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-for-Pascha-April-20-2025.pdf (3789kb)
HOLY WEEK NOTES...
- Attached to this week's email is The Weekly Bulletin. Please take a few minutes to read through it.
- Holy Week Schedule of Services from Friday, April 18th - Sunday, April 20th
Great and Holy Friday, April 18th
- The Service of the Royal Hours - 9:00 AM
- Vespers Service of the Descent from the Cross - 3:00 PM
- Matins and Lamentations for Great and Holy Saturday - 7:00 PM
- All Vigil at the Tomb of Christ begins at 10:00 PM
Great and Holy Saturday, April 19th (Sebt al Nour / The First Resurrection)
- Catechumen Prayers for the Baptism & Chrismation of Catechumens - 8:30 AM
- Baptismal Vesperal Divine Liturgy - 9:00 AM
Great and Holy Pascha, April 19th & 20th
(Saturday, April 19th - Evening)
- Nocturnes, Hajme (Rush Procession), Matins and Hierarchical Divine Liturgy for Pascha - 10:00 PM
(Sunday, April 20th - Morning)
- Agape Vespers with the reading of the Gospel in various languages) - 11:00 AM
(The Paschal Services and Agape Vespers will be presided over by His Grace, Bishop Nicholas, Auxiliary Bishop to the Metropolitan and the Diocese of Miami and the Southeast.)
- All families are reminded to bring one (1) dozen boiled and colored eggs to be blessed and distributed following the Paschal Services. Please place the eggs in the basket in the empty Tomb of Christ.
- Pascha Baskets should be placed in front of the empty tomb of Christ. The baskets will be blessed at the end of the Paschal Services.
- Bring your Paschal Baskets and join us in the Banquet Hall immediately following the Paschal Divine Liturgy for the Agape Meal, as we break the lenten fast, and celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Following the Sunday Agape Vespers, the Parents Group will host the traditional Egg Hunt for our children. Parents are asked to bring a basket for their children.
There will be no Vespers Service on Bright Wednesday, April 23rd, or Saturday, April 26th.
“Pascha, the Pascha of the Lord!” By His Resurrection, the Lord has brought us from death to life, and that Resurrection the “Angels in Heaven cry,” [for they have] seen the light of deified human nature in fore-ordained glory in the person of our Lord and Redeemer, in Whose Image and through the power of Whose Resurrection, all true believers in Him, all who have united with Him with all their souls, are transformed. Glory, O Lord, to Thy Most-glorious Resurrection! The Angels sing, rejoicing together with us and foreseeing the swelling of their ranks. O Lord, make us worthy, to hymn Thee, the Resurrected One, with pure hearts, seeing in Thy Resurrection the cessation of our corruption, the seeds of a new resplendent life and the dawn of coming eternal glory whose forerunner Thou becamest, being resurrected for our sake. The tongues of neither men nor angels are capable of expressing Thy ineffable mercy toward us, O most-gloriously Resurrected Lord! + Theophanes the Recluse
With love in Christ,
Fr. Peter
files/Bulletin-April-13-2025.pdf (7896kb)
files/Holy-Week-2025-Services.pdf (576kb)
The Raising of Lazarus
We are at the threshold of Holy Week. On this threshold, we are filled with a great and joyful hope by the raising of Lazarus. Here is the image for us: in each of us Lazarus is lying dead, vanquished, surrounded by our often hopeless grieving. But the Gospel reading just before the days of the Passion has this message: "Do not fear, I am the Resurrection and the Life. The Lord's friend that is in you whom you consider irrevocably dead can rise again at a single word of mine, and indeed will rise again" (John 11: 25-26, 43-44).
Lazarus Saturday is a Paschal celebration. It is the only time in the entire Church Year that the Resurrectional Service of Sunday is celebrated on another day. At the Divine Liturgy of Lazarus Saturday, the Church glorifies Christ as “the Resurrection and the Life” who, by raising Lazarus, has confirmed the universal resurrection of mankind even before his own suffering and death. Because of the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead, Christ was hailed by the masses as the long-expected Messiah-King of Israel. Thus, in fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament, he entered Jerusalem, the City of the King, riding on the colt of an ass (Zechariah 9:9; John 12:12). The crowds greeted him with branches in their hands and called out to him with shouts of praise: Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! The Son of David! The King of Israel! Because of this glorification by the people, the priests and scribes were finally driven “to destroy him, to put him to death” (Luke 19:47; John 11:53, 12:10).
