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-January-18th.pdf (9343kb)
files/Bethany-Houses-for-Our-Time-EN.pdf (145kb)
Thank You!
Why is it so hard for many people to say thank you? In the Gospel of Luke (17: 12-19) we hear of Jesus Christ encountering ingratitude Only one of the ten lepers He healed returned to thank Christ for what He had done. Jesus even asked, “Were there not ten cleansed?” (Luke 17.17) Many tend to rationalize why the other nine did not express gratitude; Emotion overcame them. They longed to return to their previous lives and families. They followed Christ's command to go and show themselves to the priests. Maybe the Samaritan who returned did so only because he lacked a priest to whom he could present himself as a foreigner.
What prevents us from being thankful to God for the blessings we receive daily? Are we busy and too distracted with our lives? Too materialistic? Feel entitled and expect to receive blessings from God? In our busy lives, full of distractions and the pursuit of material things, we often forget to give thanks to God for the simple things. This Sunday's gospel reading reminds us that simply saying thank you to God does not go unnoticed. Let us appreciate the blessings God bestows upon us, recognizing them as gifts from God rather than mere entitlements or passing pleasures.
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.
- The Blessing of Homes continues until February 20th. There is still availability on the schedule to have your home blessed. Please see the details in the bulletin on how to schedule a Home Blessing.
- Prayer and Study opportunities this week at Saint Mary's:
Saturday, January 17th
- Confessions at 6:00 PM; Great Vespers Service at 6:30 PM.
Sunday, January 18th
- Confessions from 8:30 to 8:50 AM.
- Matins at 8:50 AM; Divine Liturgy at 10:00 AM.
- Sunday School Classes follow Communion.
Wednesday, January 21st
- Confessions 6:30 to 7:00 PM.
- Vespers Service at 7:00 PM.
- Catechism Class (Preparing for Great Lent) from 7:30 to 8:30 PM.
- Online Arabic Bible Study (The Epistle of James) at 7:30 PM. Please contact Safwat Fahmy for information on how to join online.
"The prayer of one who does not consider himself a sinner is not accepted by the Lord." +Saint Isaac the Syrian
With love in Christ,
Fr. Peter
files/Bulletin-January-11-2026-Sunday-after-Theophany.pub (1317kb)
files/In-Suffering-EN.pdf (184kb)
Repent!
- Attached to this week's email is The Weekly Bulletin and Metropolitan Saba's teaching. Please take a few minutes to read through both.
- This coming Sunday, the monthly 'Children's Sermon' will be offered and Sunday School Classes resume. Classes begin immediately following Communion, and are open to all children between 4 and 12 years.
- Following the Divine Liturgy, the annual 'Blessing of Vehicles' will take place. Following the Dismissal Prayers, you will be given directions on how to proceed.
- A few volunteers are needed this coming to help Khouryia Myraim take down the Christmas decorations in the church. Please see her to volunteer.
- The Blessing of Homes continues. Please see the bulletin on how to schedule a Home Blessing.
- As a reminder, our Annual Parish General Assembly Meeting will be held on Sunday, January 25th, at 12:00 PM. This year, our 'International Luncheon' will be held prior to the meeting.
files/Bulletin-January-4th.pdf (12058kb)
files/On-Religious-Cinema-EN.pdf (77kb)
New Year's Resolutions
A recent study showed that by January 9th of each year, 25% of the resolutions made on New Year's Day are broken. By the end of January, there is a failure rate of between 60 - 80%. New Year's resolutions usually fail due to being unrealistic, lacking accountability, lacking a sufficient "action plan," but most importantly often do not include God. +Saint Basil the Great offers us some advice as we begin the new year, of God-centered resolutions we would be wise to incorporate in our daily lives - with God's help.
“Let your demeanor, your clothing, your walking, your sitting down, the nature of your food, the quality of your being, your house and what it contains, aim at simplicity. And let your speech, your singing, your manner with your neighbor, let these things also be in accord with humility rather than with vanity. In your words, let there be no empty pretense, in your singing, no excess sweetness. In conversation, be not ponderous or overbearing. In everything refrain from seeking to appear important. Be a help to your friends, kind to the ones with whom you live, gentle to your servant, patient to those who are troublesome, loving towards the lowly, comforting those in trouble, visiting those in affliction, never despising anyone, gracious in friendship, cheerful in answering others, courteous, approachable to everyone, never speaking your own praises, nor getting others to speak of them, never taking part in unbecoming conversations, and concealing where you may whatever gifts you possess.”
NOTES...
- Attached to this week's email is 'The Weekly Bulletin' and Metropolitan Saba's Teaching.
- It is with sadness, yet in the hope of the Resurrection that we announce the falling asleep in the Lord of Ralph Haselmann, on December 22, 2025 at age 87. He is survived by his wife Kathleen (Mackoul) Haselmann, two daughters, Camille Waser (Eric) and Crystal Senour. Visitation and Funeral Service will be held from Saint Mary’s on Tuesday, January 6th, beginning at 9:00 AM, followed by burial at South Florida National Cemetery. +Memory Eternal!
- Home Blessings begin this coming week. To get on the schedule for a home blessing, telephone or text 561.-632-7066; or email frpshport@gmail.com.
- Tickets for our annual Hafli on Saturday, February 21st, are now available. Please contact Nabil Aboukhaled 561.502-8588; Jane Pasley 561.389-0346 for tickets and table reservations.
- Join us in prayer this coming week at Saint Mary's:
Saturday, January 3rd
- Confessions from 6:00 - 6:30 PM; Great Vespers Service at 6:00 PM.
Sunday, January 4th
- Confessions from 8:30 - 8:50 AM; Matins at 8:50 AM; Divine Liturgy at 10:00 AM.
- Blessing of new Catechumens following the Gospel Reading.
- 40 Day Blessing and Church of Alexandria Rose Gedeon, daughter of Marc & Nancy Gedeon.
Monday, January 5th - Theophany
- Festal Matins at 5:45 PM; Festal Divine Liturgy at 7:00 PM.
- Great Sanctification (Blessing) of Water following the Divine Liturgy.
Tuesday, January 6th - Theophany
- Visitation and Funeral - Ralph Hasselman beginning at 9:00 AM.
Wednesday, January 7th
- Confessions from 6:30 - 7:00 PM; Vespers Service at 7:00 PM
"The chief end of our life is to live in communion with God. To this end the Son of God became incarnate, in order to return us to this divine communion, which was lost by the fall into sin. Through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, we enter into communion with the Father and thus attain our purpose." +Saint Theophan the Recluse
With love in Christ,
Fr. Peter
