐφʼ ὅσον χρόνον ὁ κληρονόμος νήπιός ἐστιν, οὐδὲν διαφέρει δούλου, κύριος πάντων ὤν· ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ ἐπιτρόπους ἐστὶν καὶ οἰκονόμους, ἄχρι τῆς προθεσμίας τοῦ πατρός. Οὕτως καὶ ἡμεῖς, ὅτε ἦμεν νήπιοι, ὑπὸ τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου ἦμεν δεδουλωμένοι· ὅτε δὲ ἦλθεν τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ χρόνου, ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, γενόμενον ἐκ γυναικός, γενόμενον ὑπὸ νόμον, ἵνα τοὺς ὑπὸ νόμον ἐξαγοράσῃ, ἵνα τὴν υἱοθεσίαν ἀπολάβωμεν.

Gospel Reading

3rd Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 6:22-33

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."

3rd Sunday of Matthew
Κατὰ Ματθαῖον 6:22-33

Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος· ῾Ο λύχνος τοῦ σώματός ἐστιν ὁ ὀφθαλμός· ἐὰν οὖν ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ἁπλοῦς ᾖ, ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου φωτεινόν ἔσται· ἐὰν δὲ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου πονηρὸς ᾖ, ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου σκοτεινὸν ἔσται. εἰ οὖν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἐν σοὶ σκότος ἐστί, τὸ σκότος πόσον; Οὐδεὶς δύναται δυσὶ κυρίοις δουλεύειν· ἢ γὰρ τὸν ἕνα μισήσει καὶ τὸν ἕτερον ἀγαπήσει, ἢ ἑνὸς ἀνθέξεται καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου καταφρονήσει. οὐ δύνασθε Θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμωνᾷ. Διὰ τοῦτο λέγω ὑμῖν, μὴ μεριμνᾶτε τῇ ψυχῇ ὑμῶν τί φάγητε καὶ τί πίητε, μηδὲ τῷ σώματι ὑμῶν τί ἐνδύσησθε· οὐχὶ ἡ ψυχὴ πλεῖόν ἐστι τῆς τροφῆς καὶ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ἐνδύματος; ἐμβλέψατε εἰς τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ὅτι οὐ σπείρουσιν οὐδὲ θερίζουσιν οὐδὲ συνάγουσιν εἰς ἀποθήκας, καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος τρέφει αὐτά· οὐχ ὑμεῖς μᾶλλον διαφέρετε αὐτῶν; τίς δὲ ἐξ ὑμῶν μεριμνῶν δύναται προσθεῖναι ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ πῆχυν ἕνα; καὶ περὶ ἐνδύματος τί μεριμνᾶτε; καταμάθετε τὰ κρίνα τοῦ ἀγροῦ πῶς αὐξάνει· οὐ κοπιᾷ οὐδὲ νήθει· λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐδὲ Σολομὼν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ περιεβάλετο ὡς ἓν τούτων. Εἰ δὲ τὸν χόρτον τοῦ ἀγροῦ, σήμερον ὄντα καὶ αὔριον εἰς κλίβανον βαλλόμενον, ὁ Θεὸς οὕτως ἀμφιέννυσιν, οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς, ὀλιγόπιστοι; μὴ οὖν μεριμνήσητε λέγοντες, τί φάγωμεν ἢ τί πίωμεν ἢ τί περιβαλώμεθα; πάντα γὰρ ταῦτα τὰ ἔθνη ἐπιζητεῖ· οἶδε γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος ὅτι χρῄζετε τούτων ἁπάντων. ζητεῖτε δὲ πρῶτον τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν.

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This Sunday is celebrated

Last Week’s Sermon

“The Helpless Crowds 1”

 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ

In last weeks Gospel we saw a phenomenon that is very contemporary. Jesus looked at people and he saw a crowd. He also noticed that they were helpless. The same thing we can see when we look at humanity. The world today is a place where you may find a lot of people who are helpless.

The difficulty comes when we see or hear about helplessness and we feel helpless ourselves. Very often our response to someone’s need comes as carelessness. We block other people’s suffering and we move on with our lives and problems. In the best case we provide them with a temporary solution.

We take care of the symptoms of the much deeper problem. Then we tell them and ourselves life is good. Dear brothers and sisters we can only say that because we dismiss the helpless crowd out of our sight and we do not know what the core of the problem is.

