Weekly News
DECEMBER 9, 2018
Feast of the Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary
Deacon’s Service: Deacon Michael T Sabounjian
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,
give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
(1Thessalonians 5:16-18)Find the Jesus within You!
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SUNDAY SCHEDULE
Morning Prayer: 8:30AM
Divine Liturgy Family Worship: 9:30AM
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NEWLY INSTALLED
120″ WIDESCREEN PROJECTION TELEVISION
LIKE BEING AT THE GAME ITSELFALL ARE WELCOME |
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| COME CHEER ON THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS CLINCH THE EASTERN DIVISION TITLE
THIS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9TH
RESERVE TODAY!!!
Lucine Kapreilian (lkapreilian@gmail.com);
Donna Kutzer (donna.kutzer@gmail.com) or
Sylva Yeghiayan (sylva.yeghiayan@gmail.com)
for planning purposes. |
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AND FOOTBALL GAME
Sunday, December 9, 2018
Tailgate Start: Immediately After Church Services
Patriots vs Dolphins Football Game: 1:00PMCost: $10.00 per person
(Children Under 12 Years of Age: Free)Bring Your Own Beverage
&
Comfortable Folding Sideline/Beach Chair
RSVP by December 4th to:
Lucine Kapreilian (lkapreilian@gmail.com);
Donna Kutzer (donna.kutzer@gmail.com) or
Sylva Yeghiayan (sylva.yeghiayan@gmail.com)
for planning purposes. |
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Christmas Eve Carol & Prayer Service (in English) Monday, Dec. 24th at 4:00p.m.
We will once again pray and sing with the accompaniment of a Stringed Trio. |
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Saturday Evening, January 5, 2019
Immediately following Divine Liturgy
Reading of the Prophecies: 4:00PM
Divine Liturgy: 5:00PM Dinner: Approx. 6:30PMAdult Portion Prime Rib Dinner $20.00
Children’s Portion Chicken Finger Dinner $5.00
Coffee and Dessert
Bring your own Beverage.
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
Please RSVP to Mark Kashgegian by January 3rd at: MKashgegian9@gmail.com or call (617) 256-
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SCHEDULE OF ARMENIAN CHRISTMAS WORSHIP SERVICES
Armenian Christmas Eve
Saturday, January 5, 2019
Reading of the Prophesies: 4:00 P.M.
Christmas Eve Divine Liturgy: 5:00 P.M.
Parish Community Dinner: (Immediately after Badarak)
Armenian Christmas
(Theophany – The Birth & Baptism of our Lord)
Sunday, January 6, 2019
Morning Service: 8:30 A.M.
Divine Liturgy: 9:30 A.M.
Blessing of the Water
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DECEMBER 9, 2018
Being Part of God’s Plan: by Jim Liebelt
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:35-38 )
Mary has an honored place as being the mother of Jesus. In our Christian circles, we celebrate Mary as a virtuous young woman willfully taking on the responsibility of becoming mother of the Son of God. Still, it’s easy to overlook the difficulties Mary faced in accepting this role. She was likely in her mid-teens at the time of the angel’s message. An unmarried teen pregnancy in Jewish culture at the time would have been quite scandalous. She faced the prospect of being an outcast in her hometown. Further, imagine Mary attempting to explain the circumstances of her pregnancy to her parents and to Joseph, her fiancé. Being part of God’s plan was no doubt very difficult for Mary. One of the characteristics that set Mary apart for her role was her willing obedience. “May it be to me as you have said,” was Mary’s reply to the angel. This is simply amazing. We, just like Mary, are part of God’s plan to carry His light and love to a needy world. Each of us have been given different roles in His plan, but none are unimportant. It might be difficult to see ourselves as being active participants in what God is doing in the world. It’s not always easy to say yes to God. Saying yes can mean facing difficulties and persecution. But, God always provides the means of sustaining us when we choose obedience to His desires for our lives. As we celebrate Christmas this year, remember Mary as an example of the obedience God desires of us.
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Advent Prayer
Lord, as I travel through the days that lead to the celebration of Your birth, help me keep an eye on the real Christmas. Behind the Christmas family photos, let me discover Your divine and holy image. In my Christmas card list, fill my heart with the entire human family so precious to You. Before I Christmas shop, let me give first to the poor and the needy, the lonely and the despairing. Among the carols, let my heart fill with sincere love and praise for You. Give me the gift, this year, dear Lord of the real Christmas.
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| WEEKLY PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTS |
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Armenian School: This year, the Armenian School, will meet on December 16th. Please contact Susan Ciaffi (sciaffi@gmail.com) with questions or to enroll in the program.United Way’s Pearl Street Cupboard (next door) Volunteers are needed to help serve on Wednesday December 19 th – 5:00PM-7:30PM If you have interest in serving, please reach out to Jennifer Cote at
the_cotes1@verizon.netBible Readings:
Readings for this Sunday’s Badarak are: 2Thessalonians 1:1-12 and Luke 14:12-24.
Readings for next Sunday’s Badarak are: Hebrewss 1:1-14 and Luke 17: 1-10.
Community Outreach: “Christmas Wishing Tree.” We are committing to provide 41 gifts this year to needy children and families in the MetroWest area through the DSS. All gifts need to be delivered to the Church no later than Sunday, Dec.16th so that there will have enough time to deliver them to the Children. Thank you for your generosity. See Robin or Sara Palombo.