Let us enter the days of the Passion with the hope, with the certainty that we are going towards the transition from the temporary to the eternal, from death to life, from our defeat to the victory of God.
NOTES
- Attached to this email is The Weekly Bulletin and the Schedule of Services for Holy Week. Last week, many were unable to open the Holy Week Services attachment. That has been corrected and you should have no problem opening the attachment.
- Join us for our Annual Palm Sunday Luncheon this Sunday immediately following the Divine Liturgy and Procession of Palms.
- Volunteers are needed to assist in preparing the church for Palm Sunday following the Lazarus Saturday Liturgy. This should take no more than 30 - 45 minutes.
- Join us in prayer this weekend:
Saturday, April 12th
Lazarus Saturday Divine Liturgy - 9:00 AM
Great Vespers for Palm Sunday - 6:30 PM
Palm Sunday, April 13th
Matins - 8:50 AM; Divine Liturgy - 10:00 AM; Procession of Palms immediately following the Divine Liturgy.
Bridegroom Matins - 7:00 PM (The Beginning of Holy Week)
"When we were buried with Thee in Baptism, O Christ God, we were made worthy of eternal life by Thy Resurrection! Now we praise Thee and sing: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord!" - Troparia for Palm Sunday
With love in Christ,
Fr. Peter
files/Bulletin-April-6-2025.pdf (5183kb)
files/2025-Holy-Week-Service-Schedule.pub (1716kb)
Self-Control
- Attached to this week's email is The Weekly Bulletin and The Holy Week Schedule.
- Please note that we are in need of donations for Holy Week. Please refer to this week's bulletin and generously donate.
- This is the last week before Holy Week. If you have yet to do so, please prepare yourselves to participate in the Sacrament of Confession for Pascha. The Sacrament of Confession is offered 30 minutes before each service.
- Make time to pray with us this coming week.
files/Bulletin-March-30-2025.pdf (5540kb)
files/2025-Holy-Week-Service-Schedule.pub (1716kb)
Faithfulness
According to the scriptures, one of the main characteristics of God is His absolute faithfulness. This virtue in man is also considered to be one of the “fruits of the Holy Spirit” (Galatians 5.22). To be faithful means to be absolutely true to one’s word, to be totally loyal in one’s devotion, to be completely steadfast and unswerving in one’s own calling. It also means to remain humble in truth and in love, no matter what the conditions or consequences. To be faithful means to be courageous and to do God’s will, regardless of any rejection by others and in spite of any lack of recognition or appreciation. God Himself is perfectly faithful. He has made promises keeping His word no matter what man does.
The main enemies of faithfulness to God and man are pride, covetousness, cowardice, envy and the refusal to serve humbly where one is, with the conditions and gifts which God has provided. Faithlessness is born when one “thinks of himself more highly than he ought to think” (Romans 12.3), fears that he cannot do with what God has given, covets his neighbors’ talents and gifts, and moves from place to place seeking to be satisfied and filled by the things of this world.
Faithfulness is characterized by stability of body and soul; the utter refusal to move or be moved for any unworthy reason; the complete dedication to what God gives one to do, with the faith, grace and strength that God gives to do it. As it is written in the sayings of the fathers of the desert: “As a tree cannot bear fruit if it is often transplanted, no more can a monk (or any person) that is often changing his mind and moving from place to place.” The only way to receive the “crown of life” is to be “faithful until death” in the place where God has put us (Revelations 2.10). The only way to find joy, wisdom and peace is to be faithful to one’s own uniqueness, knowing that each person has his own specific life and vocation from God which no one else has; his own specific mission which no one else can perform. The spiritual person develops his own life in faithfulness, without envy or fear, and so accomplishes and becomes that which God has willed for him before the dawn of creation. - Fr. Thomas Hopko ('The Virtues')
NOTES:
- Attached to this week's email is The Weekly Bulletin and The Schedule of Services for Holy Week. Please be attentive to both.
