Church Telephone: (781) 585-8907

Church Email: stmarkofephesuskingstonma@gmail.com

Donations: PayPal or Credit Card

Administrator and Dean: Archpriest Vasily Lickwar 

Church Warden: Catherine Condrick

Divine Liturgy: Please see the below schedule for upcoming services; Beginning in September of 2021, St. Mark will be resuming its schedule of having services every Sunday at 10:00 AM with the Third and Sixth Hours beginning at 9:30 AM

St. Mark of Ephesus is blessed with a small, but actively participating congregation. We are a warm, family-oriented body of faithful believers and our members are of all age groups and we embrace many cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The parish conducts a regular and traditional cycle of Orthodox liturgical worship throughout the course of the year. The St. Mark parish participates regularly in several community charitable ministries such as on-going charities to aid local shelters, grocery collections for our on-going food pantry, and visiting the ill and shut-ins in our community. All these inititatives are supported by the free-will offerings and volunteer assistance of the parishioners. 

Schedule for the Gradual Return to Full-Time Liturgical Services

We are happy to report that come September, St. Mark will return to having Divine Liturgy every Sunday. The following is the schedule for summertime. In addition, before entering the sanctuary you must sign your name and phone number into the guest book in the narthex. Masks are no longer required in church if you have been fully vaccinated, maintaining 6-feet distance between people are still required, all are welcome to be mask-free outside for coffee hour. If you are sick, please stay home until you are well. Thank you to all who have continued to support St. Mark during this difficult time and for your ongoing patience. 

June 27: Divine Liturgy at 10:00 AM

July 4: No Services

July 11: Divine Liturgy at 10:00 AM

July 18: Divine Liturgy at 10:00 AM

July 25: Divine Liturgy at 10:00 AM

August 1: No Services

August 8: Divine Liturgy at 10:00 AM

August 15: No Services (Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos)

August 22: Divine Liturgy at 10:00 AM

August 29: Divine Liturgy at 10:00 AM

In September, St. Mark will return to having Divine Liturgy every Sunday at 10:00 AM

Sunday Services & Announcements

June 27 - Synaxis of All Saints

The Sunday following Pentecost is dedicated to All Saints, both those who are known to us and those who are known only to God. There have been saints at all times, and they have come from every corner of the earth. They were Apostles, Martyrs, Prophets, Hierarchs, Monastics, and Righteous, yet all were perfected by the same Holy Spirit. The Descent of the Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to rise above our fallent state and to attain sainthood, thereby fulfilling God's diective to "be holy, for I am holy" (Lev. 11:44), 1 Peter 1:16, etc). Therefore, it is fitting to commemorate All Saints on the first Sunday after Pentecost. If you would like to read more about the Synaxis of All Saints, please click on the following link: https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2021/06/27/48-synaxis-of-all-saints

Troparion - Tone 4

As with fine porphyry and royal purple, Your church has been adorned with Your martyrs' blood shed throughout all the world. She cried to You, O Christ God: send down Your bounties on Your people, grant peace to Your habitation, and great mercy to our souls!

Kontakion - Tone 8

The universe offers You the God-bearing martyrs, as the first fruits of creation, O Lord and Creator. Through the Theotokos and their prayers establish Your Church in peace!

Scripture Readings: Hebrews 11:33-12:2, St. Matthew 10:32-33, 37-38; 19:27-30

The next Divine Liturgy at St. Mark will be held on June 27 at 10:00 AM; the reading of the third and sixth hours begins at 9:30 AM. Previous liturgical services are viewable on our YouTube channel at the top of our website page.

If you would like to sign up for Confession with Fr. Kevin please do so on the Google document sent to you through email a week prior to Divine Liturgy; please follow the link and add your name next to the date and time of your preference. 

Please remember in your prayers: Vasily, Alexandra, Peter, Francis, Alban, Alexandra, Cecelia, Robert, Mat. Eleanor, Priest Antony, Reader George, Vasily, Ramon, Maria, Peter, Alexandra, Conor, Nicholas; the kidnapped Hierarchs Metropolitan Paul (Boulos Yazigi) & Archbishop John (Yohanna Ibrahim); the suffering Christians of Egypt and Syria; Archpriest James (deployed as a military chaplain); Ian (recently deployed in the U.S. Army; newly-departed Frederic; received into the Catechumenate today: Katherine

Please email prayer requests the church warden.