Christmas Eve Carol & Prayer Service (in English) Monday, Dec. 24th at 4:00p.m.
We will once again pray and sing with the accompaniment of a Stringed Trio.
Armenian Christmas Eve Community Dinner: Saturday Evening, January 5, 2019, immediately following Divine Liturgy. (Reading of the Prophecies: 4:00PM – Divine Liturgy: 5:00PM – Dinner: Approx.6:30PM) Adult Portion Prime Rib Dinner – $20.00 Children’s Portion Chicken Finger Dinner – $5.00. Coffee and Dessert – Bring your own Beverage. Please RSVP to Mark Kashgegian by January 3rd at: MKashgegian9@gmail.com or call 617-256-5358.
Parish Outreach: The Outreach program at our parish focuses on activities for our local communities as well as meeting parish-wide needs. Renee Ferraro is the Outreach Coordinator (617-308-3699 or reneegferraro@gmail.com.)
ACYOA Jrs: Advisor: Yeretzgin LuAnn (lsabounjian@gmail.com) Chairpersons: Ashley Kutzer and Colin Dagg)
For Young people ages 13-18.
ACYOA Srs: Chairperson: Arthur Sabounjian (djimpossible@gmail.com)
For Young adults ages 18 and above.Membership Dues/Stewardship: Please remember to renew your 2018 membership. We ask that you also fulfill your stewardship obligations in a timely manner. Our goal is to have 100% participation in stewardship this year.
Fellowship Sign-up: Volunteers are needed to sponsor and work at our Coffee Fellowship Hours after Church as well as make donations toward the expense of the Altar Flowers and Candles. A sign-up sheet is available at Fellowship or contact
Jaymie Babaian (jaymie1754@gmail.com)
Please inform Der Krikor at 774-292-9116 or frkrikor@holytranslators.org of those who may be sick at home, hospitalized or may simply want to talk, so that he can make arrangements to visit.
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
Sunday, December 9, 2018 |
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Gospel Reading
(Luke 14:12-24)
He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” One of the dinner guests, on hearing this, said to him, “Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” Then Jesus said to him, “Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.’ Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.’ Another said, ‘I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ And the slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ Then the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.’ “
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Epistle Reading
(2Thessalonians 1:1-12)
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of everyone of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring. This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, and is intended to make you worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering. For it is indeed just of God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to the afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be marveled at on that day among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Commentary
The story of God’s compassion toward the poor appears only in Luke. To share hospitality with the needy is to imitate God’s love which welcomes the lowly into the banquet of His Kingdom. “Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God” is an inspirational , although little-known beatitude. The purpose of life is to join in the sharing of “bread in the Kingdom of God,” a partaking of the eternal love of God. The parable of the “great dinner” exemplifies God’s Kingdom, imaged in the ministry of Christ and later in the Church. The Kingdom is filled with outcasts and Gentiles, while the unresponsive privileged guests shut themselves out with their “excuses.” “Compel the people” indicates that God’s plan is to fill His messianic banquet, and that even with refusals and excuses, His desire to fill His “House” will not be frustrated. We will all be called to the “great dinner;” we will all be called to share in the eternal Kingdom of God. If we are called today, how many of us are ready to participate? How many of us will “shut ourselves out” because of our many excuses. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Sunday Morning Prayer: 8:30AM
Sunday Divine Liturgy: 9:30AM
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Sun. Dec. 9 Deacon Service with Communion – Dn. Michael Sabounjian
Sun. Dec. 16 Divine Liturgy – Rev. Fr. Mardiros Chevian
Armenian School – 11:50AM -12:30PM
Sun. Dec. 23 Deacon Service with Communion – Dn. Michael Sabounjian
Mon. Dec. 24 American Christmas Eve Service (English) – 4:00PM
Tues. Dec. 25 Western Christmas
Sun. Jan 27 Annual Parish Assembly – 12:00PM
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VEMKAR DIOCESAN RESOURCE & APP – The Eastern Diocese recently launched a new electronic resource – VEMKAR – aimed at the pastoral and educational leaders of our church. Each edition inspires readers to “get ready for Sunday,” by presenting classroom lessons, sermon topics, and other resources to enrich young and old alike in their worship and learning experiences. View this week’s VEMKAR newsletter. Download the VEMKAR app! Click here for iOS or Android platforms.
FAR (Fund for Armenian Relief) Ayo! is in its final push to fund its #ReviveTheSoil project. #ReviveTheSoil aims to purchase a new tractor and a grain drill to benefit the 1,490 families of the Lori Berd Region and its nine surrounding communities. Lori Berd is the second poorest region of Armenia. While there’s fertile land in Lori Berd, much of it is just uncultivated because most people have insufficient agricultural tools which haven’t been replaced since the Soviet era. With the proper tools, more people will be able to grow crops for sale and consumption. With only a few days left in the campaign, you can help make this project a success. Even a small donation goes a long way. Give the families of Lori Berd the gift of opportunity this holiday season. To read more, go to: http://farusa.org/2018/10/29/ayo-ayos-latest-project-to-help-impoverished-rural-communities-become-more-self-sufficient/
To support programs: http://farusa.org/donate
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