- As we draw closer to Holy Week, take the opportunity to attend one of the Lenten Services this coming week. In addition, it is not necessary to wait until Holy Week to participate in the Sacrament of Confession. Confession is available 30 minutes prior to each scheduled service.
Saturday, March 29th: Great Vespers - 6:30 PM.
Sunday, March 30th: Matins - 8:50 AM; Divine Liturgy - 10:00 AM. Trisagion Prayers will be offered by Mary Harb, for the repose of Issa Harb, Archdeacon Joseph Harb, Abe Salem; and by Peter & Bianca Reina for the repose of Pedro, Maria, Maria, Aurica, Virgil, Simion, Sofia. Coffee Hour will be offered by both families. +Memory Eternal!
Monday, March 31st: Great Compline - 6:30 PM
Wednesday, April 2nd: Presanctified Liturgy - 6:30 PM
Friday, April 4th: The 5th Akathist Hymn (Supplication Service) to the Theotokos - 6:30 PM.
"In the measure to which a man cuts off and humbles his own will, he proceeds toward success. But insofar as he stubbornly guards his own will, so much does he bring harm to himself." +Saint Ephraim the Syrian
With love in Christ,
Fr. Peter
files/Bulletin-March-23-2025.pdf (6074kb)
files/Ministering-in-Love-EN.pdf (150kb)
Courage
The virtue of courage and strength must accompany patience. Only the one who has courage can truly be patient in all things. To be courageous means simply not to be afraid. Scriptures readings in both the Old Testament and New Testament are reminders.
- "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yea, wait for the Lord!" (Psalms 27.1,14; 31.24).
- "Be vigilant, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong." (1 Corinthians 16.13).
The virtue of courage is expressed not only in times of persecution and suffering, but also in the face of ridicule and disdain. It is expressed as well simply, in the smallest, most common things of everyday life. In Christ’s parable of the talents, the man with little lost even the little that he had and was cast into outer darkness because he failed to use his small gift through lack of courage: “I was afraid and hid your talent in the ground” (Matthew 25.25–30). The person with courage faces all things with strength and lives every day, in every little thing, with the power of Christ. To be “faithful in little” is a sign of great courage. The saints were eminently courageous in their lives and considered this virtue to be central in their spiritual life.
- "If you wish to make a right beginning in your spiritual activity, first prepare yourself for the temptations that will befall you. For the devil has the habit of visiting with terrible temptations those whom he sees starting a righteous life with ardent faith. . . . Therefore prepare yourself to courageously meet the temptations which will surely assail you, and only then begin to practice them." (+Saint Isaac of Syria, 'Directions on Spiritual Training')
- "Cowardice is a childish disposition in a . . . vain-glorious soul . . . a falling away from faith that comes through expecting the unexpected . . . a rehearsing of danger beforehand in fear, a loss of conviction... He who has conquered cowardice has clearly dedicated his life and soul to God." (+Saint John Climacus, 'The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Step 21') - Fr Thomas Hopko ('The Virtues')
NOTES:
- Attached to this week's email is The Weekly Bulletin and Metropolitan Saba's Weekly Teaching. Please take a few minutes to read both.
- Join us this coming Sunday for The Ladies Society' Annual Annunciation Luncheon, immediately following the Divine Liturgy. Donation is $15.00 for Adults and Teens; $5.00 for children under 12 years. All proceeds will benefit the 'Endowment Fund for Widowed Clergy Wives.'
- As we prepare to enter the midpoint of Great Lent, join us in prayer this coming week at Saint Mary's.
Saturday, March 22nd - Great Vespers at 6:30 PM.
Sunday, March 23rd: The 3rd Sunday of Great Lent and Veneration of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross - Matins at 8:50 AM; Divine Liturgy at 10:00 AM. The Procession of the Cross and distribution of flowers that adorn the Cross will follow.