Weekly Calendar and Parish Announcements

Nativity of the Holy Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John

The Nativity of the Holy Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, John: The Gospel (Luke 1:5) relates that the righteous parents of Saint John the Baptist, the Priest Zachariah and Elizabeth, lived in the ancient city of Hebron. They reached old age without having children, since Elizabeth was barren. Once, Saint Zachariah was serving in the Temple at Jerusalem and saw the Archangel Gabriel standing on the right side of the altar of incense. He predicted that Saint Zachariah would father a son, who would announce the Savior, the Messiah, awaited by the Old Testament Church. Zachariah was troubled, and fear fell upon him. He had doubts that in old age it was possible to have a son, and he asked for a sign. It was given to him, and it was also a chastisement for his unbelief. Zachariah was struck speechless until the time of the fulfillment of the archangel's words. If you would like to read more about the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, please click on the following link: https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2021/06/24/101800-nativity-of-the-holy-glorious-prophet-forerunner-and-baptist-joh

Weekly Calendar

Monday, June 21: Day of the Holy Spirit

Tuesday, June 22: Third day of the Trinity

Wednesday, June 23: Afterfeast of Pentecost | The Meeting of the Vladimir Icon of the most Holy Theotokos in commemoration of the saving of Moscow fromo the invasion of Khan Akhmat (1480)

Thursday, June 24: Afterfeast of Pentecost | Nativity of the Holy Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John

Saturday, June 26: Leavtaking of Pentecost | Appearance of the Tikhvin Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (1388)

Sunday, June 27: First Sunday after Pentecost | Synaxis of All Saints

Parish Announcements

The Parish Council would like to thank all who generously gave donations in honor of the Paschal season and to the septic system. Your ongoing support and generosity to our parish is greatly appreciated. May God bless you abundantly. 

We are collecting items for distribution to those in need via a local food pantry. Please leave the items you wish to donate in the large blue bin located in the nave of the church. It is important that we continue to care for those in need during these difficult times.

The Parish Council will meet on Thursday, June 24 at 6:30 pm via Zoom.

Coffee Hour: We have begun to once again enjoy coffee hour together. If you are a coffee hour host, please click on the tab at the top of our website page labeled "Coffee Hour Schedule" to view the schedule and check list. Thank you to our coffee hour hosts for volunteering. If you wish to volunteer to be a coffee hour host, please contact the church warden. 

Monthly Church Cleaning: We are in need of volunteers for church cleaning; please contact the church warden if you wish to volunteer. Please click on the tab at the top of our website page labeled "Church Cleaning Schedule" to view the scedule. The task checklist is located on the refrigerator in the kitchen.  

The St. Mark Bookstore will re-open on Sunday, September 5.

A New Message for Hope and Encouragement (For the week of June, 21 2021):

Here is some good advice when cares overwhelm us: St. Peter of Damascus in the Philokalia writes: "Patient endurance kills the despair that kills the soul; it teaches the soul to take comfort and not to grow listless in teh face of its many battles and afflictions." St. Nilus of Sinai says: "He who endures distress will be granted joys; and he who bears with unpleasant things will not be deprived of the pleasant." And, finally, St. Anthony of Optina wrote: "No matter what bitterness has befallen you, no matter what unpleasantness has happened to you, say, "I shall endure this for Jesus Christ!" and it will be easier for you, for the name of Jesus Christ is powerful. Through it all, unpleasantness is calmed and the demons disappear. Your disappointments will also be calmed and your feafullness will be quieted."

***

The Creed: Composed by the Ancient Fathers: This day (June 13) on the Church calendar is known as the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council. They assembled in the year 325 in the ancient city of Nicea (now a village called Iznik in Turkey). This Church Council compiled the Creed that is recited at every Divine Liturgy. Actually, the Fathers dealt with the first part of the Creed that speaks of the Person of Christ. The section on the Holy Spirit, to the conclusion, was compiled at the 2nd Council int he year 381 at Constantinople.

The Creed is nearly 1,700 years old and has been recited unchanged through all the centuries of t he Faith. It contains the basic statement of Christian beliefs. There were 318 Fathers of the Church at the first Council in Nicea. The fine icon of the ancient fathers depicts some of them holding the Greek version of the Statement of Faith. The Creed begins with the words "I believe..." This is somewhat unusual, since invariably in the Chruch's worship the plural form of "we" is used. Thus, we pray "Our Father..." and "let us pray to the Lord..." and "Let us lay aside all earthly cares..." This is so because we are gathered together as Christ's family, as the Church, the people of God, the body of Christ.

We say "I believe..." because faith is a personal matter. No one can believe for me; I must believe. What does it mean to believe? This goes to the heart of religion. We cannot "prove" the articles of faith; we cannot see them, touch them or feel them. We believe they are real and they are true. St. Paul put it this way, we "walk by faith and not by sight." Let us honor those Fathers of Nicea today.

***

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understanding all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

I Corinthians 13:1-13

***

"Our neighbors are for us a school in which we are given practice in the most perfect love: Love for God." - St. Nikolai

"Prayer is infinte creation, far superior to any form of art or science." -St. Sophrony

"The sun is reflected in clear water, and heaven in a pure heart." - St. Nikolai

***

From the Gospel of Mark 16:1-20 - taken from The Orthodox Study Bible

Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?" But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away - for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples - and Peter - that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you." So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week. He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. 

Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.