Christ asks his disciples to go and minister to the crowd. He has compassion on them. I would like us to notice one thing in this text: “They were helpless like sheep without a shepherd”.

The central problem in all of this is not so much the physical need of the crowd but it is their aimlessness and need for guidance for direction. As always however Christ takes care of the immediate need, then he directs them to the permanent solution. He is the shepherd of all humanity and separated from Him we become like sheep without a shepherd.

Life, as we know it, harasses us and we loose meaning and aim and we become a helpless crowd. In order to be a community that can help others, we need to become followers of Christ. We need to be followers of the shepherd that came for the lost sheep and as the good shepherd does he put down His life for us. 

He came so that we can have life and life abundantly.   

Κήρυγμα της περασμένης Εβδομάδας

“Τα Αβοήθητα Πλήθη 1”

 Αγαπητοί αδελφοί και αδελφές εν Χριστώ

            Στο περασμένο Ευαγγέλιο είδαμε ένα φαινόμενο που είναι πολύ σύγχρονο. Ο Ιησούς κοίταξε τους ανθρώπους και είδε ένα πλήθος. Παρατήρησε επίσης ότι ήταν αβοήθητοι. Το ίδιο πράγμα μπορούμε να δούμε όταν κοιτάζουμε την ανθρωπότητα. Ο κόσμος σήμερα είναι ένας τόπος όπου μπορείτε να βρείτε πολλούς ανθρώπους που είναι αβοήθητοι. Η δυσκολία έρχεται όταν βλέπουμε ή ακούμε για την αδυναμία και αισθανόμαστε αβοήθητοι και οι ίδιοι.

Πολύ συχνά η απάντησή μας στην ανάγκη ενός ατόμου έρχεται ως αδιαφορία. Αδιαφορούμε για τα βάσανα των άλλων ανθρώπων και συνεχίζουμε με τη ζωή και τα προβλήματά μας. Στην καλύτερη περίπτωση τους παρέχουμε μια προσωρινή λύση. Αντιμετωπίζουμε τα συμπτώματα του βαθύτερου προβλήματος. Τότε λέμε σε αυτούς και σε εμάς τους ίδιους ότι η ζωή είναι καλή. 

Αγαπητοί αδελφοί και αδελφές, μπορούμε να το πούμε αυτό,  μόνο επειδή αποστρέφουμε το βλέμμα μας από  το ανίσχυρο πλήθος και δεν ξέρουμε ποιος είναι ο πυρήνας του προβλήματος. Ο Χριστός ζητά από τους μαθητές του να πάνε και να υπηρετήσουν το πλήθος. Έχει συμπόνια γι 'αυτούς. Θα ήθελα να παρατηρήσω ένα πράγμα σε αυτό το κείμενο: «Ήταν ανήμποροι σαν πρόβατα χωρίς το βοσκό». Το κεντρικό πρόβλημα σε όλα αυτά δεν είναι τόσο η φυσική ανάγκη του πλήθους, όσο η έλλειψη στόχων και η ανάγκη τους για καθοδήγηση, για κατεύθυνση.

Όπως πάντα, όμως ο Χριστός φροντίζει για την άμεση ανάγκη, και μετά τους κατευθύνει προς τη μόνιμη λύση. Είναι ο ποιμένας ολόκληρης της ανθρωπότητας και χωριστά από αυτόν, γινόμαστε σαν πρόβατα χωρίς  ποιμένα. Η ζωή, όπως γνωρίζουμε, μας δυσκολεύει και χάνουμε νόημα και στόχο και γινόμαστε αβοήθητο πλήθος. Για να είμαστε μια κοινότητα που μπορεί να βοηθήσει άλλους, πρέπει να γίνουμε οπαδοί του Χριστού.

Πρέπει να είμαστε οπαδοί του ποιμένα που ήρθε για τα χαμένα πρόβατα και ως καλός ποιμένας θυσίασε τη ζωή Του για μας. 

Ήρθε έτσι ώστε να έχουμε ζωή και άφθονη ζωή.   

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Wisdom of the Fathers

For God, He said, gave us understanding, that we might chase away all ignorance, and have the right judgment of things, and that using this as a kind of weapon and light against all that is grievous or hurtful, we might remain in safety. But we betray the gift for the sake of things superfluous and useless.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 20 and 21 on Matthew 6, 4th Century

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