Monday, March 24th - Great Compline Service at 6:30 PM.
Tuesday, March 25th: The Annunciation to the Theotokos - Vesperal Divine Liturgy at 6:30 PM.
Wednesday, March 26th: Presanctified Liturgy at 6:30 PM.
Friday, March 28th: Little Compline Service with the 4th Akathist Stasis at 6:30 PM.
May the Lord continue to bless us on our journey to the Light of the empty tomb of Christ.
With love in Christ,
Fr. Peter
files/Bulletin-March-16-2025.pdf (5108kb)
files/Destructive-Criticism-EN.pdf (132kb)
Patience
- Attached to this week's email is The Weekly Bulletin and Metropolitan Saba's Teaching.
- As our Lenten journey continues to the Light of the empty tomb of Christ, please make an effort to attend as many of the Lenten Services as possible. One of the cornerstones of Great Lent is prayer, in that it helps us in our ascent towards God.
files/Bulletin-March-9-2025.pdf (6065kb)
Obedience
- The Weekly Bulletin is attached to this week's email. Please take a few minutes to read through it.
- As we enter the 2nd Week of Great Lent, let us make an effort to attend as many of the lenten liturgical services as possible. Through prayer we "make room for God" and intimately come to know Him.
- Spring Catechism Classes begin this Monday, March 10th, immediately following Great Compline Service. Classes will be held in the Conference Room, and conclude by 8:30 PM.
files/Bulletin-for-Sunday-March-2-2025.pdf (4779kb)
A Journey to Pascha
Great Lent is indeed a journey. It’s a journey of repentance, a journey to be closer to God, whereby we can, by God’s grace, participate and experience Christ’s humility, His love and His victory over sin and death. It is our journey to Pascha. We begin on the Sunday of Forgiveness (this coming Sunday) seeking to reconcile ourselves to one another by asking for forgiveness of each other. This serves to spiritually clear the slate and provides us with a clean beginning. On the Sunday of Forgiveness, we are presented with the image of Adam sitting outside of Paradise, exiled and filled with sorrow. He is looking back at what he lost. Our Lenten Journey begins with identifying with the Old Adam. But instead of looking back, our focus is ahead. Our journey has as its destination - the saving Passion, Crucifixion, and glorious Third-day Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our goal is not simply to survive Great Lent and get to Holy Week and Pascha. Our goal is to uncover God in our lives hidden by our many sins. To reacquaint and deepen our relationship with God. To accomplish this goal, the Church has provided us with some important tools: Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving and Confession.
Our goal in PRAYER should be to remember God and keep the name of Jesus on our lips, in our thoughts, and on our hearts as often as possible by increasing our daily prayer and attending as many of the beautiful lenten services as we can. FASTING is not merely abstaining from certain foods. Our heart needs fast from the desires of the world. Our eyes, ears, mouth and minds must fast from the things that corrupt us and separate us from God. Practicing ALMSGIVING is the third tool necessary in our lenten journey. We should share with others what we have been blessed with. Almsgiving includes any act of mercy toward another; it is an imitation of Christ Who is the source of all mercy. When we are merciful towards others, this softens our hearts, becomes a means of attaining all the virtues and draws us closer to both our neighbor and God. REPENTANCE and salvation are impossible without God. Our Lord knew this very well; He knew that we, in our weakness, would struggle in our Christian life, that we would fall and get up, fall and get up again. This is why our Lord Jesus Christ offers us the great gift of the Mystery of Holy Confession. Confession is the sacrament of repentance, the sacrament of reconciliation with God. It is a necessary part of the Christian life, and we should avail ourselves of this holy Mystery - especially as we journey to Pascha.
There is no other time of the year quite like Great Lent and Holy Week. Take full advantage of the lenten tools laid out to strengthen our lenten journey. May our journey to the Light of the empty tomb of Christ be blessed!
NOTES:
- Attached to this email is The Weekly Bulletin. Please take a few minutes to read through it.
- The primary focus of our church community during Great Lent is the lenten services. No extra meetings or events. Just prayer.
Saturday, March 1st - Great Vespers at 6:30 PM.
Sunday, March 2nd (Sunday of Forgiveness) - Matins at 8:50 PM, Divine Liturgy at 10:00 AM.
- The Monthly 'Children's Sermon' prior to Communion.
- 40 Day Trisagion (Memorial) Service for the repose of Zakia Salloum (Coffee hour will be hosted in her memory by our Ladies Society).
- Forgiveness Vespers, with the Rite of Mutual Forgiveness at 6:30 PM.
Monday, March 3rd - Great Lent begins!
Monday, March 3rd; Tuesday, March 4th; and Thursday, March 6th - Great Compline Service with the Canon of Saint Andrew at 6:30 PM.
Wednesday, March 5th - Presanctified Liturgy at 6:30 PM.
Friday, March 7th - Little Compline with 1st Akathist (Supplication to the Theotokos) Hymn at 6:30 PM.
"Every sin that is left without repentance is a sin unto death, for which if even a saint shall pray, he shall not be heard. (+Saint Mark the Ascetic)
With love in Christ,
Fr. Peter
files/Bulletin-February-23-2025.pdf (2228kb)
In the Orthodox tradition, humility has often been called the “mother of all virtues,” and pride has been named “the cause of all sin.” The wise and honest person is the one who is humble. "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 14.11; 18.14; Proverbs 3.34).
- Attached to this email is The Weekly Bulletin. Please take a few minutes to read through it.
- Our annual Saint Mary's Hafli is tomorrow (February 22nd) in our Banquet Hall. Doors open at 7:30 PM. For tickets and information, please speak to Nabil Aboukhaled 561.502-8588, or Jane Pasley 561.389-0346.
- Pray with us this week:
- Our Tuesday evening Bible Studies have concluded. Thank you to everyone who participated. In case you missed any of the classes, you may access the podcasts of all classes at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kings-patriot-podcast. Our next Bible Study Classes will be on the Book of Revelations. The dates and times for these classes will be announced at a later date.
- There will be NO Vespers/Discussion this coming Wednesday, February 19th due to the interior of the church being painted.
- Saturday of Souls Divine Liturgy and Trisagion (Memorial) Prayers for the Departed will be prayed this coming Saturday, February 22nd, at 9:00 AM. If you have yet to submit names of your departed loved ones to be commemorated, please do so by Friday morning, February 21st.
- Our Annual Hafli is this coming Saturday evening - February 22nd. Doors open at 7:30 PM. Tickets in advance are $100.00 per person; $110.00 at the door. If you have not reserved your seat, please speak with Nabil Aboukhaled 561.502-8588, or Jane Pasley 561.389-0346.
Have a blessed week,
Fr. Peter
files/Bulletin-February-16-2025.pdf (2954kb)
files/The-Parable-of-the-Weeds-2-EN-2.pdf (143kb)
Honesty means first of all, to speak the truth and never to “bear false witness” (Exod us 20.16). Honesty also means to act truly and openly, without pretense, or the presentation of a false image of oneself. It means, in a word, not to be a hypocrite. Above all things, Christ the Lord hated and condemned hypocrisy, lying and deceit. He accused the devil himself, first and foremost, of being a deceiver and liar, pretending to be other than he is, presenting himself and his teaching as totally other than the falsehood and wickedness that they actually are (cf. Jn 8.44–47).
- Attached to this email is The Weekly Bulletin and Metropolitan Saba's Teaching. Please take a few minutes to read through both.
- Time is running out to reserve your seat for our annual Saint Mary's Hafli on February 22nd. Please speak with Nabil Aboukhalid or Jane Pasley to secure your seat.
- Following this Sunday's International Luncheon, our parents and children will be visiting the Palm Beach Zoo. Please speak with Pamela Weidmann so she may have a head count to purchase tickets.
- Join us for our first 'International Luncheon' this coming Sunday, February 16th, during Coffee Hour. Bring a covered dish for 10 - 12 people representing the foods of your ethnic heritage.
- Our Ladies Society will meet this Sunday at 11;45 AM, in the Banquet Hall. All ladies are welcome to attend and participate.
- Pray with us this coming week:
